1987 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 1987.

"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

1987

11 Terry Bell Atlanta Braves PH 25
18 Trench Davis Atlanta Braves PH 27
27 Mike Fischlin Atlanta Braves PR 32
6 Darryl Motley Atlanta Braves OF 28
35 Phil Niekro Atlanta Braves P 49
29 Steve Ziem Atlanta Braves P 26
24 Brian Dayett Chicago Cubs OF 31
37 Ed Lynch Chicago Cubs P 32
36 Gary Matthews Chicago Cubs OF 37
41 Tom Hume Cincinnati Reds P 35
4 Dale Berra Houston Astros SS 31
3 Buddy Biancalana Houston Astros SS 28
24 Ty Gainey Houston Astros OF 27
26 Paul Householder Houston Astros OF 29
15 Davey Lopes Houston Astros OF 43
35 Aurelio Lopez Houston Astros P 39
13 Ron Mathis Houston Astros P 29
1 Bert Pena Houston Astros SS 28
30 Ty Waller Houston Astros OF 31
7 Robbie Wine Houston Astros C 25
46 Ralph Bryant Los Angeles Dodgers OF 27
44 Ken Landreaux Los Angeles Dodgers OF 33
12 Bill Madlock Los Angeles Dodgers 3B 37
17 Len Matuszek Los Angeles Dodgers 1B 33
56 Mike Ramsey Los Angeles Dodgers OF 27
52 Curt Brown Montreal Expos P 28
39 Bill Campbell Montreal Expos P 39
35 Ubaldo Heredia Montreal Expos P 32
5 Reid Nichols Montreal Expos OF 29
33 Nelson Norman Montreal Expos SS 30
41 Tom Romano Montreal Expos OF 29
47 Razor Shines Montreal Expos 1B 31
19 John Stefero Montreal Expos C 28
38 Bob Gibson New York Mets P 30
7 Clint Hurdle New York Mets 1B 30
39 Joe Cowley Philadelphia Phillies P 29
37, 7 Ken Dowell Philadelphia Phillies SS 27
34 Mike Easler Philadelphia Phillies OF 37
41 Tom Hume Philadelphia Phillies P 35
7 Ken Jackson Philadelphia Phillies SS 24
45 Greg Jelks Philadelphia Phillies 3B 26
11 Greg Legg Philadelphia Phillies 2B 28
50 Tom Newell Philadelphia Phillies P 25
29 Onix Concepcion Pittsburgh Pirates PH 30
19 Terry Harper Pittsburgh Pirates OF 32
27 Sam Khalifa Pittsburgh Pirates SS 24
3 U.L. Washington Pittsburgh Pirates SS 34
15 Bruce Bochy San Diego Padres C 33
6 Steve Garvey San Diego Padres 1B 39
39 Tom Gorman San Diego Padres P 30
9 Rob Wilfong San Francisco Giants 2B 34
40 Tim Conroy St. Louis Cardinals P 28
10 Doug DeCinces St. Louis Cardinals 3B 37
23 Dan Driessen St. Louis Cardinals 1B 36
18 David Green St. Louis Cardinals OF 27
47 Ray Soff St. Louis Cardinals P 29
1987 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1987 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.