1938 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 1938.

"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

1938

21 Mike Balas Boston Bees P 29
30 Art Doll Boston Bees P 26
19 Frank Gabler Boston Bees P 27
29 Jim Hitchcock Boston Bees SS 27
12 Roy Johnson Boston Bees OF 36
22, 29 Bob Kahle Boston Bees PH 23
29 Tom Kane Boston Bees 2B 32
11 Art Kenney Boston Bees P 23
21 Harl Maggert Boston Bees OF 25
12 Ralph McLeod Boston Bees OF 22
24 Bobby Reis Boston Bees P 30
25 Tommy Reis Boston Bees P 24
11 Joe Stripp Boston Bees 3B 36
10, 25 Butch Sutcliffe Boston Bees C 23
29 Joe Walsh Boston Bees SS 22
8 Gilly Campbell Brooklyn Dodgers C 31
8 Paul Chervinko Brooklyn Dodgers C 28
25 Kiki Cuyler Brooklyn Dodgers OF 40
1 Woody English Brooklyn Dodgers 3B 33
- John Gaddy Brooklyn Dodgers P 25
15 Waite Hoyt Brooklyn Dodgers P 39
23 Wayne LaMaster Brooklyn Dodgers P 32
24 Buck Marrow Brooklyn Dodgers P 29
23 Dykes Potter Brooklyn Dodgers P 28
24 Lee Rogers Brooklyn Dodgers P 25
1, 7 Packy Rogers Brooklyn Dodgers SS 26
10 Roy Spencer Brooklyn Dodgers C 39
7 Ray Thomas Brooklyn Dodgers C 28
- Jim Winford Brooklyn Dodgers P 29
29 Tom Winsett Brooklyn Dodgers OF 29
30 Jim Asbell Chicago Cubs OF 24
46 Ray Benge Cincinnati Reds P 37
58 Joe Cascarella Cincinnati Reds P 31
42 Dusty Cooke Cincinnati Reds OF 31
48 Kiddo Davis Cincinnati Reds OF 37
45 Buck Jordan Cincinnati Reds PH 32
59 Ted Kleinhans Cincinnati Reds P 40
35 Justin Stein Cincinnati Reds SS 27
29 Tom Baker New York Giants P 25
22 Bill Cissell New York Giants 2B 35
18 Oscar Georgy New York Giants P 22
19 Mickey Haslin New York Giants 3B 29
20 Sam Leslie New York Giants 1B 33
22 Blondy Ryan New York Giants 2B 33
8 Earl Browne Philadelphia Phillies 1B 28
10 Cap Clark Philadelphia Phillies C 32
23 Gene Corbett Philadelphia Phillies 1B 25
- Howie Gorman Philadelphia Phillies PH 26
19 Bill Hallahan Philadelphia Phillies P 36
8 Buck Jordan Philadelphia Phillies 3B 32
24 Hal Kelleher Philadelphia Phillies P 25
21 Wayne LaMaster Philadelphia Phillies P 32
- Tom Lanning Philadelphia Phillies P 32
16 Tommy Reis Philadelphia Phillies P 24
20 Pete Sivess Philadelphia Phillies P 25
- Justin Stein Philadelphia Phillies 3B 27
4 Ray Stoviak Philadelphia Phillies OF 23
49 Ed Brandt Pittsburgh Pirates P 34
40 Red Lucas Pittsburgh Pirates P 37
22, 52 Tommy Thevenow Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 35
17 Joe Stripp St. Louis Cardinals 3B 36
1938 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1938 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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).