1890 Players 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)
Players League Debuts

1890

n/a Bill Gleason 1890 Cleveland Infants 04-24-1890 0
n/a Unknown Lewis 1890 Buffalo Bisons 07-12-1890 0
n/a Willie McGill 1890 Cleveland Infants 05-08-1890 16
n/a Bill Duzen 1890 Buffalo Bisons 09-22-1890 20
n/a Pop Swett 1890 Boston Red Stockings 05-03-1890 20
n/a John Buckley 1890 Buffalo Bisons 07-15-1890 21
n/a Tommy Corcoran 1890 Pittsburgh Burghers 04-19-1890 21
n/a Jocko Halligan 1890 Buffalo Bisons 05-13-1890 21
n/a George Hemming 1890 Cleveland Infants 04-21-1890 21
n/a Neil Stynes 1890 Cleveland Infants 09-08-1890 21
n/a Charlie Dewald 1890 Cleveland Infants 09-20-1890 22
n/a Bill Joyce 1890 Brooklyn Wonders 04-19-1890 22
n/a General Stafford 1890 Buffalo Bisons 08-27-1890 22
n/a Dan Cotter 1890 Buffalo Bisons 07-16-1890 23
n/a Bill Husted 1890 Philadelphia Quakers 04-29-1890 23
n/a Morgan Murphy 1890 Boston Red Stockings 04-22-1890 23
n/a Frank Shugart 1890 Chicago Pirates 08-23-1890 23
n/a Jay Budd 1890 Cleveland Infants 09-10-1890 24
n/a Charlie Bartson 1890 Chicago Pirates 05-14-1890 25
n/a Fred Doe 1890 Buffalo Bisons 08-23-1890 26
n/a Jim Gillespie 1890 Buffalo Bisons 10-01-1890 28
n/a Art Sunday 1890 Brooklyn Wonders 05-05-1890 28
1890 Players League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the Players League during the 1890 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."

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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