Baseball Almanac - 1940 American League Retirements

1940 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 1940.

"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

American League Retirements
1940

# Name Team Pos Age

15 Charlie Gelbert Boston Red Sox 3B 35

26 Joe Glenn Boston Red Sox C 32

28 Alex Mustaikis Boston Red Sox P 32

24 Red Nonnenkamp Boston Red Sox PH 30

6 Marv Owen Boston Red Sox 3B 35

2 Jackie Hayes Chicago White Sox 2B 34

33 Scat Metha Detroit Tigers 2B 27

25 Lynn Nelson Detroit Tigers P 36

17 Cotton Pippen Detroit Tigers P 30

29 Clay Smith Detroit Tigers P 26

- Bob Uhl Detroit Tigers P 27

20 Oral Hildebrand New York Yankees P 34

12 Joe Gantenbein Philadelphia Athletics 3B 24

22, 39 Buddy Hancken Philadelphia Athletics C 26

3 Bill Lillard Philadelphia Athletics SS 23

14 Carl Miles Philadelphia Athletics P 23

30 Slick Coffman St. Louis Browns P 30

27 Bill Cox St. Louis Browns P 27

16 Joe Gallagher St. Louis Browns OF 27

8 Sam Harshany St. Louis Browns C 31

3 Lyn Lary St. Louis Browns SS 35

20 Roxie Lawson St. Louis Browns P 35

22 Lefty Mills St. Louis Browns P 31

3, 18 Zeke Bonura Washington Senators 1B 32

21 Charlie Gelbert Washington Senators SS 35

29 Dick Hahn Washington Senators C 24

17 Bucky Jacobs Washington Senators P 28

- Lou Thuman Washington Senators P 24

# Name Team Pos Age

1940 American League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1940 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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