1903 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 1903.

"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

1903

n/a Harry Aubrey Boston Beaneaters SS 22
n/a Frank Bonner Boston Beaneaters 2B 34
n/a Charlie Dexter Boston Beaneaters OF 27
n/a John Malarkey Boston Beaneaters P 32
n/a Tom McCreery Boston Beaneaters OF 29
n/a Wiley Piatt Boston Beaneaters P 29
n/a Pop Williams Boston Beaneaters P 30
n/a Matt Broderick Brooklyn Superbas 2B 26
n/a Roy Evans Brooklyn Superbas P 30
n/a Tim Flood Brooklyn Superbas 2B 27
n/a Hughie Hearne Brooklyn Superbas C 31
n/a Ed Householder Brooklyn Superbas OF 34
n/a Ed Hug Brooklyn Superbas C 23
n/a Walt McCredie Brooklyn Superbas OF 27
n/a Tom McCreery Brooklyn Superbas OF 29
n/a Bill Pounds Brooklyn Superbas P 26
n/a Henry Schmidt Brooklyn Superbas P 30
n/a Henry Thielman Brooklyn Superbas OF 23
n/a Jim Cook Chicago Cubs OF 24
n/a Clarence Currie Chicago Cubs P 25
n/a Bill Hanlon Chicago Cubs 1B 27
n/a Alex Hardy Chicago Cubs P uk
n/a Dick Harley Chicago Cubs OF 31
n/a Jock Menefee Chicago Cubs P 36
n/a Pop Williams Chicago Cubs P 30
n/a Pete Cregan Cincinnati Reds OF 29
n/a Tom Daly Cincinnati Reds 2B 38
n/a Charlie DeArmond Cincinnati Reds 3B 27
n/a Pat Deisel Cincinnati Reds C 28
n/a Lee Fohl Cincinnati Reds C 27
n/a Buck Hooker Cincinnati Reds P 23
n/a Dan Kerwin Cincinnati Reds OF 29
n/a George Magoon Cincinnati Reds 2B 29
n/a Jack Morrissey Cincinnati Reds 2B 28
n/a Bill Phillips Cincinnati Reds P 35
n/a Rip Reagan Cincinnati Reds P 25
n/a Harry Wood Cincinnati Reds OF 23
n/a Billy Lauder New York Giants 3B 30
n/a George Van Haltren New York Giants OF 38
n/a Roy Brashear Philadelphia Phillies 2B 30
n/a Bill Hallman Philadelphia Phillies 2B 37
n/a Bill Keister Philadelphia Phillies OF 32
n/a Jack McFetridge Philadelphia Phillies P 34
n/a Warren McLaughlin Philadelphia Phillies P 28
n/a John Walsh Philadelphia Phillies 3B 25
n/a Libe Washburn Philadelphia Phillies P 29
n/a Pop Williams Philadelphia Phillies P 30
n/a Chief Zimmer Philadelphia Phillies C 43
n/a Gene Curtis Pittsburgh Pirates OF 21
n/a Ed Doheny Pittsburgh Pirates P 30
n/a Lou Gertenrich Pittsburgh Pirates OF 29
n/a Reddy Grey Pittsburgh Pirates OF 29
n/a Brickyard Kennedy Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
n/a George Merritt Pittsburgh Pirates OF 24
n/a Lave Winham Pittsburgh Pirates P 22
n/a Harry Berte St. Louis Cardinals 2B 32
n/a Jack Coveney St. Louis Cardinals C 23
n/a Clarence Currie St. Louis Cardinals P 25
n/a Lee DeMontreville St. Louis Cardinals SS 29
n/a Jim Hackett St. Louis Cardinals 1B 26
n/a John Lovett St. Louis Cardinals P 27
n/a Larry Milton St. Louis Cardinals P 25
n/a Ed Murphy St. Louis Cardinals P 27
n/a Art Nichols St. Louis Cardinals 1B 32
n/a Ed Taylor St. Louis Cardinals P 27
n/a Lon Ury St. Louis Cardinals 1B 27
n/a Stan Yerkes St. Louis Cardinals P 29
1903 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1903 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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.