1946 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 1946.

"You start chasing a ball and your brain immediately commands your body to: Run forward. Bend. Scoop up the ball. Peg it to the infield. Then your body says, 'Who, me?'" - Retirement comment made by Joe DiMaggio
 

National League Retirements

1946

2 Johnny Barrett Boston Braves OF 31
32 Ducky Detweiler Boston Braves PH 28
35 Don Hendrickson Boston Braves P 33
27 Stew Hofferth Boston Braves C 34
17 Johnny Hutchings Boston Braves P 31
21 Al Javery Boston Braves P 28
32 Johnny Niggeling Boston Braves P 43
27 Ken O'Dea Boston Braves C 34
- Damon Phillips Boston Braves PH 27
25 Bill Posedel Boston Braves P 40
22 Earl Reid Boston Braves P 33
20 Skippy Roberge Boston Braves 3B 30
17 Steve Roser Boston Braves P 29
19, 34 Lefty Wallace Boston Braves P 25
23 Ace Williams Boston Braves P 30
6 Chuck Workman Boston Braves OF 32
39, 49 John Corriden Brooklyn Dodgers PR 29
26 Curt Davis Brooklyn Dodgers P 43
31 Otis Davis Brooklyn Dodgers PR 26
23 Ed Head Brooklyn Dodgers P 29
10 Earl Naylor Brooklyn Dodgers PH 28
15 Lew Riggs Brooklyn Dodgers 3B 37
35 Goody Rosen Brooklyn Dodgers OF 34
34 Jean-Pierre Roy Brooklyn Dodgers P 26
32 Joe Tepsic Brooklyn Dodgers OF 23
18 Red Adams Chicago Cubs P 25
34 Cy Block Chicago Cubs 3B 28
32 Bill Fleming Chicago Cubs P 33
22 Cecil Garriott Chicago Cubs PH 30
27 Al Glossop Chicago Cubs 2B 32
34, 49 Ed Hanyzewski Chicago Cubs P 26
13 Hal Manders Chicago Cubs P 29
19 Emmett O'Neill Chicago Cubs P 29
23 Vern Olsen Chicago Cubs P 29
32 Ted Pawelek Chicago Cubs C 27
39 Ray Prim Chicago Cubs P 40
49 Frank Secory Chicago Cubs OF 34
35 Nate Andrews Cincinnati Reds P 33
42 George Burpo Cincinnati Reds P 24
20 Dain Clay Cincinnati Reds OF 27
38 Frank Dasso Cincinnati Reds P 29
21, 23 Lonnie Goldstein Cincinnati Reds PH 29
28 Garland Lawing Cincinnati Reds OF 28
22 Al Libke Cincinnati Reds OF 28
21 Howie Moss Cincinnati Reds OF 28
17 Eddie Shokes Cincinnati Reds 1B 27
27 Ace Adams New York Giants P 37
28 Nate Andrews New York Giants P 33
40 Morrie Arnovich New York Giants OF 36
32 Dick Bartell New York Giants 3B 39
21 Jack Brewer New York Giants P 29
16 John Carden New York Giants P 26
9 Vince DiMaggio New York Giants OF 34
29 Slim Emmerich New York Giants P 27
14 Harry Feldman New York Giants P 27
18 Rube Fischer New York Giants P 30
12 Johnny Gee New York Giants P 31
19 Jim Gladd New York Giants C 24
24 Bob Joyce New York Giants P 32
14 Jack Kraus New York Giants P 29
31 Red Kress New York Giants P 40
21 Dick Lajeskie New York Giants 2B 21
29 Garland Lawing New York Giants OF 28
41 Buster Maynard New York Giants OF 34
39 Jess Pike New York Giants OF 31
27 Goody Rosen New York Giants OF 34
37 Johnny Rucker New York Giants OF 30
38 Mike Schemer New York Giants PH 29
9, 13 Hal Schumacher New York Giants P 36
- Bill Burich Philadelphia Phillies 3B 29
7 Ben Chapman Philadelphia Phillies P 38
43 Glenn Crawford Philadelphia Phillies PH 33
34 Vince DiMaggio Philadelphia Phillies OF 34
41, 47 Vance Dinges Philadelphia Phillies 1B 32
43 Don Grate Philadelphia Phillies P 23
40 Don Hasenmayer Philadelphia Phillies 3B 20
12 Eli Hodkey Philadelphia Phillies P 29
6 Roy Hughes Philadelphia Phillies SS 36
40 Johnny Humphries Philadelphia Phillies P 31
23, 49 Charlie Letchas Philadelphia Phillies 2B 31
32 Art Lopatka Philadelphia Phillies P 28
39 Al Milnar Philadelphia Phillies P 33
46 Dee Moore Philadelphia Phillies C 33
39 Lou Novikoff Philadelphia Phillies OF 31
27 John O'Neil Philadelphia Phillies SS 27
2 Ken Richardson Philadelphia Phillies 2B 32
8 Charlie Ripple Philadelphia Phillies P 26
23 Hal Spindel Philadelphia Phillies C 34
42 Charley Stanceu Philadelphia Phillies P 31
24 Ed Albosta Pittsburgh Pirates P 28
37 Alf Anderson Pittsburgh Pirates PH 33
17 Vic Barnhart Pittsburgh Pirates PH 24
18 Johnny Barrett Pittsburgh Pirates OF 31
2 Jimmy Brown Pittsburgh Pirates SS 37
47 Bill Clemensen Pittsburgh Pirates P 27
5 Pete Coscarart Pittsburgh Pirates SS 33
26 Hank Gornicki Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
42 Jim Hopper Pittsburgh Pirates P 27
28 Vinnie Smith Pittsburgh Pirates C 31
11, 47 Al Tate Pittsburgh Pirates P 28
7, 19 Maurice Van Robays Pittsburgh Pirates OF 32
9 Burgess Whitehead Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 36
31 Lefty Wilkie Pittsburgh Pirates P 32
41 Chuck Workman Pittsburgh Pirates OF 32
14 Frankie Zak Pittsburgh Pirates SS 25
24 Bill Endicott St. Louis Cardinals OF 28
29 Howie Krist St. Louis Cardinals P 31
16 Ken O'Dea St. Louis Cardinals C 34
38 Walter Sessi St. Louis Cardinals PH 28
1946 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1946 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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).

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.