1936 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 1936.

"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

1936

16 Mike Meola Boston Red Sox P 31
27 Bing Miller Boston Red Sox OF 42
17 Johnny Welch Boston Red Sox P 30
27 Jo-Jo Morrissey Chicago White Sox 3B 33
29 Ray Phelps Chicago White Sox P 33
19 Les Rock Chicago White Sox 1B 24
29 Bill Shores Chicago White Sox P 33
7 George Stumpf Chicago White Sox OF 26
12 George Washington Chicago White Sox OF 29
33, 16 George Blaeholder Cleveland Indians P 33
17 Paul Kardow Cleveland Indians P 21
10 George Uhle Cleveland Indians P 38
22, 29 Jack Burns Detroit Tigers 1B 29
16 Alvin Crowder Detroit Tigers P 38
12 Chad Kimsey Detroit Tigers P 30
16 Glenn Myatt Detroit Tigers C 39
24 Salty Parker Detroit Tigers SS 24
28 Red Phillips Detroit Tigers P 28
21 Frank Reiber Detroit Tigers C 27
16 Red Bullock Philadelphia Athletics P 25
46 Stu Flythe Philadelphia Athletics P 25
- Dutch Lieber Philadelphia Athletics P 27
26 Emil Mailho Philadelphia Athletics OF 28
37 Harry Matuzak Philadelphia Athletics P 27
12 Charlie Moss Philadelphia Athletics C 26
27 Al Niemiec Philadelphia Athletics 2B 26
3 Jim Oglesby Philadelphia Athletics 1B 31
45 Jack Peerson Philadelphia Athletics SS 26
8 George Puccinelli Philadelphia Athletics OF 29
11 Gordon Rhodes Philadelphia Athletics P 29
21 Woody Upchurch Philadelphia Athletics P 26
24 Whitey Wilshere Philadelphia Athletics P 24
2 Jack Burns St. Louis Browns 1B 29
9 Ed Coleman St. Louis Browns OF 35
23 Roy Mahaffey St. Louis Browns P 33
24 Mike Meola St. Louis Browns P 31
8 Ray Pepper St. Louis Browns OF 31
21 Joe Bokina Washington Senators P 27
19 Henry Coppola Washington Senators P 24
20 Firpo Marberry Washington Senators P 38
22 Bill Starr Washington Senators C 26
1936 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1936 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.

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.