1888 American 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."
"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)
American Association Debuts

1888

n/a Bart Cantz 1888 Baltimore Orioles 07-25-1888 28
n/a Mike Kilroy 1888 Baltimore Orioles 09-01-1888 18
n/a Sam Shaw 1888 Baltimore Orioles 05-03-1888 0
n/a George Walker 1888 Baltimore Orioles 08-01-1888 0
n/a Pat Whitaker 1888 Baltimore Orioles 10-11-1888 23
n/a Mickey Hughes 1888 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 04-22-1888 21
n/a Ed Silch 1888 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 04-29-1888 23
n/a Lee Viau 1888 Cincinnati Red Stockings 04-22-1888 21
n/a John Weyhing 1888 Cincinnati Red Stockings 07-13-1888 19
n/a Ed Keas 1888 Cleveland Blues 08-25-1888 25
n/a Darby O'Brien 1888 Cleveland Blues 06-23-1888 21
n/a Doc Oberlander 1888 Cleveland Blues 05-16-1888 24
n/a George Proeser 1888 Cleveland Blues 09-15-1888 24
n/a Dick Van Zant 1888 Cleveland Blues 10-04-1888 23
n/a Jim Burns 1888 Kansas City Blues 09-25-1888 0
n/a Red Ehret 1888 Kansas City Blues 07-07-1888 19
n/a Frank Hafner 1888 Kansas City Blues 05-05-1888 20
n/a Billy Hamilton 1888 Kansas City Blues 07-31-1888 22
n/a Frank Hoffman 1888 Kansas City Blues 08-13-1888 0
n/a Charlie Hoover 1888 Kansas City Blues 10-09-1888 23
n/a Hercules Burnett 1888 Louisville Colonels 06-26-1888 22
n/a Unknown Long 1888 Louisville Colonels 08-29-1888 0
n/a Harry Raymond 1888 Louisville Colonels 09-09-1888 26
n/a Skyrocket Smith 1888 Louisville Colonels 04-18-1888 20
n/a Scott Stratton 1888 Louisville Colonels 04-21-1888 18
n/a Phil Tomney 1888 Louisville Colonels 09-07-1888 25
n/a Farmer Weaver 1888 Louisville Colonels 09-16-1888 23
n/a Bill Blair 1888 Philadelphia Athletics 07-19-1888 24
n/a Bob Gamble 1888 Philadelphia Athletics 05-02-1888 21
n/a Whitey Gibson 1888 Philadelphia Athletics 05-02-1888 19
n/a Mike Sullivan 1888 Philadelphia Athletics 04-26-1888 28
n/a Frank Zinn 1888 Philadelphia Athletics 04-18-1888 22
n/a Julie Freeman 1888 St. Louis Browns 10-10-1888 19
1888 American Association Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American Association during the 1888 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Rich Amaral spent nine seasons in the Minor Leagues and upon his callup he commented, "I've been to every baseball park in America, except those in the American and National League."

On the final day of the 1930 season, Dizzy Dean was called up and pitched a three-hitter. In Spring Training the following year, Dean had a fight with catcher Gabby Street and the franchise left him in the Minor Leagues all season long.
     

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