Baseball Almanac - 1916 National League Retirements

1916 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 1916.

"You are George Brett and all the cheering has stopped. The music is muted, the hour is late, and they will be taking the banners down and emptying your locker any minute now. As the late Jimmy Cannon would say it, 'All your bats are broken.'" - Broadcaster Jim Murray

National League Retirements
1916

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a Joe Connolly Boston Braves OF 33

n/a Dick Egan Boston Braves 2B 32

n/a Joe Mathes Boston Braves 2B 25

n/a Fred Snodgrass Boston Braves OF 29

n/a Ed Appleton Brooklyn Robins P 25

n/a Artie Dede Brooklyn Robins C 21

n/a Nap Rucker Brooklyn Robins P 32

n/a Mordecai Brown Chicago Cubs P 40

n/a Clem Clemens Chicago Cubs C 30

n/a Solly Hofman Chicago Cubs OF 34

n/a Otto Knabe Chicago Cubs 2B 32

n/a George McConnell Chicago Cubs P 39

n/a Johnny O'Connor Chicago Cubs C 25

n/a Joe Tinker Chicago Cubs SS 36

n/a Steve Yerkes Chicago Cubs 2B 29

n/a Dutch Zwilling Chicago Cubs OF 28

n/a Jim Bluejacket Cincinnati Reds P 29

n/a Gene Dale Cincinnati Reds P 27

n/a Bill Hobbs Cincinnati Reds SS 24

n/a Red Killefer Cincinnati Reds OF 32

n/a Baldy Louden Cincinnati Reds 2B 33

n/a Christy Mathewson Cincinnati Reds P 36

n/a Limb McKenry Cincinnati Reds P 28

n/a Earl Moseley Cincinnati Reds P 29

n/a Bill Rodgers Cincinnati Reds SS 30

n/a Al Schulz Cincinnati Reds P 28

n/a Paul Smith Cincinnati Reds OF 29

n/a Twink Twining Cincinnati Reds P 23

n/a Fred Brainard New York Giants 3B 25

n/a Red Dooin New York Giants C 37

n/a Duke Kelleher New York Giants C 23

n/a Red Killefer New York Giants PH 32

n/a Brad Kocher New York Giants C 29

n/a Christy Mathewson New York Giants P 36

n/a Hank Ritter New York Giants P 23

n/a Heinie Stafford New York Giants PH 25

n/a Sailor Stroud New York Giants P 32

n/a George Chalmers Philadelphia Phillies P 28

n/a Bob Gandy Philadelphia Phillies OF 23

n/a Erv Kantlehner Philadelphia Phillies P 24

n/a Billy Maharg Philadelphia Phillies OF 36

n/a Bud Weiser Philadelphia Phillies OF 26

n/a Ed Barney Pittsburgh Pirates OF 27

n/a Bill Batsch Pittsburgh Pirates PH 25

n/a Paul Carpenter Pittsburgh Pirates P 22

n/a Dan Costello Pittsburgh Pirates OF 25

n/a Wilbur Fisher Pittsburgh Pirates PH 22

n/a Newt Halliday Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 20

n/a Erv Kantlehner Pittsburgh Pirates P 24

n/a Otto Knabe Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 32

n/a Gene Madden Pittsburgh Pirates PH 26

n/a Ray O'Brien Pittsburgh Pirates OF 22

n/a Paddy Siglin Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 25

n/a Frank Smykal Pittsburgh Pirates SS 27

n/a Jim Viox Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 26

n/a Art Butler St. Louis Cardinals OF 29

n/a Roy Corhan St. Louis Cardinals SS 29

n/a Murphy Currie St. Louis Cardinals P 23

n/a Miller Huggins St. Louis Cardinals 2B 39

n/a Joe Lotz St. Louis Cardinals P 26

n/a Steamboat Williams St. Louis Cardinals P 25

n/a Chief Wilson St. Louis Cardinals OF 33

# Name Team Pos Age

1916 National League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1916 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

Stan Musial ended his Major League career on September 29, 1963. His final hit was a single during the sixth inning off Jim Maloney which drove in his last RBI (which was Curt Flood).

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.

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