1927 American League Retirements

The baseball torch is passed from season to season and in some cases, from game to game. In 1911, Cy Young pitched his final Major League game, lost 1-0, and ended the final season of his career with a losing record of 7-9 and an ERA of 3.77. Young's opponent that particular day was a first-year pitcher named Grover Alexander who received the win, added to his league leading shutout total, and went on to begin his career with a winning record of 28-13 and an ERA of 2.57.

Bob Gibson, who was easily one of the most intense competitors of all time, gave up a grand slam to the last Major League hitter he faced, Pete LaCock of the Chicago Cubs. Fifteen years passed and when the two faced off during an old-timer's game, Gibson hit LaCock on his back with a fastball.

Babe Ruth summed it up when he responded to a question about retirement by saying, "A ballplayer should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill." Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a comprehensive list of American League League players who hung up their spikes in 1927.

"You are George Brett and all the cheering has stopped. The music is muted, the hour is late, and they will be taking the banners down and emptying your locker any minute now. As the late Jimmy Cannon would say it, 'All your bats are broken.'" - Broadcaster Jim Murray
 

American League Retirements

1927

n/a Spencer Adams St. Louis Browns 2B 29
n/a Lefty Atkinson Washington Senators PH 21
n/a Neal Baker Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a Johnny Bassler Detroit Tigers C 32
n/a Charlie Bates Philadelphia Athletics OF 20
n/a Jim Battle Chicago White Sox 3B 27
n/a Herschel Bennett St. Louis Browns OF 31
n/a Johnny Berger Washington Senators C 26
n/a Dud Branom Philadelphia Athletics 1B 30
n/a Fred Bratschi Boston Red Sox PH 36
n/a Joe Brown Chicago White Sox P 27
n/a Cleo Carlyle Boston Red Sox OF 25
n/a Bert Cole Chicago White Sox P 31
n/a Bob Cremins Boston Red Sox P 22
n/a Buddy Dear Washington Senators 2B 22
n/a Bernie DeViveiros Detroit Tigers SS 27
n/a Mose Eggert Boston Red Sox 2B 26
n/a Chet Falk St. Louis Browns P 23
n/a Roy Flaskamper Chicago White Sox SS 26
n/a John Freeman Boston Red Sox OF 27
n/a Joe Giard New York Yankees P 29
n/a Don Hankins Detroit Tigers P 26
n/a Elmer Jacobs Chicago White Sox P 35
n/a Baby Doll Jacobson Boston Red Sox OF 37
n/a Baby Doll Jacobson Cleveland Indians OF 37
n/a Baby Doll Jacobson Philadelphia Athletics OF 37
n/a Augie Johns Detroit Tigers P 28
n/a Walter Johnson Washington Senators P 40
n/a Dick Jones Washington Senators P 26
n/a Marty Karow Boston Red Sox SS 23
n/a Benn Karr Cleveland Indians P 34
n/a Bill Lamar Philadelphia Athletics OF 31
n/a Del Lundgren Boston Red Sox P 28
n/a Rube Lutzke Cleveland Indians 3B 30
n/a Pat McNulty Cleveland Indians OF 29
n/a Joe Mellana Philadelphia Athletics 3B 23
n/a Bill Moore Boston Red Sox C 24
n/a Ray Morehart New York Yankees 2B 28
n/a Bernie Neis Chicago White Sox OF 32
n/a Bernie Neis Cleveland Indians OF 32
n/a Mickey O'Neil Washington Senators C 30
n/a Eddie Onslow Washington Senators 1B 35
n/a Ernie Padgett Cleveland Indians 2B 29
n/a Joe Pate Philadelphia Athletics P 35
n/a Roger Peckinpaugh Chicago White Sox SS 37
n/a Jim Poole Philadelphia Athletics 1B 33
n/a Topper Rigney Boston Red Sox 3B 31
n/a Topper Rigney Washington Senators SS 31
n/a Dutch Ruether New York Yankees P 34
n/a Rusty Saunders Philadelphia Athletics OF 22
n/a Bob Shawkey New York Yankees P 37
n/a Rufus Smith Detroit Tigers P 23
n/a Sherry Smith Cleveland Indians P 37
n/a Rudy Sommers Boston Red Sox P 40
n/a Freddy Spurgeon Cleveland Indians 2B 26
n/a Frank Stewart Chicago White Sox P 21
n/a Jack Tobin Boston Red Sox OF 36
n/a Dutch Ussat Cleveland Indians 3B 24
n/a Jim Walkup Detroit Tigers P 32
n/a Pee-Wee Wanninger Boston Red Sox SS 25
n/a Bob Way Chicago White Sox 2B 22
n/a Frank Welch Boston Red Sox OF 30
n/a Tony Welzer Boston Red Sox P 29
n/a Buzz Wetzel Philadelphia Athletics P 33
n/a Zack Wheat Philadelphia Athletics OF 40
n/a Lefty Willis Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Kid Willson Chicago White Sox OF 32
n/a Ernie Wingard St. Louis Browns P 27
n/a Ted Wingfield Boston Red Sox P 28
1927 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1927 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

Stan Musial ended his Major League career on September 29, 1963. His final hit was a single during the sixth inning off Jim Maloney which drove in his last RBI (which was Curt Flood).

Did you know that future hall of fame pitcher Walter Johnson ended his Major League career in 1927 with a pinch-hit appearance? During the final game of the season pitcher Tom Zachary, who had just given up Babe Ruth's sixtieth home run of the season, was lifted and Johnson replaced him at the plate.