1950 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 1950.

"You are George Brett and all the cheering has stopped. The music is muted, the hour is late, and they will be taking the banners down and emptying your locker any minute now. As the late Jimmy Cannon would say it, 'All your bats are broken.'" - Broadcaster Jim Murray
 

American League Retirements

1950

33 Dave Ferriss Boston Red Sox P 29
21 Bob Gillespie Boston Red Sox P 31
4 Ken Keltner Boston Red Sox 3B 34
26 Phil Marchildon Boston Red Sox P 37
25 Gordie Mueller Boston Red Sox P 28
23 Tommy O'Brien Boston Red Sox OF 32
26 Frank Quinn Boston Red Sox P 23
18 Charley Schanz Boston Red Sox P 31
39 Bob Scherbarth Boston Red Sox C 25
27 Lou Stringer Boston Red Sox 3B 34
24 Herb Adams Chicago White Sox OF 23
4 Luke Appling Chicago White Sox SS 44
15, 49 Jack Bruner Chicago White Sox P 26
28 Charlie Cuellar Chicago White Sox P 33
12, 18 Mickey Haefner Chicago White Sox P 38
2 Al Kozar Chicago White Sox 2B 29
28 Eddie Malone Chicago White Sox C 30
2 Johnny Ostrowski Chicago White Sox OF 33
57 John Perkovich Chicago White Sox P 27
3 Marv Rickert Chicago White Sox OF 30
15 Bill Salkeld Chicago White Sox C 34
36, 39 Jerry Scala Chicago White Sox OF 26
11 Herb Conyers Cleveland Indians 1B 30
23 Jesse Flores Cleveland Indians P 36
4 Joe Gordon Cleveland Indians 2B 36
18 Marino Pieretti Cleveland Indians P 30
15 Paul Campbell Detroit Tigers PH 33
7 Eddie Lake Detroit Tigers SS 35
15 Tommy Henrich New York Yankees 1B 38
9 Hank Workman New York Yankees 1B 25
3, 55 Ben Guintini Philadelphia Athletics OF 31
28 Ed Klieman Philadelphia Athletics P 33
14 Gene Markland Philadelphia Athletics 2B 31
31 Les McCrabb Philadelphia Athletics P 36
21 Joe Murray Philadelphia Athletics P 30
28 Roberto Ortiz Philadelphia Athletics OF 35
38 Bob Rinker Philadelphia Athletics C 30
3, 38 Bob Wellman Philadelphia Athletics OF 25
35 Ed Albrecht St. Louis Browns P 22
36 Russ Bauers St. Louis Browns P 37
37 Jack Bruner St. Louis Browns P 26
42 Tommy Fine St. Louis Browns P 36
6 Frankie Gustine St. Louis Browns 3B 31
36 Cuddles Marshall St. Louis Browns P 26
46 Ribs Raney St. Louis Browns P 28
8 Bill Sommers St. Louis Browns 3B 28
41 George Genovese Washington Senators PH 29
19 Lloyd Hittle Washington Senators P 27
42 Al Kozar Washington Senators 2B 29
19 Rogelio Martinez Washington Senators P 32
22 Steve Nagy Washington Senators P 32
35 Tommy O'Brien Washington Senators OF 32
33 Roberto Ortiz Washington Senators OF 35
35 Johnny Ostrowski Washington Senators OF 33
14 Carlos Pascual Washington Senators P 20
21 Dick Welteroth Washington Senators P 23
1950 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1950 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.

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.