Baseball Almanac - 1976 National League Retirements

1976 National 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 National League League players who hung up their spikes in 1976.

"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

National League Retirements
1976

# Name Team Pos Age

15 Chris Arnold San Francisco Giants 2B 29

38 Al Autry Atlanta Braves P 25

21 Billy Baldwin New York Mets OF 28

23 Leon Brown New York Mets OF 28

28 Charlie Chant St. Louis Cardinals OF 25

16 Doug Clarey St. Louis Cardinals 2B 23

24 Nate Colbert Montreal Expos OF 31

37 Mike Cosgrove Houston Astros P 26

10 Jim Cox Montreal Expos 2B 27

39 Ken Crosby Chicago Cubs P 29

44 Pat Darcy Cincinnati Reds P 27

31 Tom Dettore Chicago Cubs P 29

43 Mike Dupree San Diego Padres P 24

21 Alan Foster San Diego Padres P 30

47 Ken Frailing Chicago Cubs P 29

34 Danny Frisella St. Louis Cardinals P 31

47 Wayne Granger Montreal Expos P 33

27 Bill Greif San Diego Padres P 27

38 Bill Greif St. Louis Cardinals P 27

42 Larry Hardy Houston Astros P 29

29 Al Javier Houston Astros OF 23

56 Joe Keener Montreal Expos P 24

31 Clay Kirby Montreal Expos P 28

22 Jay Kleven New York Mets C 27

8 Ted Kubiak San Diego Padres 3B 35

33 Chip Lang Montreal Expos P 24

9 Leron Lee Los Angeles Dodgers OF 29

41 Jim Lyttle Los Angeles Dodgers OF 31

20 Jim Lyttle Montreal Expos OF 31

29 Bruce Miller San Francisco Giants 2B 30

38 Bob Moose Pittsburgh Pirates P 29

49 Carl Morton Atlanta Braves P 33

34 Ken Reynolds San Diego Padres P 30

3 Lee Richard St. Louis Cardinals 2B 28

55 Sergio Robles Los Angeles Dodgers C 31

2 Ellie Rodriguez Los Angeles Dodgers C 31

33 Ken Sanders New York Mets P 35

21 Fred Scherman Montreal Expos P 32

44 Jose Sosa Houston Astros P 24

21 Chuck Taylor Montreal Expos P 35

12 Tony Taylor Philadelphia Phillies 2B 41

22 Wayne Tyrone Chicago Cubs OF 26

32 Pete Varney Atlanta Braves C 28

48 Steve Waterbury St. Louis Cardinals P 25

# Name Team Pos Age

1976 National League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1976 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).

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