1911 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 1911.

"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

1911

n/a Tracy Baker Boston Red Sox 1B 20
n/a Swede Carlstrom Boston Red Sox SS 25
n/a Joe Giannini Boston Red Sox SS 23
n/a Hy Gunning Boston Red Sox 1B 23
n/a Ed Karger Boston Red Sox P 29
n/a Jack Killilay Boston Red Sox P 25
n/a Red Kleinow Boston Red Sox C 34
n/a Walter Lonergan Boston Red Sox 2B 26
n/a Bunny Madden Boston Red Sox C 29
n/a Walter Moser Boston Red Sox P 31
n/a Judge Nagle Boston Red Sox P 32
n/a Blaine Thomas Boston Red Sox P uk
n/a Jack Thoney Boston Red Sox PH 32
n/a Tony Tonneman Boston Red Sox C 30
n/a Les Wilson Boston Red Sox OF 26
n/a Jesse Baker Chicago White Sox P 23
n/a Patsy Dougherty Chicago White Sox OF 35
n/a Joe Hovlik Chicago White Sox P 27
n/a Tex Jones Chicago White Sox 1B 26
n/a Ralph Kreitz Chicago White Sox C 26
n/a Amby McConnell Chicago White Sox 2B 29
n/a Paul Meloan Chicago White Sox OF 23
n/a Fred Olmstead Chicago White Sox P 30
n/a Freddy Parent Chicago White Sox 2B 36
n/a Fred Payne Chicago White Sox C 31
n/a Irv Young Chicago White Sox P 34
n/a Dave Callahan Cleveland Naps OF 23
n/a Ben DeMott Cleveland Naps P 23
n/a Spec Harkness Cleveland Naps P 24
n/a Cotton Knaupp Cleveland Naps SS 22
n/a Bill Lindsay Cleveland Naps 3B 31
n/a Jack Mills Cleveland Naps 3B 22
n/a Pat Paige Cleveland Naps P 30
n/a Bugs Reisigl Cleveland Naps P 24
n/a Hi West Cleveland Naps P 27
n/a Cy Young Cleveland Naps P 45
n/a Chick Lathers Detroit Tigers 2B 23
n/a Jack Lively Detroit Tigers P 27
n/a Boss Schmidt Detroit Tigers C 31
n/a Harry Ables New York Highlanders P 28
n/a Bill Bailey New York Highlanders OF 30
n/a Lew Brockett New York Highlanders P 31
n/a Andy Coakley New York Highlanders P 29
n/a Gene Elliott New York Highlanders OF 23
n/a Mike Handiboe New York Highlanders OF 24
n/a Charlie Hemphill New York Highlanders OF 36
n/a Otis Johnson New York Highlanders SS 28
n/a Stubby Magner New York Highlanders SS 24
n/a Joe Walsh New York Highlanders C 25
n/a Ed Wilkinson New York Highlanders OF 21
n/a Howard Armstrong Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Topsy Hartsel Philadelphia Athletics OF 37
n/a Elmer Leonard Philadelphia Athletics P 23
n/a Lep Long Philadelphia Athletics P 23
n/a John Black St. Louis Browns 1B 22
n/a Al Clancy St. Louis Browns 3B 23
n/a Joe Crisp St. Louis Browns PH 26
n/a Dode Criss St. Louis Browns 1B 27
n/a George Curry St. Louis Browns P 23
n/a Jim Duggan St. Louis Browns 1B 26
n/a Howie Gregory St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Ernie Gust St. Louis Browns 1B 24
n/a Bill Harper St. Louis Browns P 22
n/a Ed Hawk St. Louis Browns P 24
n/a Danny Hoffman St. Louis Browns OF 32
n/a Paul Meloan St. Louis Browns OF 23
n/a Walter Moser St. Louis Browns P 31
n/a Allie Moulton St. Louis Browns 2B 26
n/a Pat Newnam St. Louis Browns 1B 31
n/a Dave Rowan St. Louis Browns 1B 29
n/a Al Schweitzer St. Louis Browns OF 29
n/a Clyde Southwick St. Louis Browns C 25
n/a Wid Conroy Washington Senators 3B 35
n/a Charlie Conway Washington Senators OF 26
n/a Doc Gessler Washington Senators OF 31
n/a Dolly Gray Washington Senators P 33
n/a Walt Herrell Washington Senators P 23
n/a Warren Miller Washington Senators OF 26
n/a Bill Otey Washington Senators P 25
n/a Fred Sherry Washington Senators P 22
n/a Bull Smith Washington Senators PR 31
n/a Jock Somerlott Washington Senators 1B 29
1911 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1911 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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.