I Quit

[Solair Wright]

This thread is dedicated to players that retired from the game abruptly, and not due to aging or injuries. Off-field incidents actually count in this thread. For example, if a player was arrested many times for shoplifting, they're banned from they retire due to shoplifting problems. :laugh

Now, can you think of as many as you can? I would appreciate the name of the player, and what year he retired.

[Old Sweater]

Denny Neagle was being nagged with injuries and only pitched 35 innings in 2003. To make matters worst he was caught with a prositute and hasn't been in the majors since.



What a waste of 51mil. Neagle turned out to be.

[Sliding Billy]

Bill Lange left baseball in 1899 after a .325 season to get married, which didn't work out, but he never came back. Interestingly, two of his similar players on baseball-reference also left early:

I don't know if you'd count Mike Donlin. He quit a couple of times, once to go on vaudeville in 1908, once, sort of for good, in 1912 because he was sold to the Phillies. He came back once more, in 1914, but it looks like it was too late, and he apparently left after 35 games because he was hitting .161.

Benny Kauf I believe was asked to leave in 1920 because of some shady off-field automobile deals he was involved in with his brother.

[yanks0714]

I think Jackie Jensen quit not once but twice because of his fear of flying.

[RuthMayBond]

I thought Hal Trosky retired in '46 because of headaches.

[Solair Wright]

Let me make a contribution on "I Quit" - a former all-star who played with the Phillies and Padres.

Here is how the story goes. Well known Philly first baseman during the 1993 NL championship run, John Kruk vanished from a baseball game in 1995. He just mysteriously left during a Chicago White Sox game - and never came back. This is a strange occurance, but it is true.

[brett]

Denny Neagle was being nagged with injuries and only pitched 35 innings in 2003. To make matters worst he was caught with a prositute and hasn't been in the majors since.



What a waste of 51mil. Neagle turned out to be.

Hey, he brought Hampton along with him!

[Williamsburg2599]

Let me make a contribution on "I Quit" - a former all-star who played with the Phillies and Padres.

Here is how the story goes. Well known Philly first baseman during the 1993 NL championship run, John Kruk vanished from a baseball game in 1995. He just mysteriously left during a Chicago White Sox game - and never came back. This is a strange occurance, but it is true.
...Then he wondered onto the set of "Baseball Tonight" and a new career was born.:laugh

[Mad Guru]

Nick Esasky quit because of vertigo. Don't know if that qualifies as an injury.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

...Then he wondered onto the set of "Baseball Tonight" and a new career was born.:laugh

...and had a cameo in "The Fan".

[Brian McKenna]

New book called Early Exits has a lot of these. Many different reasons.

[Buzzaldrin]

Jackie Robinson refused to report to the Giants.

[RuthMayBond]

Jackie Robinson refused to report to the Giants.I guess we could include Curt Flood?

[Captain Cold Nose]

I guess we could include Curt Flood?
I think Flood fits the question nicely. He played a handful of games for Washington and walked away for good. Mike Epstein said you could tell he was done.

[RuthMayBond]

Didn't Mike Schmidt quit in the first half of his last year?

[Captain Cold Nose]

Didn't Mike Schmidt quit in the first half of his last year?
Tearfully, yes. But he did it because he felt he was unable to produce as well as he should have anymore i.e. aging.

[Ubiquitous]

Ryne Sandberg walked away from the game in 1994, though he did come back a couple of seasons later.

[Ubiquitous]

Here is how the story goes. Well known Philly first baseman during the 1993 NL championship run, John Kruk vanished from a baseball game in 1995. He just mysteriously left during a Chicago White Sox game - and never came back. This is a strange occurance, but it is true.


Kruk didn't vanish or mysteriously disapear. He got a hit in the first inning of a game in Baltimore. After the inning he shooks hands with his teammates and left with his family.

Kruk retired basically because of bad knees.

[RuthMayBond]

Didn't Chuck Connors just leave from spring training and never come back?

[JamesWest]

Jackie Robinson refused to report to the Giants.

Robinson had already decided to retire. He hadn't publicy announced it at the time of his sale to the Giants.

[Jeter is King]

Would you count Koufax? He retired early because of arthritis, not a baseball-related injury.

Also, there have been several recent Yankees who could have played a bit more, but would rather retire than leave the pinstripes: Paul O'Neil, Joe Girardi, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez

[Old Sweater]

New book called Early Exits has a lot of these. Many different reasons.

Could you list a couple of your favorites.

[RuthMayBond]

I thought Tim Burke retired early to spend time with his family?

[Old Sweater]

I thought Tim Burke retired early to spend time with his family?

Thats the same thing Jim Leyland and Don Zimmer told the Rockies. Liars!!!

[RuthMayBond]

Thats the same thing Jim Leyland and Don Zimmer told the Rockies. Liars!!!Except Burke actually stayed retired :confused:

[Williamsburg2599]

It depends if Pokey Reese comes back this year or not, but he failed to report to Marlin's Spring training this year after a family emergency, and the Marlins cut him.

[Brian McKenna]

Could you list a couple of your favorites.

Charlie Buffington - pay was cut and he just left instead of accepting - Jim Cohen as well with the Indianapolis Clowns

the Giants later used the pay cut tactic to get rid of Heinie Zimmerman and Hal Chase.

Bill Carrigan left for the banking industry

Bob Dillinger and Emmet Heidrick just lost interest in the game

Mike Donlin was in and out of the game

many men left for other pro sports - Johnny Kling temporarily

many left for the medial or dental profession - some like Fred Glade, Frank Olin, Jay Hook and Japan's Shozo Higuchi for business endeavors

Bill Klem quit in a hurry

Ted Lewis to teach

Dave Malarcher could bear the conditions in the Negro leagues no longer

many foreign-born men left the Negro leagues, in fact, the US because they couldn't stand the racial injustice.

Al Rosen for no good reason

Henry Schmidt quit because he couldn't stand living on the east coast

Tillie Shafer came from money and didn't feel like dedicating himself to the profession

Billy Sunday left for religion and sobriety

Joe Tepsic refused to be demoted so he took off

Al Worthington quit for moral reasons - didn't like the fact that the White Sox stole signs

[Old Sweater]

Thanks!

Liked this one.


Al Worthington quit for moral reasons - didn't like the fact that the White Sox stole signs

If that isn't just part of baseball I don't know what is.

[s.f.]

Mike Shannon retired at the peak of his career because of a kidney problem.

That came less than a decade after another Cardinal position regular, Hal R. Smith, had to retire because of a heart ailment.

Danny Ainge left the Blue Jays to shoot hoops.

Then there's the strange case of Bruce Bochte, who just got burned out on baseball, took a year off (there was nothing physically wrong with him) and then returned and played three more years.

[s.f.]

Al Worthington quit for moral reasons - didn't like the fact that the White Sox stole signs

Worthington was 40 when he pitched his last game so it's not as if he aborted his career as a young whippersnapper.

[Old Sweater]

Worthington was 40 when he pitched his last game so it's not as if he aborted his career as a young whippersnapper.

Guess his morals got stronger as his arm got weaker.