1947 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 1947.

"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

1947

23 Bob Brady Boston Braves PH 25
22 Hank Camelli Boston Braves C 33
36 Si Johnson Boston Braves P 41
18, 24 Andy Karl Boston Braves P 34
34 Walt Lanfranconi Boston Braves P 31
24 Johnny Lanning Boston Braves P 37
20 Max Macon Boston Braves P 32
32 Dick Mulligan Boston Braves P 30
2 Tommy Neill Boston Braves OF 28
39 Ed Chandler Brooklyn Dodgers P 31
23 George Dockins Brooklyn Dodgers P 31
30 Al Gionfriddo Brooklyn Dodgers OF 26
5 Cookie Lavagetto Brooklyn Dodgers 3B 35
37 Rube Melton Brooklyn Dodgers P 31
17 Tommy Tatum Brooklyn Dodgers OF 28
32 Bob Carpenter Chicago Cubs P 30
46 Dom Dallessandro Chicago Cubs OF 34
6 Stan Hack Chicago Cubs 3B 38
45 Billy Jurges Chicago Cubs SS 40
24 Bill Lee Chicago Cubs P 38
49 Ray Mack Chicago Cubs 2B 31
21 Sal Madrid Chicago Cubs SS 27
17 Russ Meers Chicago Cubs P 29
21 Lennie Merullo Chicago Cubs SS 31
24 Ox Miller Chicago Cubs P 33
13 Claude Passeau Chicago Cubs P 39
34 Freddy Schmidt Chicago Cubs P 32
32 Clayton Lambert Cincinnati Reds P 31
27 Eddie Lukon Cincinnati Reds OF 27
42 Ken Polivka Cincinnati Reds P 27
35 Mike Schultz Cincinnati Reds P 27
24 Tommy Tatum Cincinnati Reds OF 28
37 Woody Abernathy New York Giants P 33
39 Bill Ayers New York Giants P 28
40 Mike Budnick New York Giants P 28
33 Bob Carpenter New York Giants P 30
21 Gary Gearhart New York Giants OF 24
30, 35 Hooks Iott New York Giants P 28
6 Ernie Lombardi New York Giants C 40
4 Mel Ott New York Giants PH 39
35 Junior Thompson New York Giants P 30
9 Bennie Warren New York Giants C 36
28 Fuzz White New York Giants OF 31
2 Buster Adams Philadelphia Phillies OF 32
22 Jack Albright Philadelphia Phillies SS 26
36 Nick Etten Philadelphia Phillies 1B 34
12 Lou Finney Philadelphia Phillies PH 37
3 Charlie Gilbert Philadelphia Phillies OF 28
35 Lee Handley Philadelphia Phillies 3B 34
32 Rollie Hemsley Philadelphia Phillies C 40
36 Lefty Hoerst Philadelphia Phillies P 30
21 Al Jurisich Philadelphia Phillies P 26
15 Dick Mauney Philadelphia Phillies P 28
6 Skeeter Newsome Philadelphia Phillies SS 37
33 Freddy Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies P 32
37 Homer Spragins Philadelphia Phillies P 27
5 Jim Tabor Philadelphia Phillies 3B 31
36 Jim Bagby Pittsburgh Pirates P 31
24 Ed Bahr Pittsburgh Pirates P 28
8 Eddie Basinski Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 25
25 Ken Gables Pittsburgh Pirates P 29
18 Al Gionfriddo Pittsburgh Pirates PH 26
5 Hank Greenberg Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 37
11 Billy Herman Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 38
27 Art Herring Pittsburgh Pirates P 42
- Lee Howard Pittsburgh Pirates P 24
31 Roy Jarvis Pittsburgh Pirates C 21
19 Hugh Mulcahy Pittsburgh Pirates P 34
12 Culley Rikard Pittsburgh Pirates OF 34
14, 42 Billy Sullivan Pittsburgh Pirates C 37
23 Lou Tost Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
7 Whitey Wietelmann Pittsburgh Pirates SS 29
32 Roger Wolff Pittsburgh Pirates P 37
16 Bernie Creger St. Louis Cardinals SS 21
33 Johnny Grodzicki St. Louis Cardinals P 31
29 Freddy Schmidt St. Louis Cardinals P 32
1947 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1947 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

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).