1882 National League Debuts

Willie Mays played his first Major League game on May 25, 1951, and went 0-for-5 at the plate. He started his career 1-for-25 and told his manager, "I can't do it, Mr. Leo. You better bench me."

Casey Stengel played his first Major League game on July 27, 1912, and went 4-for-4 at the plate. He commented later in his life, "I broke in with four hits and the writers promptly decided they had seen the new Ty Cobb. It took me only a few days to correct that impression."

Both Mays and Stengel would continue their Major League careers down separate paths of greatness, but each still had to appear in that memorable first Major League game. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present what Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone once described as, "His first Major League debut."
"There is no Major League record held by a rookie. It's revealing to see just how far the rookie marks are below the single season marks. This is a testament to how difficult the game is to learn and play." - Luke Salisbury in The Answer is Baseball (1989)
National League Debuts

1882

n/a Charlie Buffinton 1882 Boston Red Stockings 05-17-1882 20
n/a Hal McClure 1882 Boston Red Stockings 05-10-1882 22
n/a Ed Rowen 1882 Boston Red Stockings 05-01-1882 24
n/a James Burke 1882 Buffalo Bisons 06-10-1882 0
n/a Hugh Daily 1882 Buffalo Bisons 05-01-1882 34
n/a Milt Scott 1882 Chicago White Stockings 09-30-1882 21
n/a John Dwyer 1882 Cleveland Blues 05-16-1882 0
n/a Mike Muldoon 1882 Cleveland Blues 05-01-1882 24
n/a John Tilley 1882 Cleveland Blues 08-23-1882 28
n/a Bob Casey 1882 Detroit Wolverines 07-17-1882 23
n/a Joe Farrell 1882 Detroit Wolverines 05-01-1882 25
n/a Tom Forster 1882 Detroit Wolverines 08-04-1882 23
n/a Walt Kinzie 1882 Detroit Wolverines 07-17-1882 24
n/a Henry Luff 1882 Detroit Wolverines 05-01-1882 29
n/a Tom Morrissey 1882 Detroit Wolverines 07-12-1882 21
n/a Yank Robinson 1882 Detroit Wolverines 08-24-1882 22
n/a Julius Willigrod 1882 Detroit Wolverines 07-15-1882 24
n/a Cliff Carroll 1882 Providence Grays 08-03-1882 22
n/a Tim Manning 1882 Providence Grays 05-01-1882 28
n/a Sandy Nava 1882 Providence Grays 05-05-1882 32
n/a Charlie Sweeney 1882 Providence Grays 05-11-1882 19
n/a Jim Egan 1882 Troy Trojans 05-15-1882 24
n/a Fred Pfeffer 1882 Troy Trojans 05-01-1882 22
n/a Chief Roseman 1882 Troy Trojans 05-01-1882 0
n/a John Smith 1882 Troy Trojans 05-01-1882 0
n/a John Clarkson 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 05-02-1882 20
n/a Jim Halpin 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 06-15-1882 18
n/a Jackie Hayes 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 05-02-1882 20
n/a John Irwin 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 05-31-1882 20
n/a Fred Mann 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 05-01-1882 24
n/a Frank McLaughlin 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 08-09-1882 26
n/a Tom O'Brien 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs 06-14-1882 21
1882 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1882 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

On April 13, 1954, Hank Aaron made his Major League debut and went 0-for-5. However, in his own autobiography Aaron wrote that he went 0-for-4.

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."
     

Baseball Almanac on Facebook

Copyright © 2000-2013. All Rights Reserved by Baseball-Almanac. Privacy Policy.Design by Geisler Young. Web hosting by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Football Almanac | Pigskin Fever | Today in Baseball History.