1999 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 1999.

"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
 

American League Retirements

1999

45 Paul Assenmacher Cleveland Indians P 39
44 Brian Barber Kansas City Royals P 27
4, 16 Mike Blowers Seattle Mariners 1B 35
12 Wade Boggs Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3B 41
2 Rafael Bournigal Seattle Mariners SS 34
2 Jacob Brumfield Toronto Blue Jays OF 35
58 Will Brunson Detroit Tigers P 30
31 Melvin Bunch Seattle Mariners P 28
10 Rich Butler Tampa Bay Devil Rays OF 27
20 Rob Butler Toronto Blue Jays OF 30
49 Tom Candiotti Cleveland Indians P 42
49 Tom Candiotti Oakland Athletics P 42
26 Rafael Carmona Seattle Mariners P 27
26 Domingo Cedeno Seattle Mariners SS 31
61 Jin Ho Cho Boston Red Sox P 24
28 Ken Cloude Seattle Mariners P 25
41 Danny Clyburn Tampa Bay Devil Rays OF 26
27 Jim Corsi Baltimore Orioles P 38
41 Jim Corsi Boston Red Sox P 38
51 Pat Daneker Chicago White Sox P 24
56 Cleatus Davidson Minnesota Twins 2B 23
45 Chili Davis New York Yankees DH 40
23 Tommy Davis Baltimore Orioles C 27
37 Steve Decker Anaheim Angels C 34
34 Jason Dellaero Chicago White Sox SS 23
47 Rich DeLucia Cleveland Indians P 35
13 Mike Figga Baltimore Orioles C 29
13 Mike Figga New York Yankees C 29
50 Chad Fonville Boston Red Sox 2B 29
27 Tony Fossas New York Yankees P 42
28 Eddie Gaillard Tampa Bay Devil Rays P 29
46 Luis Garcia Detroit Tigers SS 25
5 Brent Gates Minnesota Twins 3B 30
17 Curtis Goodwin Toronto Blue Jays OF 27
52 Beiker Graterol Detroit Tigers P 25
39 Creighton Gubanich Boston Red Sox C 28
4 Giomar Guevara Seattle Mariners SS 27
2 Jed Hansen Kansas City Royals 2B 27
4 Bret Hemphill Anaheim Angels C 28
27 Butch Henry Seattle Mariners P 31
43 John Hudek Toronto Blue Jays P 33
22 Darrin Jackson Chicago White Sox OF 37
18 Reggie Jefferson Boston Red Sox DH 31
55 Doug Johns Baltimore Orioles P 32
57 Jeff Juden New York Yankees P 29
7 Pat Kelly Toronto Blue Jays 2B 32
7 Jeff King Kansas City Royals 1B 35
58 Tim Kubinski Oakland Athletics P 28
22 Mark Langston Cleveland Indians P 39
37 Corey Lee Texas Rangers P 25
8 Scott Leius Kansas City Royals 1B 34
20 Patrick Lennon Toronto Blue Jays OF 32
56 Steve Lomasney Boston Red Sox C 22
40 Eric Ludwick Toronto Blue Jays P 28
33 Matt Luke Anaheim Angels OF 29
15 Mike Macfarlane Oakland Athletics C 36
38, 3 Norberto Martin Toronto Blue Jays 2B 33
39 Terry Mathews Kansas City Royals P 35
29 Derrick May Baltimore Orioles OF 31
72 Jack McDowell Anaheim Angels P 34
56 Brian McRae Toronto Blue Jays DH 32
46 Steve Mintz Anaheim Angels P 31
12 Shane Monahan Seattle Mariners OF 25
21 Jeff Montgomery Kansas City Royals P 38
51 Alvin Morman Kansas City Royals P 31
31 Dan Naulty New York Yankees P 30
44 Mike Oquist Oakland Athletics P 32
24 Willis Otanez Baltimore Orioles 3B 27
21 Willis Otanez Toronto Blue Jays 3B 27
57 Juan Pena Boston Red Sox P 22
49 Dan Perkins Minnesota Twins P 25
6 Tony Phillips Oakland Athletics 2B 41
34 Marc Pisciotta Kansas City Royals P 29
34 Jim Pittsley Kansas City Royals P 26
31 Mark Portugal Boston Red Sox P 37
51 Rob Radlosky Minnesota Twins P 26
57 Gary Rath Minnesota Twins P 27
52 Todd Rizzo Chicago White Sox P 29
55 Liu Rodriguez Chicago White Sox 2B 23
51 Mel Rojas Detroit Tigers P 33
46 Mike Romano Toronto Blue Jays P 28
23 Benj Sampson Minnesota Twins P 25
62 Marino Santana Boston Red Sox P 28
31 Tony Saunders Tampa Bay Devil Rays P 26
6 Steve Scarsone Kansas City Royals SS 34
57 Aaron Scheffer Seattle Mariners P 24
15 Jon Shave Texas Rangers SS 32
4 Dave Silvestri Anaheim Angels 3B 32
16 Mike Simms Texas Rangers 1B 33
41 Steve Sinclair Seattle Mariners P 28
46 Steve Sinclair Toronto Blue Jays P 28
44 Paul Sorrento Tampa Bay Devil Rays OF 34
12 Tim Spehr Kansas City Royals C 33
36 Terry Steinbach Minnesota Twins C 38
39 Darryl Strawberry New York Yankees DH 38
37 Paul Wagner Cleveland Indians P 32
34 Derek Wallace Kansas City Royals P 28
12 Reggie Williams Anaheim Angels OF 34
29 Bob Wolcott Boston Red Sox P 26
46 Jordan Zimmerman Seattle Mariners P 25
1999 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1999 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

Hank Aaron ended his Major League career on October 3, 1976, with a sharp single during the sixth inning off Dave Roberts of the Detroit Tigers.