1980 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 1980.

"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

1980

41 Drungo Hazewood Baltimore Orioles OF 21
26 Joe Kerrigan Baltimore Orioles P 27
8 Dave Skaggs Baltimore Orioles C 29
28 Jack Billingham Boston Red Sox P 38
29 Sam Bowen Boston Red Sox OF 28
3 Jack Brohamer Boston Red Sox 3B 31
38 Skip Lockwood Boston Red Sox P 34
31 Keith Macwhorter Boston Red Sox P 25
15 Dave Rader Boston Red Sox C 32
49 Win Remmerswaal Boston Red Sox P 27
11 Ted Sizemore Boston Red Sox 2B 36
20 Larry Wolfe Boston Red Sox 3B 28
48 Ralph Botting California Angels P 26
16 Stan Cliburn California Angels C 24
23 Tom Donohue California Angels C 28
44 Bob Ferris California Angels P 26
48 Ralph Garr California Angels OF 35
28 Ed Halicki California Angels P 30
42 Chris Knapp California Angels P 27
7, 14 Gil Kubski California Angels OF 26
45 Dave Lemanczyk California Angels P 30
39 John Montague California Angels P 33
7 Merv Rettenmund California Angels DH 37
8 Dave Skaggs California Angels C 29
38 Glenn Borgmann Chicago White Sox C 31
13 Harry Chappas Chicago White Sox SS 23
29 Nardi Contreras Chicago White Sox P 29
16 Bruce Kimm Chicago White Sox C 29
9 Minnie Minoso Chicago White Sox PH 55
34 Junior Moore Chicago White Sox 3B 28
26 Randy Scarbery Chicago White Sox P 28
6 Ricky Seilheimer Chicago White Sox C 20
30, 13 Dell Alston Cleveland Indians OF 28
8 Jack Brohamer Cleveland Indians 2B 31
47 Don Collins Cleveland Indians P 28
27 Andres Mora Cleveland Indians OF 26
48 Mike Paxton Cleveland Indians P 27
41 Jack Billingham Detroit Tigers P 38
20 Mark Fidrych Detroit Tigers P 26
34 Dan Gonzales Detroit Tigers OF 27
18 John Hiller Detroit Tigers P 38
27 Jim Lentine Detroit Tigers OF 26
48 Bruce Robbins Detroit Tigers P 21
44 Roger Weaver Detroit Tigers P 26
40 Steve Busby Kansas City Royals P 31
19 Jose Cardenal Kansas City Royals OF 37
28 Craig Chamberlain Kansas City Royals P 24
31 Gary Christenson Kansas City Royals P 28
4 Bob Detherage Kansas City Royals OF 26
8 Pete LaCock Kansas City Royals 1B 29
33 Marty Pattin Kansas City Royals P 38
1 Jerry Terrell Kansas City Royals OF 34
2 Rusty Torres Kansas City Royals OF 32
21 Jeff Twitty Kansas City Royals P 23
28 Vic Harris Milwaukee Brewers OF 31
47 Fred Holdsworth Milwaukee Brewers P 29
43 Paul Mitchell Milwaukee Brewers P 31
8 John Poff Milwaukee Brewers OF 28
27 Mike Bacsik Minnesota Twins P 29
24 Willie Norwood Minnesota Twins OF 30
32 Bob Randall Minnesota Twins 3B 32
27 Paul Blair New York Yankees OF 37
55 Roger Holt New York Yankees 2B 25
47 Bruce Robinson New York Yankees C 27
57 Dennis Sherrill New York Yankees SS 25
21 Eric Soderholm New York Yankees DH 32
56, 59 Ted Wilborn New York Yankees OF 22
45 Ray Cosey Oakland Athletics PH 25
7 Mike Edwards Oakland Athletics 2B 28
4 Randy Elliott Oakland Athletics DH 29
4 Orlando Gonzalez Oakland Athletics 1B 29
3 Mario Guerrero Oakland Athletics SS 31
33 Dave Hamilton Oakland Athletics P 33
58 Mark Souza Oakland Athletics P 26
38 Alan Wirth Oakland Athletics P 24
25 Rick Anderson Seattle Mariners P 27
24 Rob Dressler Seattle Mariners P 27
53 Willie Horton Seattle Mariners DH 38
15 Bob Stinson Seattle Mariners C 35
16 Gary Wheelock Seattle Mariners P 29
12 Odie Davis Texas Rangers SS 25
35 Adrian Devine Texas Rangers P 29
7 Bud Harrelson Texas Rangers SS 36
30 Mike Hart Texas Rangers OF 29
43 Don Kainer Texas Rangers P 25
19 Jim Norris Texas Rangers OF 32
26 Dave Rajsich Texas Rangers P 29
8 Danny Walton Texas Rangers DH 33
25 Doug Ault Toronto Blue Jays 1B 31
44 Tom Buskey Toronto Blue Jays P 34
30 Joe Cannon Toronto Blue Jays OF 27
49 Paul Hodgson Toronto Blue Jays OF 21
6 Pat Kelly Toronto Blue Jays C 25
32 Jack Kucek Toronto Blue Jays P 27
23 Dave Lemanczyk Toronto Blue Jays P 30
11 Mike Macha Toronto Blue Jays 3B 27
38 Balor Moore Toronto Blue Jays P 30
1980 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1980 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).

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.