1932 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 1932.

"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

1932

39 Clarence Fieber Chicago White Sox P 19
18 Lew Krausse Philadelphia Athletics P 20
15 Archie Wise Chicago White Sox P 20
31 Ed Edelen Washington Senators P 21
14 Art Evans Chicago White Sox P 21
1 Ed Gallagher Boston Red Sox P 22
16 Gordon McNaughton Boston Red Sox P 22
27 Bill Norman Chicago White Sox OF 22
17 Irv Stein Philadelphia Athletics P 22
11 Howie Storie Boston Red Sox C 22
28 Johnny Reder Boston Red Sox 1B 23
17 Bill Chamberlain Chicago White Sox P 24
10 Ed Connolly Boston Red Sox C 24
21 Izzy Goldstein Detroit Tigers P 24
24 Al Reiss Philadelphia Athletics SS 24
2 Andy Spognardi Boston Red Sox 2B 24
23, 39 Grant Bowler Chicago White Sox P 25
20 Bob Cooney St. Louis Browns P 25
25 Regis Leheny Boston Red Sox P 25
27 John Michaels Boston Red Sox P 25
11 Hank Patterson Boston Red Sox C 25
15 Charlie Biggs Chicago White Sox P 26
9, 32 Pete Daglia Chicago White Sox P 26
19 Bob Friedrichs Washington Senators P 26
23 Hal McKain Chicago White Sox P 26
- Art Smith Chicago White Sox P 26
23 Larry Bettencourt St. Louis Browns OF 27
15 Pat Caraway Chicago White Sox P 27
24 Ed Grimes St. Louis Browns 3B 27
7 Bill Lawrence Detroit Tigers OF 27
7 Ed Montague Cleveland Indians SS 27
- Danny Musser Washington Senators 3B 27
31 Larry Boerner Boston Red Sox P 28
18 Ed Walsh Chicago White Sox P 28
36 Hal Anderson Chicago White Sox OF 29
25 Nap Kloza St. Louis Browns OF 29
10 Howard Maple Washington Senators C 29
46 Jim Moore Chicago White Sox P 29
1 Al Van Camp Boston Red Sox 1B 29
- Les Bartholomew Chicago White Sox P 30
37 Bruce Connatser Cleveland Indians 1B 30
16 Johnny Lucas Boston Red Sox PH 30
- Jim McLaughlin St. Louis Browns 3B 31
7 Carey Selph Chicago White Sox 3B 31
25 Pete Donohue Boston Red Sox P 32
23 John Jones Philadelphia Athletics OF 32
- Wes Kingdon Washington Senators 3B 32
8 Otis Miller Boston Red Sox PH 32
- Mel Simons Chicago White Sox OF 32
24, 21 Leo Moon Cleveland Indians P 33
7 Urbane Pickering Boston Red Sox 3B 33
23 Oscar Roettger Philadelphia Athletics 1B 33
10 Benny Bengough St. Louis Browns C 34
- Showboat Fisher St. Louis Browns OF 34
26 Tom Jenkins St. Louis Browns OF 35
14 Eddie Rommel Philadelphia Athletics P 35
22 Joe Boley Cleveland Indians SS 36
24 Joe Boley Philadelphia Athletics SS 36
18 Johnny Schulte St. Louis Browns C 36
20 Johnnie Heving Philadelphia Athletics C 37
28 Charlie Jamieson Cleveland Indians OF 40
1932 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1932 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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.