1982 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 1982.

"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

1982

57 John Flinn Baltimore Orioles P 28
48 Ross Grimsley Baltimore Orioles P 33
26 Don Stanhouse Baltimore Orioles P 32
31 Brian Denman Boston Red Sox P 27
54 Roger LaFrancois Boston Red Sox C 26
34 Stan Bahnsen California Angels P 38
2 Mick Kelleher California Angels SS 35
31 Angel Moreno California Angels P 27
21 Jose Moreno California Angels 2B 25
33 Luis Tiant California Angels P 42
12 Steve Dillard Chicago White Sox 2B 32
23 Chico Escarrega Chicago White Sox P 33
8 Ron LeFlore Chicago White Sox OF 34
28 Sparky Lyle Chicago White Sox P 38
27 Eddie Solomon Chicago White Sox P 32
31 John Bohnet Cleveland Indians P 22
34 Joe Charboneau Cleveland Indians OF 27
41 Dennis Lewallyn Cleveland Indians P 29
25 Sandy Wihtol Cleveland Indians P 27
25 Mark DeJohn Detroit Tigers SS 29
18 Mick Kelleher Detroit Tigers 2B 35
42 Larry Rothschild Detroit Tigers P 29
33 Kevin Saucier Detroit Tigers P 26
28 Dave Frost Kansas City Royals P 30
27 Steve Hammond Kansas City Royals OF 26
45 Kelly Heath Kansas City Royals 2B 25
15 Tim Ireland Kansas City Royals 2B 30
36 Grant Jackson Kansas City Royals P 40
14 Lee May Kansas City Royals 1B 40
3 Tom Poquette Kansas City Royals OF 31
38 Bombo Rivera Kansas City Royals OF 30
16 Dennis Werth Kansas City Royals 1B 30
35 Jim Wright Kansas City Royals P 28
47 Dwight Bernard Milwaukee Brewers P 31
9 Larry Hisle Milwaukee Brewers DH 36
33 Doc Medich Milwaukee Brewers P 34
30 Paul Boris Minnesota Twins P 27
18 Terry Felton Minnesota Twins P 25
31 Darrell Jackson Minnesota Twins P 27
22 Randy Johnson Minnesota Twins DH 24
36 Jeff Little Minnesota Twins P 28
17 Pete Redfern Minnesota Twins P 28
21 Jesus Vega Minnesota Twins DH 27
7 Greg Wells Minnesota Twins 1B 29
38 Barry Evans New York Yankees 2B 26
23 Barry Foote New York Yankees C 31
24, 35 Butch Hobson New York Yankees DH 31
28 John Mayberry New York Yankees 1B 34
50 Lynn McGlothen New York Yankees P 33
18, 56 Mike Patterson New York Yankees OF 25
12 Dave Revering New York Yankees 1B 30
18 Rodney Scott New York Yankees SS 29
25 Stefan Wever New York Yankees P 25
8 Kevin Bell Oakland Athletics 3B 27
7 Rick Bosetti Oakland Athletics OF 29
32 John D'Acquisto Oakland Athletics P 31
28 Danny Goodwin Oakland Athletics DH 29
49 Preston Hanna Oakland Athletics P 28
47 Dennis Kinney Oakland Athletics P 31
39 Dave McKay Oakland Athletics 2B 33
34 Bo McLaughlin Oakland Athletics P 29
26 Joe Rudi Oakland Athletics 1B 36
12 Jim Spencer Oakland Athletics 1B 35
11 Fred Stanley Oakland Athletics SS 35
29 Gary Gray Seattle Mariners 1B 30
26 Vance McHenry Seattle Mariners SS 26
1 Lenny Randle Seattle Mariners DH 34
5 Dave Revering Seattle Mariners 1B 30
3 Paul Serna Seattle Mariners SS 24
14 Steve Stroughter Seattle Mariners OF 31
35 Randy Bass Texas Rangers 1B 29
38 Terry Bogener Texas Rangers OF 27
54 Dan Boitano Texas Rangers P 30
33 Jim Farr Texas Rangers P 27
27 Lamar Johnson Texas Rangers DH 32
33 Doc Medich Texas Rangers P 34
41 Mario Mendoza Texas Rangers SS 32
20 Don Werner Texas Rangers C 30
55 Glenn Adams Toronto Blue Jays DH 35
31 Dave Baker Toronto Blue Jays 3B 25
17 Mark Bomback Toronto Blue Jays P 30
35 Dick Davis Toronto Blue Jays OF 29
36 Jerry Garvin Toronto Blue Jays P 27
39 Pedro Hernandez Toronto Blue Jays 3B 24
45 Tony Johnson Toronto Blue Jays OF 26
10 John Mayberry Toronto Blue Jays DH 34
10 Dave Revering Toronto Blue Jays DH 30
34 Steve Senteney Toronto Blue Jays P 27
1982 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1982 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.

On September 28, 1960, broadcaster Curt Gowdy uttered, "It's got a chance. It's got a chance. And it's gone!" Those words were used to describe the final at-bat of slugger Ted Williams.