1930 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 1930.

"I want to hit a routine grounder to second and run all out to first base, then get thrown out by a half step. I want to leave an example to the young guys that that's how you play the game, all out." - George Brett
 

American League Retirements

1930

n/a Chick Autry Chicago White Sox C 28
n/a Red Badgro St. Louis Browns OF 28
32 Frank Barnes New York Yankees P 31
n/a Red Barnes Chicago White Sox OF 26
n/a Red Barnes Washington Senators PH 26
- Les Barnhart Cleveland Indians P 26
n/a Bill Barrett Boston Red Sox OF 31
n/a Bill Barrett Washington Senators OF 31
n/a Bill Bayne Boston Red Sox P 32
n/a Ted Blankenship Chicago White Sox P 30
n/a Frank Bushey Boston Red Sox P 24
n/a Guy Cantrell Detroit Tigers P 27
n/a Harry Child Washington Senators P 26
n/a Eddie Collins Philadelphia Athletics PH 44
n/a Buck Crouse Chicago White Sox C 34
n/a Cedric Durst Boston Red Sox OF 34
27 Cedric Durst New York Yankees OF 34
34 Foster Edwards New York Yankees P 27
n/a Howard Ehmke Philadelphia Athletics P 37
n/a Jim Galvin Boston Red Sox PH 23
49 Ray Gardner Cleveland Indians SS 29
n/a Patsy Gharrity Washington Senators 1B 39
24 Sal Gliatto Cleveland Indians P 29
n/a Sammy Hale St. Louis Browns 3B 34
9 Bubbles Hargrave New York Yankees C 38
n/a Spencer Harris Philadelphia Athletics OF 30
n/a Joe Hassler St. Louis Browns SS 26
18 Bill Henderson New York Yankees P 29
n/a Dutch Henry Chicago White Sox P 29
21 Ken Holloway Cleveland Indians P 33
32 Ken Holloway New York Yankees P 33
n/a Herm Holshouser St. Louis Browns P 24
n/a Tom Hughes Detroit Tigers OF 23
n/a Bernie Hungling St. Louis Browns C 35
32 Bill Karlon New York Yankees OF 22
n/a Jim Keesey Philadelphia Athletics 1B 28
n/a Joe Klinger Chicago White Sox C 28
7 Carl Lind Cleveland Indians SS 27
n/a George Loepp Washington Senators OF 29
n/a Al Mahon Philadelphia Athletics P 21
n/a Alex Metzler Chicago White Sox OF 28
n/a Alex Metzler St. Louis Browns OF 28
n/a Carlos Moore Washington Senators P 24
n/a Frank Mulroney Boston Red Sox P 28
n/a Bill Narleski Boston Red Sox SS 31
n/a Joe Samuels Detroit Tigers P 26
n/a Charlie Small Boston Red Sox OF 25
n/a Ernie Smith Chicago White Sox SS 31
n/a George Smith Boston Red Sox P 29
n/a Homer Summa Philadelphia Athletics OF 32
n/a Myles Thomas Washington Senators P 33
n/a Ray Treadaway Washington Senators 3B 23
n/a Johnny Watson Detroit Tigers SS 23
n/a Hughie Wise Detroit Tigers C 25
n/a Yats Wuestling Detroit Tigers SS 27
2 Yats Wuestling New York Yankees SS 27
1930 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1930 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.