Baseball Almanac - 1928 American League Retirements

1928 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 1928.

"I'll never make the mistake of being seventy (70) again." - Casey Stengel comment made after being told to quit following the 1960 World Series

American League Retirements
1928

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a Cecil Bolton Cleveland Indians 1B 25

n/a Guy Sturdy St. Louis Browns 1B 29

n/a Pelham Ballenger Washington Senators 3B 35

n/a Ed Crowley Washington Senators 3B 22

n/a Johnny Mann Chicago White Sox 3B 31

n/a Billy Mullen St. Louis Browns 3B 33

n/a Art Reinholz Cleveland Indians 3B 26

n/a Ollie Sax St. Louis Browns 3B 24

n/a Mike Gazella New York Yankees 3B 33

n/a Aaron Ward Cleveland Indians 3B 32

n/a Ike Danning St. Louis Browns C 24

n/a Fred Hofmann Boston Red Sox C 34

n/a Eddie Kenna Washington Senators C 31

n/a Steve O'Neill St. Louis Browns C 37

n/a Frank Wilson Cleveland Indians PH 28

n/a George Blackerby Chicago White Sox OF 25

n/a Ty Cobb Philadelphia Athletics OF 42

n/a Red Dorman Cleveland Indians OF 28

n/a Babe Ganzel Washington Senators OF 28

n/a George Gerken Cleveland Indians OF 25

n/a Luther Harvel Cleveland Indians OF 23

n/a Sam Langford Cleveland Indians OF 29

n/a Dick Spalding Washington Senators OF 35

n/a Tris Speaker Philadelphia Athletics OF 41

n/a Carl Sumner Boston Red Sox OF 20

n/a Arlie Tarbert Boston Red Sox OF 24

n/a Ollie Tucker Cleveland Indians OF 27

n/a Denny Williams Boston Red Sox OF 32

n/a Frank Wilson St. Louis Browns OF 28

n/a Al Wingo Detroit Tigers OF 31

n/a Charlie Barnabe Chicago White Sox P 28

n/a Frank Bennett Boston Red Sox P 24

n/a Garland Buckeye Cleveland Indians P 31

n/a Joe Bush Philadelphia Athletics P 36

n/a Stan Coveleski New York Yankees P 39

n/a George Cox Chicago White Sox P 24

n/a Art Daney Philadelphia Athletics P 24

n/a Cliff Garrison Boston Red Sox P 22

n/a John Goodell Chicago White Sox P 22

n/a Marty Griffin Boston Red Sox P 27

n/a Slim Harriss Boston Red Sox P 31

n/a Jing Johnson Philadelphia Athletics P 34

n/a Rudy Leopold Chicago White Sox P 23

n/a Dutch Levsen Cleveland Indians P 31

n/a Ernie Nevers St. Louis Browns P 26

n/a Ike Powers Philadelphia Athletics P 23

n/a Merle Settlemire Boston Red Sox P 26

n/a John Shea Boston Red Sox P 24

n/a Urban Shocker New York Yankees P 38

n/a Steve Slayton Boston Red Sox P 27

n/a Willie Underhill Cleveland Indians P 24

n/a Clay Van Alstyne Washington Senators P 29

n/a Al Williamson Chicago White Sox P 29

n/a John Wilson Boston Red Sox P 26

n/a Roy Wilson Chicago White Sox P 32

n/a Jim Wright St. Louis Browns P 28

n/a Paul Hinson Boston Red Sox PR 25

n/a Freddie Moncewicz Boston Red Sox SS 25

n/a Chick Galloway Detroit Tigers SS 32

# Name Team Pos Age

1928 American League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1928 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

On September 28, 1960, broadcaster Curt Gowdy uttered, "It's got a chance. It's got a chance. And it's gone!" Those words were used to describe the final at-bat of slugger Ted Williams.

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).

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