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 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

1964

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

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.