1884 Union Association 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."
"Baseball is the sport that cackles back at can't-miss kids. Baseball humbles every player sooner or later. Baseball confers greatness stingily, in its own sweet time. At least that's what the bow-tied essayists and sandlot scouts solemnly tell us." - Johnette Howard in Sports Illustrated
Union Association Debuts

1884

n/a Charlie Berry 1884 Altoona Unions 04-30-1884 23
n/a Jim Brown 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 23
n/a Pat Carroll 1884 Altoona Unions 05-10-1884 0
n/a Joe Connors 1884 Altoona Unions 05-03-1884 22
n/a Clarence Cross 1884 Altoona Unions 05-05-1884 28
n/a George Daisy 1884 Altoona Unions 05-31-1884 27
n/a Charlie Dougherty 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 22
n/a John Grady 1884 Altoona Unions 05-10-1884 23
n/a Frank Harris 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 25
n/a Harry Koons 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 21
n/a Charlie Manlove 1884 Altoona Unions 05-31-1884 21
n/a Jerrie Moore 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 29
n/a John Murphy 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 26
n/a George Noftsker 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 24
n/a Taylor Shafer 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 17
n/a Germany Smith 1884 Altoona Unions 04-17-1884 20
n/a Frank Bahret 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-17-1884 26
n/a John Cuff 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 09-11-1884 19
n/a Jerry Dorsey 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 07-09-1884 28
n/a Charlie Levis 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-17-1884 23
n/a Chris McFarland 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-19-1884 22
n/a Jim Morris 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 09-11-1884 0
n/a John O'Brien 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-19-1884 32
n/a Dick Phelan 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-17-1884 29
n/a John Ryan 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 06-11-1884 0
n/a Unknown Scott 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 07-16-1884 0
n/a Emmett Seery 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-17-1884 23
n/a Alexander Skinner 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 07-12-1884 27
n/a Phenomenal Smith 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-18-1884 19
n/a Unknown Smith 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 06-05-1884 0
n/a Joe Stanley 1884 Baltimore Monumentals 04-24-1884 0
n/a Kid Butler 1884 Boston Unions 05-20-1884 0
n/a Ed Crane 1884 Boston Unions 04-17-1884 21
n/a Charlie Daniels 1884 Boston Unions 04-18-1884 22
n/a Clarence Dow 1884 Boston Unions 09-22-1884 29
n/a Walter Hackett 1884 Boston Unions 04-17-1884 26
n/a Tommy McCarthy 1884 Boston Unions 07-10-1884 20
n/a Jim McKeever 1884 Boston Unions 04-17-1884 22
n/a Unknown Murphy 1884 Boston Unions 08-16-1884 0
n/a Elias Peak 1884 Boston Unions 04-19-1884 24
n/a John Rudderham 1884 Boston Unions 09-18-1884 21
n/a Patrick Scanlan 1884 Boston Unions 07-04-1884 23
n/a Art Sladen 1884 Boston Unions 04-22-1884 24
n/a Mike Slattery 1884 Boston Unions 04-17-1884 17
n/a Charlie Baker 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 08-01-1884 28
n/a Frank Bishop 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 05-27-1884 23
n/a Charlie Briggs 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 05-02-1884 23
n/a Phil Corridan 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-16-1884 25
n/a Dan Cronin 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-09-1884 27
n/a Frank Foreman 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 05-15-1884 21
n/a Bernie Graham 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-11-1884 0
n/a Moxie Hengle 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 04-20-1884 26
n/a John Horan 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 05-17-1884 0
n/a Charlie Householder 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 04-20-1884 0
n/a Bill Krieg 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 04-20-1884 25
n/a Steve Matthias 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 04-20-1884 0
n/a Chippy McGarr 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-11-1884 21
n/a Cyclone Miller 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-11-1884 24
n/a Unknown Richardson 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 07-10-1884 0
n/a Jumbo Schoeneck 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh Browns/Stogies 04-20-1884 22
n/a Charlie Barber 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 04-17-1884 30
n/a Elmer Cleveland 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 08-29-1884 21
n/a Ed Kennedy 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 05-17-1884 23
n/a Mox McQuery 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 08-20-1884 23
n/a Lou Meyers 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 04-17-1884 24
n/a Fred Robinson 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 04-17-1884 27
n/a Lou Sylvester 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds 04-18-1884 29
n/a Nin Alexander 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-07-1884 25
n/a Kid Baldwin 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-27-1884 19
n/a Bob Black 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-19-1884 21
n/a Dick Blaisdell 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-09-1884 22
n/a Jim Chatterton 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-07-1884 19
n/a Doug Crothers 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-03-1884 24
n/a Jim Cudworth 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-27-1884 25
n/a Jumbo Davis 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-27-1884 22
n/a Jim Donnelly 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-11-1884 17
n/a Al Dwight 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-19-1884 28
n/a Charles Fisher 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-07-1884 32
n/a Ernie Hickman 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-07-1884 0
n/a Bill Hutchison 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-10-1884 24
n/a John Kirby 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-01-1884 19
n/a Frank Kreeger 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-28-1884 0
n/a Barney McLaughlin 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-02-1884 0
n/a Matthew Porter 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-27-1884 26
n/a Joe Strauss 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-27-1884 25
n/a Pat Sullivan 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-30-1884 22
n/a Ted Sullivan 1884 Kansas City Unions 09-09-1884 0
n/a Jerry Sweeney 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-22-1884 26
n/a Jerry Turbidy 1884 Kansas City Unions 07-27-1884 32
n/a Peek-A-Boo Veach 1884 Kansas City Unions 08-24-1884 22
n/a Frank Wyman 1884 Kansas City Unions 06-10-1884 22
n/a Lady Baldwin 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-30-1884 25
n/a Steve Behel 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 23
n/a George Bignell 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 26
n/a Anton Falch 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-30-1884 23
n/a Thomas Griffin 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 0
n/a Ed Hogan 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 22
n/a Al Myers 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 20
n/a Henry Porter 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 26
n/a Tom Sexton 1884 Milwaukee Grays 09-27-1884 19
n/a Jack Clements 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 04-22-1884 19
n/a Con Daily 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-09-1884 19
n/a Dave Drew 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 05-14-1884 0
n/a Henry Easterday 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-23-1884 19
n/a John Fisher 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 07-17-1884 29
n/a Joe Flynn 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 04-18-1884 22
n/a Tom Gillen 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 04-18-1884 21
n/a Buster Hoover 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 04-17-1884 21
n/a Bill Johnson 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-27-1884 0
n/a Al Maul 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-20-1884 18
n/a John O'Donnell 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 07-16-1884 0
n/a George Patterson 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 04-24-1884 0
n/a Chris Rickley 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-09-1884 24
n/a Fred Siegel 1884 Philadelphia Keystones 06-09-1884 23
n/a Henry Boyle 1884 St. Louis Maroons 07-09-1884 23
n/a Jack Brennan 1884 St. Louis Maroons 04-20-1884 20
n/a Ed Callahan 1884 St. Louis Maroons 07-19-1884 26
n/a C.V. Matteson 1884 St. Louis Maroons 06-13-1884 22
n/a Joe Quinn 1884 St. Louis Maroons 04-26-1884 19
n/a Tom Ryder 1884 St. Louis Maroons 07-22-1884 21
n/a William Sullivan 1884 St. Louis Maroons 05-29-1884
n/a Perry Werden 1884 St. Louis Maroons 04-24-1884 22
n/a Milt Whitehead 1884 St. Louis Maroons 04-20-1884 0
n/a Bill Barnes 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 26
n/a Scrappy Carroll 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 24
n/a Pat Dealy 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-30-1884 22
n/a Steve Dunn 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 25
n/a Lou Galvin 1884 St. Paul White Caps 10-01-1884 0
n/a Charlie Ganzel 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 22
n/a Billy O'Brien 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 24
n/a Joe Werrick 1884 St. Paul White Caps 09-27-1884 22
n/a Al Bradley 1884 Washington Nationals 05-21-1884 27
n/a Chick Carroll 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 0
n/a Mark Creegan 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 19
n/a John Deasley 1884 Washington Nationals 06-17-1884 0
n/a Unknown Franklin 1884 Washington Nationals 09-27-1884 0
n/a Chris Fulmer 1884 Washington Nationals 08-04-1884 26
n/a Charlie Geggus 1884 Washington Nationals 08-07-1884 22
n/a Jim Green 1884 Washington Nationals 07-19-1884 30
n/a Joe Gunson 1884 Washington Nationals 06-14-1884 21
n/a Bill Hughes 1884 Washington Nationals 09-28-1884 17
n/a Pop Joy 1884 Washington Nationals 06-03-1884 23
n/a Charlie Kalbfus 1884 Washington Nationals 04-18-1884 19
n/a James Lehan 1884 Washington Nationals 04-26-1884 27
n/a Milo Lockwood 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 26
n/a Jim McDonald 1884 Washington Nationals 06-20-1884 23
n/a Frank McKee 1884 Washington Nationals 06-11-1884 0
n/a Ed McKenna 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 0
n/a William McLaughlin 1884 Washington Nationals 05-03-1884 22
n/a Unknown McRemer 1884 Washington Nationals 06-20-1884 0
n/a Harry Moore 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 0
n/a Pete Morris 1884 Washington Nationals 05-14-1884 30
n/a John Mulligan 1884 Washington Nationals 06-14-1884 0
n/a Emory Nusz 1884 Washington Nationals 04-26-1884 24
n/a Maury Pierce 1884 Washington Nationals 04-23-1884 25
n/a Abner Powell 1884 Washington Nationals 08-04-1884 23
n/a Bill Rollinson 1884 Washington Nationals 06-17-1884 28
n/a Dan Sheehan 1884 Washington Nationals 04-19-1884
n/a Fred Tenney 1884 Washington Nationals 04-28-1884 24
n/a Art Thompson 1884 Washington Nationals 06-17-1884 0
n/a Alex Voss 1884 Washington Nationals 04-17-1884 25
n/a John Ward 1884 Washington Nationals 05-23-1884 0
n/a Warren White 1884 Washington Nationals 06-02-1884 40
n/a John Wiley 1884 Washington Nationals 06-23-1884 0
n/a Charlie Bastian 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 24
n/a Oyster Burns 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 19
n/a Dan Casey 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 21
n/a Dennis Casey 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 26
n/a John Cullen 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 30
n/a Tony Cusick 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-21-1884 0
n/a Tom Lynch 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 24
n/a Bill McCloskey 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-18-1884 0
n/a John Munce 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps 08-19-1884 26
1884 Union Association Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the Union Association during the 1884 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Did you know that on September 27, 1963 the Houston Colt .45s fielded an all-rookie lineup that included future stars Joe Morgan, Jerry Grote, and Rusty Staub?

Ray Jansen (four for five in his first game), Aubrey Epps (three for four in his first game) and Ed Irvin (two for three in his first game) all finished their career with lifetime batting averages which were greater than their career fielding percentages.
     

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