1894 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 1894.

"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

1894

n/a Bill Hawke Baltimore Orioles P 25
n/a Jack Horner Baltimore Orioles P 31
n/a Tony Mullane Baltimore Orioles P 36
n/a Scott Hawley Boston Beaneaters P 19
n/a Tom Lovett Boston Beaneaters P 31
n/a George Stultz Boston Beaneaters P 21
n/a Frank West Boston Beaneaters P 22
n/a Pete Browning Brooklyn Bridegrooms OF 33
n/a Billy Earle Brooklyn Bridegrooms C 27
n/a Pete Gilbert Brooklyn Bridegrooms 2B 27
n/a George Sharrott Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 25
n/a Andy Sommerville Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 19
n/a Fred Underwood Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 26
n/a Kid Camp Chicago Colts P 25
n/a Lew Camp Chicago Colts 2B 27
n/a Fred Blank Cincinnati Reds P 20
n/a Charlie Comiskey Cincinnati Reds 1B 35
n/a Lem Cross Cincinnati Reds P 23
n/a Henry Fournier Cincinnati Reds P 29
n/a Bill Massey Cincinnati Reds 1B uk
n/a Unknown McGuire Cincinnati Reds P uk
n/a Frank Motz Cincinnati Reds 1B 26
n/a Connie Murphy Cincinnati Reds C 24
n/a Bill Pfann Cincinnati Reds P uk
n/a John Clarkson Cleveland Spiders P 33
n/a Frank Griffith Cleveland Spiders P 22
n/a John Lyston Cleveland Spiders P 28
n/a Tony Mullane Cleveland Spiders P 36
n/a Charlie Petty Cleveland Spiders P 28
n/a Jake Virtue Cleveland Spiders OF 30
n/a Willard Brown Louisville Colonels 1B 29
n/a Jerry Denny Louisville Colonels 3B 36
n/a Billy Earle Louisville Colonels C 27
n/a Pat Flaherty Louisville Colonels 3B 29
n/a Pete Gilbert Louisville Colonels 3B 27
n/a Luke Lutenberg Louisville Colonels 1B 30
n/a George Nicol Louisville Colonels OF 24
n/a Tim O'Rourke Louisville Colonels 1B 31
n/a Harrison Peppers Louisville Colonels P uk
n/a Danny Richardson Louisville Colonels SS 32
n/a Ollie Smith Louisville Colonels OF 29
n/a Larry Twitchell Louisville Colonels OF 31
n/a Farmer Weaver Louisville Colonels OF 30
n/a John Ward New York Giants 2B 35
n/a Huyler Westervelt New York Giants P 25
n/a Al Burris Philadelphia Phillies P 21
n/a Jack Fanning Philadelphia Phillies P 32
n/a Frank Figgemeier Philadelphia Phillies P 22
n/a George Haddock Philadelphia Phillies P 28
n/a Arthur Irwin Philadelphia Phillies SS 37
n/a John Johnson Philadelphia Phillies P 25
n/a Al Lukens Philadelphia Phillies P uk
n/a Tom Murray Philadelphia Phillies SS uk
n/a Jack Scheible Philadelphia Phillies P 29
n/a Charles Yingling Philadelphia Phillies SS 29
n/a Jack Easton Pittsburgh Pirates P 28
n/a George Nicol Pittsburgh Pirates P 24
n/a Jim Ritz Pittsburgh Pirates 3B uk
n/a Gene Steere Pittsburgh Pirates SS 22
n/a Farmer Weaver Pittsburgh Pirates C 30
n/a Willard Brown St. Louis Browns 1B 29
n/a Pete Browning St. Louis Browns OF 33
n/a Charlie Frank St. Louis Browns OF 25
n/a Ernie Mason St. Louis Browns P uk
n/a Tim O'Rourke St. Louis Browns 3B 31
n/a George Paynter St. Louis Browns OF 23
n/a Joe Peitz St. Louis Browns OF 25
n/a John Ricks St. Louis Browns 3B 27
n/a Paul Russell St. Louis Browns OF 24
n/a Art Twineham St. Louis Browns C 28
n/a Count Campau Washington Senators OF 31
n/a Dan Dugdale Washington Senators C 30
n/a Rip Egan Washington Senators P 23
n/a George Haddock Washington Senators P 28
n/a Kid Mohler Washington Senators 2B 20
n/a Tim O'Rourke Washington Senators 2B 31
n/a Charlie Petty Washington Senators P 28
n/a Paul Radford Washington Senators SS 33
n/a Ben Stephens Washington Senators P 27
n/a Piggy Ward Washington Senators 2B 28
n/a Bill Wynne Washington Senators P 26
1894 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1894 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.

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.