1986 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 1986.

"I'll never make the mistake of being seventy (70) again." - Casey Stengel comment made after being told to quit following the 1960 World Series
 

American League Retirements

1986

25 Tom Dodd Baltimore Orioles 3B 28
30 Ricky Jones Baltimore Orioles 2B 28
32 Bill Swaggerty Baltimore Orioles P 30
48 Tim Lollar Boston Red Sox P 31
41 Tom Seaver Boston Red Sox P 42
11 Dave Stapleton Boston Red Sox 1B 33
37 Mike Stenhouse Boston Red Sox OF 29
55 La Schelle Tarver Boston Red Sox OF 28
63 T.R. Bryden California Angels P 28
48 Ray Chadwick California Angels P 24
38 Todd Fischer California Angels P 26
43 Ken Forsch California Angels P 40
51 Terry Forster California Angels P 35
4 Bobby Grich California Angels 2B 38
10 Ron Romanick California Angels P 26
43 Vern Ruhle California Angels P 36
41 Jim Slaton California Angels P 36
47 Rod Craig Chicago White Sox OF 29
12 Julio Cruz Chicago White Sox 2B 32
15 George Foster Chicago White Sox OF 38
7 Marc Hill Chicago White Sox C 35
23 Bryan Little Chicago White Sox 2B 27
42 Jack Perconte Chicago White Sox 2B 32
41 Tom Seaver Chicago White Sox P 42
38 John Butcher Cleveland Indians P 30
46 Jim Kern Cleveland Indians P 38
22 Fran Mullins Cleveland Indians 2B 30
33 Bryan Oelkers Cleveland Indians P 26
15 Dan Rohn Cleveland Indians 2B 31
34 Jose Roman Cleveland Indians P 24
27 John Pacella Detroit Tigers P 30
20 Jim Slaton Detroit Tigers P 36
17 Mike Brewer Kansas City Royals OF 27
50 Alan Hargesheimer Kansas City Royals P 32
36 Rondin Johnson Kansas City Royals 2B 28
35 Lynn Jones Kansas City Royals OF 34
7 Rudy Law Kansas City Royals OF 30
22 Dennis Leonard Kansas City Royals P 36
4 Greg Pryor Kansas City Royals 3B 37
15 Dwight Taylor Kansas City Royals OF 27
47 Jaime Cocanower Milwaukee Brewers P 30
24 Ben Oglivie Milwaukee Brewers OF 38
20 Gorman Thomas Milwaukee Brewers DH 36
50 Pete Vuckovich Milwaukee Brewers P 34
17 Dennis Burtt Minnesota Twins P 29
32 John Butcher Minnesota Twins P 30
21 Andre David Minnesota Twins DH 29
37 Ray Fontenot Minnesota Twins P 29
23 Roy Lee Jackson Minnesota Twins P 33
35 Bill Latham Minnesota Twins P 26
33 Frank Pastore Minnesota Twins P 29
11 Al Woods Minnesota Twins DH 33
58 Juan Espino New York Yankees C 31
38 Leo Hernandez New York Yankees 3B 27
26 Bryan Little New York Yankees 2B 27
26 John Montefusco New York Yankees P 37
47 Alfonso Pulido New York Yankees P 30
54 Fernando Arroyo Oakland Athletics P 35
12 Dusty Baker Oakland Athletics OF 37
14 Bruce Bochte Oakland Athletics 1B 36
59 Tom Dozier Oakland Athletics P 25
11 Wayne Gross Oakland Athletics 3B 35
26 Dave Kingman Oakland Athletics DH 38
22 Rick Langford Oakland Athletics P 35
35 Bill Mooneyham Oakland Athletics P 26
31 Rick Peters Oakland Athletics OF 31
45 Jim Beattie Seattle Mariners P 32
9 Barry Bonnell Seattle Mariners OF 33
16 Al Cowens Seattle Mariners OF 35
46 Pete Ladd Seattle Mariners P 30
16 Ricky Nelson Seattle Mariners OF 28
20 Gorman Thomas Seattle Mariners DH 36
34 Milt Wilcox Seattle Mariners P 37
7 Steve Yeager Seattle Mariners C 38
11 Toby Harrah Texas Rangers 2B 38
6 Bob Jones Texas Rangers OF 37
42 Mickey Mahler Texas Rangers P 34
30 Dave Rozema Texas Rangers P 30
26 George Wright Texas Rangers OF 28
24 Ricky Wright Texas Rangers P 28
54 Jeff Hearron Toronto Blue Jays C 25
44 Cliff Johnson Toronto Blue Jays DH 39
40 Mickey Mahler Toronto Blue Jays P 34
13 Buck Martinez Toronto Blue Jays C 38
21 Ron Shepherd Toronto Blue Jays OF 26
1986 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1986 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).

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.