Baseball Almanac - 1918 American League Retirements

1918 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 1918.

"I want to hit a routine grounder to second and run all out to first base, then get thrown out by a half step. I want to leave an example to the young guys that that's how you play the game, all out." - George Brett

American League Retirements
1918

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a Lore Bader Boston Red Sox P 31

n/a Red Bluhm Boston Red Sox PH 24

n/a George Cochran Boston Red Sox 3B 30

n/a Jack Coffey Boston Red Sox 3B 32

n/a Eusebio Gonzalez Boston Red Sox SS 26

n/a Dick Hoblitzel Boston Red Sox 1B 30

n/a Vince Molyneaux Boston Red Sox P 30

n/a Jack Stansbury Boston Red Sox 3B 33

n/a Frank Truesdale Boston Red Sox 2B 35

n/a Heinie Wagner Boston Red Sox 2B 38

n/a George Whiteman Boston Red Sox OF 36

n/a Weldon Wyckoff Boston Red Sox P 28

n/a Ed Corey Chicago White Sox P 24

n/a Wilbur Good Chicago White Sox OF 33

n/a Pat Hardgrove Chicago White Sox PH 24

n/a Otto Jacobs Chicago White Sox C 30

n/a Mellie Wolfgang Chicago White Sox P 29

n/a Bob Bescher Cleveland Indians OF 35

n/a Ad Brennan Cleveland Indians P 31

n/a Jack Farmer Cleveland Indians OF 26

n/a Gus Getz Cleveland Indians 3B 29

n/a Bob Groom Cleveland Indians P 34

n/a Al Halt Cleveland Indians 3B 28

n/a Marty Kavanagh Cleveland Indians 1B 27

n/a Otis Lambeth Cleveland Indians P 29

n/a George McQuillan Cleveland Indians P 34

n/a Ed Miller Cleveland Indians 1B 30

n/a Germany Schaefer Cleveland Indians 2B 43

n/a Rip Williams Cleveland Indians 1B 37

n/a Joe Cobb Detroit Tigers PH 24

n/a Jack Coffey Detroit Tigers 2B 32

n/a Harry Coveleski Detroit Tigers P 33

n/a Jim Curry Detroit Tigers 2B 33

n/a Bill Donovan Detroit Tigers P 42

n/a Lee Dressen Detroit Tigers 1B 29

n/a Happy Finneran Detroit Tigers P 28

n/a Art Griggs Detroit Tigers 1B 34

n/a Charley Hall Detroit Tigers P 34

n/a Herb Hall Detroit Tigers P 25

n/a Hughie Jennings Detroit Tigers 1B 50

n/a Deacon Jones Detroit Tigers P 26

n/a Marty Kavanagh Detroit Tigers 1B 27

n/a Tubby Spencer Detroit Tigers C 35

n/a Zinn Beck New York Yankees 1B 33

n/a Walter Bernhardt New York Yankees P 26

n/a Happy Finneran New York Yankees P 28

n/a Hugh High New York Yankees OF 31

n/a John Hummel New York Yankees OF 36

n/a Ham Hyatt New York Yankees OF 34

n/a Armando Marsans New York Yankees OF 31

n/a Ed Monroe New York Yankees P 24

n/a Paddy O'Connor New York Yankees C 39

n/a Hank Robinson New York Yankees P 31

n/a Merito Acosta Philadelphia Athletics OF 23

n/a Lou Bauer Philadelphia Athletics P 20

n/a Frank Fahey Philadelphia Athletics OF 23

n/a Chick Holmes Philadelphia Athletics P 23

n/a Roy Johnson Philadelphia Athletics P 23

n/a Jake Munch Philadelphia Athletics OF 28

n/a Rube Oldring Philadelphia Athletics OF 35

n/a George Hale St. Louis Browns C 24

n/a Byron Houck St. Louis Browns P 27

n/a Pete Johns St. Louis Browns 1B 31

n/a Fritz Maisel St. Louis Browns 3B 29

n/a Tim McCabe St. Louis Browns P 24

n/a Merito Acosta Washington Senators PH 23

n/a Bob Berman Washington Senators C 20

n/a Ad Brennan Washington Senators P 31

n/a Joe Casey Washington Senators C 31

n/a Roy Hansen Washington Senators P 21

n/a Eddie Matteson Washington Senators P 34

n/a Ray Morgan Washington Senators 2B 29

n/a Stan Rees Washington Senators P 20

n/a Wildfire Schulte Washington Senators OF 36

n/a Earl Yingling Washington Senators P 30

# Name Team Pos Age

1918 American League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1918 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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.

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