1928 National 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 National 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
 

National League Retirements

1928

n/a Virgil Barnes Boston Braves P 32
n/a Ray Boggs Boston Braves P 24
n/a Eddie Brown Boston Braves OF 37
n/a Dick Burrus Boston Braves 1B 31
n/a Jimmy Cooney Boston Braves SS 34
n/a Charlie Fitzberger Boston Braves PH 25
n/a Howard Freigau Boston Braves SS 26
n/a Doc Gautreau Boston Braves 2B 27
n/a Bonnie Hollingsworth Boston Braves P 33
n/a Dinny McNamara Boston Braves OF 23
n/a Art Mills Boston Braves P 26
n/a Guy Morrison Boston Braves P 33
n/a Emilio Palmero Boston Braves P 33
n/a Charlie Robertson Boston Braves P 33
n/a Luke Urban Boston Braves C 31
n/a Earl Williams Boston Braves C 26
n/a Howard Freigau Brooklyn Robins 3B 26
n/a Joe Harris Brooklyn Robins OF 38
n/a Jay Partridge Brooklyn Robins 2B 26
n/a Jigger Statz Brooklyn Robins OF 31
n/a Overton Tremper Brooklyn Robins OF 23
n/a Ty Tyson Brooklyn Robins OF 36
n/a Ray Jacobs Chicago Cubs PH 27
n/a Joe Kelly Chicago Cubs 1B 29
n/a Ben Tincup Chicago Cubs P 36
n/a Elmer Yoter Chicago Cubs 3B 28
n/a Jim Beckman Cincinnati Reds P 24
n/a Jim Joe Edwards Cincinnati Reds P 34
n/a Wally Pipp Cincinnati Reds 1B 36
n/a Harlan Pyle Cincinnati Reds P 23
n/a Jack White Cincinnati Reds 2B 23
n/a Vic Aldridge New York Giants P 35
n/a Virgil Barnes New York Giants P 32
n/a Garland Buckeye New York Giants P 31
n/a Ray Foley New York Giants PH 22
n/a Bill Haeffner New York Giants C 34
n/a Art Jahn New York Giants OF 33
n/a Les Mann New York Giants OF 36
n/a Joe Price New York Giants OF 32
n/a Russ Wrightstone New York Giants 1B 36
n/a Bill Deitrick Philadelphia Phillies OF 27
n/a Art Jahn Philadelphia Phillies OF 33
n/a Bill Kelly Philadelphia Phillies 1B 30
n/a Ed Lennon Philadelphia Phillies P 31
n/a Harvey MacDonald Philadelphia Phillies OF 31
n/a Russ Miller Philadelphia Phillies P 29
n/a Al Nixon Philadelphia Phillies OF 43
n/a Jimmy Ring Philadelphia Phillies P 34
n/a Heinie Sand Philadelphia Phillies SS 31
n/a Marty Walker Philadelphia Phillies P 30
n/a Augie Walsh Philadelphia Phillies P 24
n/a Russ Wrightstone Philadelphia Phillies OF 36
n/a Clyde Barnhart Pittsburgh Pirates OF 33
n/a Homer Blankenship Pittsburgh Pirates P 26
n/a Bill Burwell Pittsburgh Pirates P 34
n/a Joe Harris Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 38
n/a Mack Hillis Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 27
n/a Eddie Mulligan Pittsburgh Pirates 3B 34
n/a Pete Scott Pittsburgh Pirates OF 31
n/a Elmer Tutwiler Pittsburgh Pirates P 24
n/a Carlisle Littlejohn St. Louis Cardinals P 27
n/a Art Reinhart St. Louis Cardinals P 30
n/a Specs Toporcer St. Louis Cardinals 1B 30
n/a Howie Williamson St. Louis Cardinals PH 24
1928 National League Retirements



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

On July 28, 1976, Blue Moon Odom pitched the final five innings of his Major League career. He was relieved by Francisco Barrios in the sixth inning and the two White Sox combined to pitch a 2-1 no-hitter versus the Oakland Athletics.

Goose Goslin played for eighteen seasons and averaged one-hundred twenty-seven games played per season. In 1938, during his final at-bat, he twisted his back and was replaced at the plate by a pinch-hitter for the first time in his Major League career.