1971 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 1971.

"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
 

National League Retirements

1971

19 Tommie Aaron Atlanta Braves 1B 32
6 Clete Boyer Atlanta Braves 3B 35
29 Ron Herbel Atlanta Braves P 34
37 Bob Priddy Atlanta Braves P 32
14 Marv Staehle Atlanta Braves 2B 30
18 Zoilo Versalles Atlanta Braves 3B 32
14 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs 1B 41
19 Danny Breeden Chicago Cubs C 29
20 Jose Ortiz Chicago Cubs OF 24
3 Al Spangler Chicago Cubs PH 38
38 Ron Tompkins Chicago Cubs P 27
23 Ray Webster Chicago Cubs 1B 29
22 Angel Bravo Cincinnati Reds PH 29
17 Ty Cline Cincinnati Reds OF 32
22 Al Ferrara Cincinnati Reds OF 32
47 Greg Garrett Cincinnati Reds P 25
20 Willie Smith Cincinnati Reds 1B 33
6 Woody Woodward Cincinnati Reds SS 29
41 Ron Cook Houston Astros P 24
35 Skip Guinn Houston Astros P 27
46 Buddy Harris Houston Astros P 23
17 Jay Schlueter Houston Astros OF 22
31 Larry Yount Houston Astros P 22
25 Joe Moeller Los Angeles Dodgers P 29
50 Bob O'Brien Los Angeles Dodgers P 23
38 Sandy Vance Los Angeles Dodgers P 25
11 Ron Brand Montreal Expos SS 32
27 Jim Britton Montreal Expos P 28
20 Rich Hacker Montreal Expos SS 24
9 Mack Jones Montreal Expos OF 33
17 Dave McDonald Montreal Expos 1B 29
23 John O'Donoghue Montreal Expos P 32
16 Claude Raymond Montreal Expos P 35
29 Howie Reed Montreal Expos P 35
37 Stan Swanson Montreal Expos OF 28
2 Bob Aspromonte New York Mets 3B 33
5 Frank Estrada New York Mets C 24
6 Al Weis New York Mets 2B 34
14 Jim Bunning Philadelphia Phillies P 40
29 Manny Muniz Philadelphia Phillies P 24
18 Bobby Pfeil Philadelphia Phillies 3B 28
45 Frank Brosseau Pittsburgh Pirates P 27
22 Mudcat Grant Pittsburgh Pirates P 36
48 Rimp Lanier Pittsburgh Pirates PH 23
32 Jim Nelson Pittsburgh Pirates P 24
8 Angel Bravo San Diego Padres OF 29
46 Danny Coombs San Diego Padres P 30
3 Tommy Dean San Diego Padres SS 26
9 Al Ferrara San Diego Padres OF 32
29 Jay Franklin San Diego Padres P 19
42 Dick Kelley San Diego Padres P 32
34 Dave Robinson San Diego Padres PH 26
12 Ron Slocum San Diego Padres 3B 26
13 Ray Webster San Diego Padres PH 29
37 Frank Johnson San Francisco Giants 1B 29
45 Rich Robertson San Francisco Giants P 27
26 Floyd Wicker San Francisco Giants OF 28
43 Rudy Arroyo St. Louis Cardinals P 21
34 George Brunet St. Louis Cardinals P 36
40 Bob Chlupsa St. Louis Cardinals P 26
11 Dick Schofield St. Louis Cardinals SS 37
1971 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1971 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.