1964 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 1964.

"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

1964

51 Bobby Guindon Boston Red Sox 1B 21
58 Bill Whitby Minnesota Twins P 21
15 Pete Charton Boston Red Sox P 22
21 Gary Dotter Minnesota Twins P 22
24 Dave Gray Boston Red Sox P 22
29 Chuck Nieson Minnesota Twins P 22
20 Bill Bethea Minnesota Twins 2B 23
44 Fritz Fisher Detroit Tigers P 23
18 Jeoff Long Chicago White Sox 1B 23
4 John Wojcik Kansas City Athletics OF 23
16 Don Loun Washington Senators P 24
20 Dave Vineyard Baltimore Orioles P 24
18 Carl Bouldin Washington Senators P 25
48 Elvio Jimenez New York Yankees OF 25
14 Charlie Shoemaker Kansas City Athletics 2B 25
8 George Williams Kansas City Athletics 2B 25
11 Bill Spanswick Boston Red Sox P 26
48 Jerry Walker Cleveland Indians P 26
42 Alan Koch Detroit Tigers P 27
26 Alan Koch Washington Senators P 27
43 Gordon Seyfried Cleveland Indians P 27
18 Fritz Ackley Chicago White Sox P 28
37 Jim Bronstad Washington Senators P 28
12 Ron Henry Minnesota Twins C 28
27 Dan Pfister Kansas City Athletics P 28
34 Earl Robinson Baltimore Orioles OF 28
26, 49 Bud Bloomfield Minnesota Twins 2B 29
44 Lou Jackson Baltimore Orioles OF 29
3 George Alusik Kansas City Athletics OF 30
43 Ted Bowsfield Kansas City Athletics P 30
15 Bill Dailey Minnesota Twins P 30
6, 12 Ken Hunt Washington Senators OF 30
25 Bob Perry Los Angeles Angels OF 30
21 Garland Shifflett Minnesota Twins P 30
8 Johnny Goryl Minnesota Twins 2B 31
9, 20 Ken Retzer Washington Senators C 31
15 Dave Stenhouse Washington Senators P 31
28 Bud Daley New York Yankees P 32
21 Jim Snyder Minnesota Twins 2B 32
26 Gene Stephens Chicago White Sox OF 32
10 Don Leppert Washington Senators C 33
33 Don Rudolph Washington Senators P 33
19 Felix Torres Los Angeles Angels 3B 33
21 Bill Fischer Minnesota Twins P 34
20 Paul Foytack Los Angeles Angels P 34
4 Roman Mejias Boston Red Sox OF 34
12 Mike Roarke Detroit Tigers C 34
16 Hank Foiles Los Angeles Angels PH 35
20 Wally Post Cleveland Indians OF 35
18 Tom Sturdivant Kansas City Athletics P 35
16 Dick Williams Boston Red Sox 1B 36
1 Bubba Phillips Detroit Tigers 3B 37
28 Al Smith Boston Red Sox 3B 37
28 Al Smith Cleveland Indians OF 37
7 Charlie Maxwell Chicago White Sox PH 38
38 Bill Bruton Detroit Tigers OF 39
35 Sam Jones Baltimore Orioles P 39
24 Art Fowler Los Angeles Angels P 42
1964 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1964 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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.