1904 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 1904.

"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

1904

n/a Pat Carney Boston Beaneaters OF 28
n/a Tom Fisher Boston Beaneaters P 24
n/a Phil Geier Boston Beaneaters OF 29
n/a Gene McAuliffe Boston Beaneaters C 33
n/a Ed McNichol Boston Beaneaters P 26
n/a Kid O'Hara Boston Beaneaters OF 29
n/a Joe Stewart Boston Beaneaters P 26
n/a Andy Sullivan Boston Beaneaters SS 20
n/a Jack White Boston Beaneaters OF 27
n/a Jack Cronin Brooklyn Superbas P 31
n/a Pop Dillon Brooklyn Superbas 1B 31
n/a Ned Garvin Brooklyn Superbas P 31
n/a Dutch Jordan Brooklyn Superbas 2B 25
n/a Joe Koukalik Brooklyn Superbas P 25
n/a Charlie Loudenslager Brooklyn Superbas 2B 24
n/a Mike McCormick Brooklyn Superbas 3B uk
n/a Ed Poole Brooklyn Superbas P 30
n/a Bill Reidy Brooklyn Superbas P 31
n/a Grant Thatcher Brooklyn Superbas P 28
n/a Deacon Van Buren Brooklyn Superbas PH 34
n/a Bill Carney Chicago Cubs OF 31
n/a Ernie Groth Chicago Cubs P 20
n/a Fred Holmes Chicago Cubs C 26
n/a Harry McChesney Chicago Cubs OF 24
n/a Dutch Rudolph Chicago Cubs OF 22
n/a Tom Stanton Chicago Cubs C 30
n/a Peaches O'Neill Cincinnati Reds C 25
n/a Dan Brouthers New York Giants 1B 47
n/a Jack Dunn New York Giants 3B 32
n/a Billy Milligan New York Giants P 26
n/a Jim O'Rourke New York Giants C 54
n/a Tom Barry Philadelphia Phillies P 26
n/a John Brackenridge Philadelphia Phillies P 24
n/a She Donahue Philadelphia Phillies SS 27
n/a Klondike Douglass Philadelphia Phillies 1B 33
n/a Tom Fleming Philadelphia Phillies OF 31
n/a Herman Long Philadelphia Phillies 2B 39
n/a John McPherson Philadelphia Phillies P 36
n/a Jesse Purnell Philadelphia Phillies 3B 24
n/a Butch Rementer Philadelphia Phillies C 27
n/a Deacon Van Buren Philadelphia Phillies OF 34
n/a Jack Gilbert Pittsburgh Pirates OF 29
n/a Watty Lee Pittsburgh Pirates P 25
n/a Roscoe Miller Pittsburgh Pirates P 28
n/a Jack Rafter Pittsburgh Pirates C 30
n/a Tom Stankard Pittsburgh Pirates SS 23
n/a Bucky Veil Pittsburgh Pirates P 23
n/a Bill Byers St. Louis Cardinals C 27
n/a Joe Corbett St. Louis Cardinals P 29
n/a She Donahue St. Louis Cardinals 2B 27
n/a Hugh Hill St. Louis Cardinals OF 25
n/a War Sanders St. Louis Cardinals P 27
n/a Charlie Swindells St. Louis Cardinals C 26
1904 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1904 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.

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.