1986 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 1986.

"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

1986

18 Omar Moreno Atlanta Braves OF 34
5, 6 Billy Sample Atlanta Braves OF 32
39 Cliff Speck Atlanta Braves P 30
18 Steve Christmas Chicago Cubs C 29
31 Ray Fontenot Chicago Cubs P 29
33 Matt Keough Chicago Cubs P 31
41 Mike Martin Chicago Cubs C 28
44 Dick Ruthven Chicago Cubs P 36
40 John Denny Cincinnati Reds P 34
24 Tony Perez Cincinnati Reds 1B 45
14 Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds 1B 46
10 Tom Runnells Cincinnati Reds 2B 32
45 Chris Welsh Cincinnati Reds P 32
42 Tom Funk Houston Astros P 25
46 Matt Keough Houston Astros P 31
53 Mike Madden Houston Astros P 29
51 Rafael Montalvo Houston Astros P 23
30 Tony Walker Houston Astros OF 27
20 Ed Amelung Los Angeles Dodgers OF 28
45 Joe Beckwith Los Angeles Dodgers P 32
23 Enos Cabell Los Angeles Dodgers 1B 37
7 Cesar Cedeno Los Angeles Dodgers OF 36
27 Carlos Diaz Los Angeles Dodgers P 29
52 Balvino Galvez Los Angeles Dodgers P 23
18 Bill Russell Los Angeles Dodgers OF 38
45 Terry Whitfield Los Angeles Dodgers OF 34
47 Randy Hunt Montreal Expos C 27
15 Wayne Krenchicki Montreal Expos 1B 32
14 Bill Moore Montreal Expos 1B 26
43 Bob Owchinko Montreal Expos P 32
46 George Riley Montreal Expos P 30
42 Bert Roberge Montreal Expos P 32
24 Jason Thompson Montreal Expos 1B 32
24 Dave Tomlin Montreal Expos P 37
5 Jim Wohlford Montreal Expos OF 36
25 George Wright Montreal Expos OF 28
31 Bruce Berenyi New York Mets P 32
29 Tim Corcoran New York Mets 1B 34
15 George Foster New York Mets OF 38
35 John Gibbons New York Mets C 24
23 Joe Lefebvre Philadelphia Phillies OF 31
35 Randy Lerch Philadelphia Phillies P 32
31 Garry Maddox Philadelphia Phillies OF 37
54 Stan Fansler Pittsburgh Pirates P 22
12 Randy Asadoor San Diego Padres 3B 24
31 La Marr Hoyt San Diego Padres P 32
8 Dane Iorg San Diego Padres 1B 37
17 Tim Pyznarski San Diego Padres 1B 27
14 Vida Blue San Francisco Giants P 37
17 Brad Gulden San Francisco Giants C 30
26 Chuck Hensley San Francisco Giants P 28
12 Chris Jones San Francisco Giants PH 29
12 Phil Ouellette San Francisco Giants C 25
43 Greg Bargar St. Louis Cardinals P 28
41 Bill Earley St. Louis Cardinals P 31
50 Kurt Kepshire St. Louis Cardinals P 27
23 Alan Knicely St. Louis Cardinals 1B 32
32 Jeff Lahti St. Louis Cardinals P 30
40 Rick Ownbey St. Louis Cardinals P 29
25 Jerry White St. Louis Cardinals OF 34
1986 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1986 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.

Did you know that future hall of fame pitcher Walter Johnson ended his Major League career in 1927 with a pinch-hit appearance? During the final game of the season pitcher Tom Zachary, who had just given up Babe Ruth's sixtieth home run of the season, was lifted and Johnson replaced him at the plate.