1963 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 1963.

"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
 

American League Retirements

1963

23 Bob Anderson Detroit Tigers P 28
47 Luis Arroyo New York Yankees P 37
8, 36 Bob Baird Washington Senators P 24
22 Norm Bass Kansas City Athletics P 25
40 Julio Becquer Minnesota Twins PH 32
1 Marv Breeding Washington Senators 3B 30
27 Jim Brosnan Chicago White Sox P 34
1, 12 Tom Brown Washington Senators OF 23
20 Pete Burnside Baltimore Orioles P 33
18 Pete Burnside Washington Senators P 33
18 Gene Conley Boston Red Sox P 33
43 Jack Curtis Cleveland Indians P 27
22 Dave DeBusschere Chicago White Sox P 23
14 Ike Delock Baltimore Orioles P 34
14 Ike Delock Boston Red Sox P 34
35 Bob Dustal Detroit Tigers P 28
14 Sammy Esposito Chicago White Sox PR 32
1 Sammy Esposito Kansas City Athletics 2B 32
6 Chuck Essegian Kansas City Athletics OF 32
9 Chico Fernandez Detroit Tigers SS 32
20 Mike Fornieles Boston Red Sox P 32
27 Mike Fornieles Minnesota Twins P 32
46 Larry Foster Detroit Tigers P 26
15 Billy Gardner Boston Red Sox 2B 36
5 Purnal Goldy Detroit Tigers PH 26
33 Eli Grba Los Angeles Angels P 29
23 Gene Green Cleveland Indians OF 30
9 Jay Hankins Kansas City Athletics OF 28
4 Whitey Herzog Detroit Tigers 1B 32
36 Ed Hobaugh Washington Senators P 29
23 Mike Joyce Chicago White Sox P 23
28 Hal Kolstad Boston Red Sox P 28
20 Bill Kunkel New York Yankees P 27
30 Hobie Landrith Baltimore Orioles C 34
5 Hobie Landrith Washington Senators C 34
5 Jim Lawrence Cleveland Indians C 25
30 Mike Lee Los Angeles Angels P 23
25 Jim Lemon Chicago White Sox 1B 36
23, 44 Jim Lemon Minnesota Twins OF 36
7 Bob Lipski Cleveland Indians C 25
10 Sherm Lollar Chicago White Sox C 39
26 Dale Long New York Yankees 1B 38
32 Pete Lovrich Kansas City Athletics P 21
9 Hector Martinez Kansas City Athletics OF 25
16 Brian McCall Chicago White Sox OF 21
29 Tom Metcalf New York Yankees P 23
45 Ron Moeller Los Angeles Angels P 25
16 Ron Moeller Washington Senators P 25
21 Ray Moore Minnesota Twins P 37
47 Tom Morgan Los Angeles Angels P 34
5 Cal Neeman Cleveland Indians C 35
3 Cal Neeman Washington Senators C 35
25 Bobo Osborne Washington Senators 1B 28
29 Taylor Phillips Chicago White Sox P 30
22 Art Quirk Washington Senators P 26
27 Jack Reed New York Yankees OF 31
15 Bob Sadowski Los Angeles Angels OF 27
6 Johnny Schaive Washington Senators PH 30
2 Barry Shetrone Washington Senators PH 25
19 Joe Shipley Chicago White Sox P 29
49 Pete Smith Boston Red Sox P 24
22 Dean Stone Baltimore Orioles P 33
20 Frank Sullivan Minnesota Twins P 34
8 Haywood Sullivan Kansas City Athletics C 33
28 Willie Tasby Cleveland Indians OF 31
5 Sammy Taylor Cleveland Indians C 31
25 Dave Thies Kansas City Athletics P 27
29 Bob Turley Boston Red Sox P 33
39 Bob Turley Los Angeles Angels P 33
13 Bill Tuttle Minnesota Twins OF 34
28 Coot Veal Detroit Tigers SS 31
20 Vic Wertz Detroit Tigers PH 39
6 Vic Wertz Minnesota Twins 1B 39
43 Don Williams Minnesota Twins P 28
20 Dale Willis Kansas City Athletics P 26
38 Early Wynn Cleveland Indians P 44
1963 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1963 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.

Hank Aaron ended his Major League career on October 3, 1976, with a sharp single during the sixth inning off Dave Roberts of the Detroit Tigers.