1960 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 1960.

"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

1960

35 Rip Coleman Baltimore Orioles P 29
30 Bob Mabe Baltimore Orioles P 31
24 Arnie Portocarrero Baltimore Orioles P 29
20 Johnny Powers Baltimore Orioles OF 31
35 Bobby Thomson Baltimore Orioles OF 37
39 Ray Boone Boston Red Sox 1B 37
28 Nelson Chittum Boston Red Sox P 28
5 Ron Jackson Boston Red Sox 1B 27
25 Bobby Thomson Boston Red Sox OF 37
31 Ray Webster Boston Red Sox 2B 23
9 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox OF 42
29 Bob Rush Chicago White Sox P 35
20, 31 Jake Striker Chicago White Sox P 27
32, 16 Johnny Briggs Cleveland Indians P 27
5 Steve Demeter Cleveland Indians 3B 26
23 Jack Harshman Cleveland Indians P 33
25 Don Newcombe Cleveland Indians P 34
8 Johnny Powers Cleveland Indians OF 31
4 George Strickland Cleveland Indians SS 35
25 Carl Thomas Cleveland Indians P 29
27 Red Wilson Cleveland Indians C 32
36 Sandy Amoros Detroit Tigers OF 31
11 Lou Berberet Detroit Tigers C 31
3 Johnny Groth Detroit Tigers OF 34
5 Gail Harris Detroit Tigers 1B 29
23 Em Lindbeck Detroit Tigers PH 26
31 George Spencer Detroit Tigers P 34
10 Red Wilson Detroit Tigers C 32
22 Casey Wise Detroit Tigers 2B 28
27 Ray Blemker Kansas City Athletics P 23
27 Johnny Briggs Kansas City Athletics P 27
15 Bob Davis Kansas City Athletics P 27
6 Jim Delsing Kansas City Athletics OF 35
4 Ray Jablonski Kansas City Athletics 3B 34
32, 34 Leo Kiely Kansas City Athletics P 31
12 Danny Kravitz Kansas City Athletics C 30
26 Johnny Kucks Kansas City Athletics P 27
48 Jim McManus Kansas City Athletics 1B 24
1 Wayne Terwilliger Kansas City Athletics 2B 35
37 Bob Trowbridge Kansas City Athletics P 30
25 Kent Hadley New York Yankees 1B 26
18 Fred Kipp New York Yankees P 29
12 Gil McDougald New York Yankees 3B 33
15 Jim Pisoni New York Yankees OF 31
47 Billy Shantz New York Yankees C 33
29 Hal Stowe New York Yankees P 23
1960 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1960 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

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.

On September 28, 1960, broadcaster Curt Gowdy uttered, "It's got a chance. It's got a chance. And it's gone!" Those words were used to describe the final at-bat of slugger Ted Williams.