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

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

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).