1954 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 1954.

"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

1954

2 Connie Berry Baltimore Orioles SS 33
24 Vern Bickford Baltimore Orioles P 34
34 Mike Blyzka Baltimore Orioles P 26
21, 37 Howie Fox Baltimore Orioles P 34
1 Chico Garcia Baltimore Orioles 2B 30
38 Jay Heard Baltimore Orioles P 35
19 Dick Kokos Baltimore Orioles OF 27
14 Don Lenhardt Baltimore Orioles OF 32
9 Ray Murray Baltimore Orioles C 37
26 Marlin Stuart Baltimore Orioles P 36
15 Joe Dobson Boston Red Sox P 38
24 Tom Herrin Boston Red Sox P 25
20 Sid Hudson Boston Red Sox P 40
32 Don Lenhardt Boston Red Sox OF 32
39 Guy Morton Boston Red Sox PH 24
11 Mickey Owen Boston Red Sox C 39
14 Bill Werle Boston Red Sox P 34
33 Del Wilber Boston Red Sox C 36
56 Bob Cain Chicago White Sox PR 30
33 Joe Kirrene Chicago White Sox 3B 23
6 Cass Michaels Chicago White Sox 3B 29
37 Don Nicholas Chicago White Sox PH 24
36 Al Sima Chicago White Sox P 33
21 Bud Stewart Chicago White Sox OF 38
35 Dick Strahs Chicago White Sox P 31
9 Luke Easter Cleveland Indians PH 39
6 Bill Glynn Cleveland Indians 1B 29
22 Dave Hoskins Cleveland Indians P 29
50 George Bullard Detroit Tigers SS 26
4, 38 Chuck Kress Detroit Tigers 1B 33
14, 50 Al Lakeman Detroit Tigers C 36
21, 30 Don Lund Detroit Tigers OF 32
7 Johnny Pesky Detroit Tigers PH 35
21, 30 Dick Weik Detroit Tigers P 27
27 Bobby Brown New York Yankees 3B 30
32 Ralph Houk New York Yankees PH 35
22 Allie Reynolds New York Yankees P 38
27 Marlin Stuart New York Yankees P 36
14, 48 Lou Limmer Philadelphia Athletics 1B 30
17 Bill Oster Philadelphia Athletics P 22
49 Dutch Romberger Philadelphia Athletics P 28
49 Dick Rozek Philadelphia Athletics P 28
24 Carl Scheib Philadelphia Athletics P 28
26 Al Sima Philadelphia Athletics P 33
17 Bill Upton Philadelphia Athletics P 25
28 Roy Dietzel Washington Senators 2B 24
28 Mel Hoderlein Washington Senators SS 31
22 Connie Marrero Washington Senators P 43
11 Johnny Pesky Washington Senators 2B 35
10 Joe Tipton Washington Senators C 33
15 Clyde Vollmer Washington Senators OF 33
1954 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1954 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.