[AZTarHeel]

1915 Retirees

A large contingent of players hung up their cleats and traded in their bats and gloves for other ventures after the 1915 season.

Here is the list, followed by several notes on players:

Rick Adams retires ...
Paddy Baumann retires ...
Harry Armbruster retires ...
Pop Foster retires ...
Johnny Bates retires ...
Jack Bliss retires ...
Tom Hughes retires ...
Jim Jackson retires ...
Willis Cole retires ...
Bill Collins retires ...
Red Downs retires ...
Buster Brown retires ...
Doc Newton retires ...
Walt Devoy retires ...
Jimmy Sheckard retires ...
Charlie Chech retires ...
Sammy Strang retires ...
Pat Donahue retires ...
Doc White retires ...
Jimmy Williams retires ...
Roy Ellam retires ... (first career hit was a triple, off Tucson's Bill Burns)
Red Faber retires ...
Mike Cunningham retires ... (five-time all-star as a reliever)
Rudy Hulswitt retires ...
Tom Jones retires ...
Harry Kane retires ... (eight different injury periods for this pitcher)
Happy Finneran retires ... (career ends at 23 due to shoulder problems)
Germany Schaefer retires ... (3B, part of all five Prescott championship teams)
Walt Mccredie retires ...
Walter Clarkson retires ... Jim Delahanty retires ...
Art Devlin retires ...
Miller Huggins retires ...
Moose Mccormick retires ... (Flagstaff LF played behind Sam Crawford most of his career, hit for the cycle against Jerome in 1911)
Charley O'leary retires ...
Joe Harris retires ...
Moxie Manuel retires ...
Harry Mcintire retires ... (138-120 record, all with Cottonwood, 3.21 ERA, career trailed off after 25-13 record in 1908)
Branch Rickey retires ...
Tubby Spencer retires ...
Vive Lindaman retires ...
Lee Quillen retires ...
Boss Schmidt retires ...
John Kane retires ...
Art Kruger retires ...
Larry Mclean retires ...
Tony Smith retires ...
Bob Unglaub retires ...
Joe Lake retires ...
Patsy O'rourke retires ...
Gabby Street retires ...
Bill O'hara retires ...
George Suggs retires ...
Ernie Shore retires ... (injury ends career at 24; he was 17-13 with 4.11 ERA, drafted by Cottonwood, trade to Prescott quickly)
FLG: Roger Bresnahan retires ...
FLG: Tex Neuer retires ...
PAY: Ginger Beaumont retires ...
PRE: Buck O'brien retires ...
CAR: George Stone retires ... (LF, 1,632 hits, all with Carefree/Havasu franchise)
PHX: Earl Moore retires ... (165-183 record, all with Phoenix)
PHX: Lucky Wright retires ...
TOM: Bert Conn retires ...
TOM: Bill Jackson retires ...

Some more interesting notes on this year's retiring class:

• The most notable member of this group looks to be pitcher Doc White. He compiled a 270-198 record, posted a 2.71 ERA and had a pair of no-hitters. He won 20 or more games 10 different seasons. He started his career with Bisbee but then toiled in relative obscurity with the Lake Havasu/Carefree franchise for much of his career. He appeared in the post-season in 1903, 1904 and 1905, posting a 5-3 record with a stingy 1.46 ERA.

More on him in a bit, when the Hall of Fame committee assembles!

• Walter Clarkson pitched a no-hitter for Yuma in 1905, but that turned out to be his only real highlight. He was 19-37 lifetime with 4 saves. He had a 3.60 ERA and was 0-1 in post-season, with a 7.72 ERA. But he'll always have the no-hitter...

• I think I finally found my ultimate Cup of Coffee guy. Willis Cole was drafted in the fifth round by Kayenta in 1909. He spent his entire career in Triple A, except for one game in 1912. He came up to the big club, had one at-bat and struck out. That was it, back to Triple A for him.

The next season, he had just one at-bat in Triple A, and got a hit. Then Kayenta released him and he retired when no one else signed him ... I'm still looking for the guy who had just one AB in the majors and got a hit with that AB (maybe even a home run!)... still looking for him, though...

• Payson LF Ginger Beaumont had an all-star career, compiling 2,318 hits (second most in AZL), 964 RBIs (ninth) and 1,060 runs (fifth). He retires with a career average of .287 average... Hall of Fame candidate? We'll find out...

• 3B Bert Conn flew under the radar most of his career because he played in Tombstone, which never really went anywhere in the post-season (one playoff appearance).

Still, Conn was tough, piling up 1,922 hits, 561 doubles (career leader in AZL), 183 home runs (second most in AZL) and 1,102 RBIs (fourth-best all-time). He was a five-time Field General winner and twice had six RBIs in a game. His average was just .230 and he never was voted to an All-Star Game... What about his Hall of Fame resume?

• Jimmy Williams had 1,949 hits, 1,005 RBIs, .261 average, with Phoenix and Payson

• Pop Foster had 1,721 hits, 907 RBIs, all with Tempe...

• Pitcher Doc Newton had 203-189 pitching record, with Prescott and Yuma. He was 6-1 in post-season...

• OF Jimmy Sheckard had 1,876 hits, 937 RBIs with Grand Canyon and Phoenix...

• Sammy Strang spent his entire career with Bisbee. He compiled 1,970 hits and 993 RBIs, winning a Big Stick Award in 1909. He was voted to the All-Star Game eight times and had five hits in four different games...

• Roger Bresnahan was the starting catcher in Flagstaff from 1901-15, except for in 1905 when a hip injury in early April ended his season prematurely. He finished his blue-collar career with 1,525 hits, 550 RBIs, 867 runs, .230 career average...