1966 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 1966.

"I want to hit a routine grounder to second and run all out to first base, then get thrown out by a half step. I want to leave an example to the young guys that that's how you play the game, all out." - George Brett
 

American League Retirements

1966

6 Joe Adcock California Angels 1B 39
25 Ed Bailey California Angels PH 36
14 George Banks Cleveland Indians PH 28
38 Ed Barnowski Baltimore Orioles P 23
30 Gil Blanco Kansas City Athletics P 21
8 Don Blasingame Kansas City Athletics 2B 35
1 Don Blasingame Washington Senators 2B 35
47 Greg Bollo Chicago White Sox P 23
8 Mike Brumley Washington Senators C 28
35 Arlo Brunsberg Detroit Tigers C 26
35 Cam Carreon Baltimore Orioles C 29
22 Tom Cheney Washington Senators P 32
20 Joe Christopher Boston Red Sox OF 31
35 Pete Craig Washington Senators P 26
7 Del Crandall Cleveland Indians C 37
45 Jack Cullen New York Yankees P 27
3 Joe Cunningham Washington Senators 1B 35
29 Tony Curry Cleveland Indians PH 29
30 Paul Dicken Cleveland Indians PH 23
22 Jim Dickson Kansas City Athletics P 29
31 Jim Duckworth Kansas City Athletics P 28
17 Jim Duckworth Washington Senators P 28
7 Ernie Fazio Kansas City Athletics 2B 25
18 Terry Fox Detroit Tigers P 31
18 Gene Freese Chicago White Sox 3B 33
19 Bob Friend New York Yankees P 36
12 Jim Gentile Cleveland Indians 1B 32
37 Guido Grilli Boston Red Sox P 28
24 Guido Grilli Kansas City Athletics P 28
7 Ken Hamlin Washington Senators 2B 32
26 Vern Handrahan Kansas City Athletics P 28
29 Bill Henry New York Yankees P 25
31 Jesse Hickman Kansas City Athletics P 28
50 Deacon Jones Chicago White Sox PH 33
2 Eddie Kasko Boston Red Sox SS 34
6 Willie Kirkland Washington Senators OF 33
31 Howie Koplitz Washington Senators P 29
11 Hector Lopez New York Yankees OF 37
25 Ramon Lopez California Angels P 34
36 Pete Magrini Boston Red Sox P 24
15 Frank Malzone California Angels 3B 37
22 Tony Martinez Cleveland Indians SS 27
28 Albie Pearson California Angels OF 32
32 Don Pepper Detroit Tigers 1B 23
22 Dick Phillips Washington Senators 1B 35
19 Bill Pleis Minnesota Twins P 29
1 Bobby Richardson New York Yankees 2B 31
21 Bob Sadowski Boston Red Sox P 29
31 Randy Schwartz Kansas City Athletics 1B 23
40 Rollie Sheldon Boston Red Sox P 30
15 Rollie Sheldon Kansas City Athletics P 30
14 George Smith Boston Red Sox 2B 29
42 Dick Stigman Boston Red Sox P 31
23 Ed Sukla California Angels P 24
14 Charlie Vinson California Angels 1B 23
26 Jackie Warner California Angels OF 23
1966 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1966 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.

Did you know that future hall of fame pitcher Walter Johnson ended his Major League career in 1927 with a pinch-hit appearance? During the final game of the season pitcher Tom Zachary, who had just given up Babe Ruth's sixtieth home run of the season, was lifted and Johnson replaced him at the plate.