1996 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 1996.

"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

1996

30 Joe Ayrault Atlanta Braves C 25
32 Kevin Lomon Atlanta Braves P 25
5 Pablo Martinez Atlanta Braves C 27
49 Carl Schutz Atlanta Braves P 25
7 Dwight Smith Atlanta Braves OF 33
49 Tom Thobe Atlanta Braves P 27
20 Bret Barberie Chicago Cubs 2B 29
10 Scott Bullett Chicago Cubs OF 28
33 Mike Campbell Chicago Cubs P 33
4 Brian Dorsett Chicago Cubs C 36
2 Felix Fermin Chicago Cubs 2B 33
12 Leo Gomez Chicago Cubs 3B 31
39 Tim Belk Cincinnati Reds 1B 27
33 Steve Gibralter Cincinnati Reds OF 24
37 Derek Lilliquist Cincinnati Reds P 31
59 Curt Lyons Cincinnati Reds P 22
53 Marcus Moore Cincinnati Reds P 26
17 Chris Sabo Cincinnati Reds 3B 35
42 Roger Salkeld Cincinnati Reds P 26
50 Garvin Alston Colorado Rockies P 25
27 Jorge Brito Colorado Rockies C 30
12 Pedro Castellano Colorado Rockies 2B 27
44 Alan Cockrell Colorado Rockies OF 34
36 Mike Farmer Colorado Rockies P 28
44 Marvin Freeman Colorado Rockies P 34
48 John Habyan Colorado Rockies P 33
13 Ryan Hawblitzel Colorado Rockies P 26
17 David Nied Colorado Rockies P 28
34 Jayhawk Owens Colorado Rockies C 28
27 Milt Thompson Colorado Rockies OF 38
35 Jerry Brooks Florida Marlins OF 30
8 Andre Dawson Florida Marlins OF 42
50 Bill Hurst Florida Marlins P 27
32 Alejandro Pena Florida Marlins P 37
22 Andujar Cedeno Houston Astros SS 27
9 Jerry Goff Houston Astros C 33
4, 30 Dave Hajek Houston Astros 3B 29
36 Mark Small Houston Astros P 29
22, 99 Anthony Young Houston Astros P 31
25 Mike Busch Los Angeles Dodgers 3B 28
62 Oreste Marrero Los Angeles Dodgers 1B 27
40 Rick Parker Los Angeles Dodgers OF 34
29 Milt Thompson Los Angeles Dodgers OF 38
29 Tim Wallach Los Angeles Dodgers 3B 39
48 Tavo Alvarez Montreal Expos P 25
66 Derek Aucoin Montreal Expos P 27
39 Mike Dyer Montreal Expos P 30
52 Dave Leiper Montreal Expos P 34
16 Rob Lukachyk Montreal Expos PH 28
26 Alex Pacheco Montreal Expos P 23
16 Rick Schu Montreal Expos 3B 35
49 Rob MacDonald New York Mets P 32
18 Kevin Roberson New York Mets OF 29
54 Carlos Crawford Philadelphia Phillies P 25
4 Lenny Dykstra Philadelphia Phillies OF 34
29 Steve Frey Philadelphia Phillies P 33
43 Bronson Heflin Philadelphia Phillies P 25
39 Rich Hunter Philadelphia Phillies P 22
43 Dave Leiper Philadelphia Phillies P 34
57 Larry Mitchell Philadelphia Phillies P 25
7 Glenn Murray Philadelphia Phillies OF 26
49 Jeff Parrett Philadelphia Phillies P 35
43 Rafael Quirico Philadelphia Phillies P 27
6, 5 Gene Schall Philadelphia Phillies 1B 26
48 Rich Aude Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 25
44 Joe Boever Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
42 Lee Hancock Pittsburgh Pirates P 29
29 John Hope Pittsburgh Pirates P 26
11 Mike Kingery Pittsburgh Pirates OF 36
24 Zane Smith Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
55 Andres Berumen San Diego Padres P 26
10 Andujar Cedeno San Diego Padres SS 27
17 Doug Dascenzo San Diego Padres OF 32
28 Rob Deer San Diego Padres OF 36
9, 17 Chris Gwynn San Diego Padres OF 32
59 Sean Mulligan San Diego Padres PH 27
35 Al Osuna San Diego Padres P 31
13 Todd Steverson San Diego Padres PH 25
35 Jason Thompson San Diego Padres 1B 25
42 Shawn Barton San Francisco Giants P 34
18 Kim Batiste San Francisco Giants 3B 29
33 Steve Bourgeois San Francisco Giants P 24
45 Mark Carreon San Francisco Giants 1B 33
40 Mark Dewey San Francisco Giants P 32
2 Mel Hall San Francisco Giants OF 36
37 Chris Hook San Francisco Giants P 28
52 Dax Jones San Francisco Giants OF 26
30 Dan Peltier San Francisco Giants 1B 28
65 Steve Soderstrom San Francisco Giants P 25
6 Robby Thompson San Francisco Giants 2B 35
42 Keith Williams San Francisco Giants OF 25
8 Desi Wilson San Francisco Giants 1B 28
55 Terry Bradshaw St. Louis Cardinals OF 28
35 Miguel Mejia St. Louis Cardinals OF 22
49 Jeff Parrett St. Louis Cardinals P 35
1 Ozzie Smith St. Louis Cardinals SS 42
34 Tom Urbani St. Louis Cardinals P 29
1996 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1996 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).

On July 28, 1976, Blue Moon Odom pitched the final five innings of his Major League career. He was relieved by Francisco Barrios in the sixth inning and the two White Sox combined to pitch a 2-1 no-hitter versus the Oakland Athletics.