1965 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 1965.

"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

1965

10 Dick Brown Baltimore Orioles C 31
30 Harvey Haddix Baltimore Orioles P 40
35 Ken Rowe Baltimore Orioles P 32
24 Herm Starrette Baltimore Orioles P 27
2 Chuck Schilling Boston Red Sox 2B 28
4 Bill Schlesinger Boston Red Sox PH 24
17 Frank Lary Chicago White Sox P 36
26 Ted Wills Chicago White Sox P 32
30 Dick Donovan Cleveland Indians P 38
13 Ralph Gagliano Cleveland Indians PR 19
11 Billy Moran Cleveland Indians 2B 32
49 Jack Spring Cleveland Indians P 33
19 Vern Holtgrave Detroit Tigers P 23
35 Jackie Moore Detroit Tigers C 27
27, 32 Ron Nischwitz Detroit Tigers P 28
27 Bill Roman Detroit Tigers 1B 27
39 Johnnie Seale Detroit Tigers P 27
14 Johnny Blanchard Kansas City Athletics OF 33
20 Don Buschhorn Kansas City Athletics P 20
23, 35 Tom Harrison Kansas City Athletics P 21
34 Dick Joyce Kansas City Athletics P 22
5 Nelson Mathews Kansas City Athletics OF 24
43 Don Mossi Kansas City Athletics P 37
29 Satchel Paige Kansas City Athletics P 59
21 Santiago Rosario Kansas City Athletics 1B 26
15, 36 John Sanders Kansas City Athletics PR 20
24 Gino Cimoli Los Angeles Angels OF 36
23 Charlie Dees Los Angeles Angels 1B 30
1 Joe Koppe Los Angeles Angels 2B 35
37 Ken McBride Los Angeles Angels P 30
14 Vic Power Los Angeles Angels 1B 38
12 Costen Shockley Los Angeles Angels 1B 24
24 Bobby Gene Smith Los Angeles Angels OF 32
25 Dick Wantz Los Angeles Angels P 26
26 Jerry Fosnow Minnesota Twins P 25
16 Jerry Kindall Minnesota Twins 2B 31
20, 25, 41 John Sevcik Minnesota Twins C 23
23 Rich Beck New York Yankees P 26
38 Johnny Blanchard New York Yankees C 33
23 Jim Brenneman New York Yankees P 25
27 Duke Carmel New York Yankees 1B 29
29 Mike Jurewicz New York Yankees P 20
10 Tony Kubek New York Yankees SS 30
57 Art Lopez New York Yankees OF 29
26 Archie Moore New York Yankees OF 24
47 Bob Schmidt New York Yankees C 33
22 Marshall Bridges Washington Senators P 34
21 Bennie Daniels Washington Senators P 33
17 Ryne Duren Washington Senators P 37
31 Joe McCabe Washington Senators C 27
25 Roy Sievers Washington Senators 1B 39
23 Don Zimmer Washington Senators C 35
1965 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1965 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.

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.