1912 American 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."
"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
American League Debuts

1912

n/a Hugh Bedient 1912 Boston Red Sox 04-26-1912 22
n/a Hick Cady 1912 Boston Red Sox 04-26-1912 26
n/a Marty Krug 1912 Boston Red Sox 05-29-1912 23
n/a Doug Smith 1912 Boston Red Sox 07-10-1912 20
n/a Pinch Thomas 1912 Boston Red Sox 04-24-1912 24
n/a Ralph Bell 1912 Chicago White Sox 07-16-1912 21
n/a Dennis Berran 1912 Chicago White Sox 08-11-1912 24
n/a Babe Borton 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-02-1912 24
n/a Roy Crabb 1912 Chicago White Sox 08-10-1912 21
n/a Flame Delhi 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-16-1912 19
n/a Phil Douglas 1912 Chicago White Sox 08-30-1912 22
n/a Mutz Ens 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-02-1912 25
n/a Jack Fournier 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-13-1912 22
n/a Ernie Johnson 1912 Chicago White Sox 08-05-1912 24
n/a Walt Johnson 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-22-1912 19
n/a Rip Jordan 1912 Chicago White Sox 06-25-1912 22
n/a Walt Kuhn 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-18-1912 25
n/a Fred Lamlein 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-18-1912 25
n/a Wally Mattick 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-11-1912 25
n/a Polly McLarry 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-02-1912 21
n/a Del Paddock 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-14-1912 24
n/a Rube Peters 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-13-1912 27
n/a Ray Schalk 1912 Chicago White Sox 08-11-1912 19
n/a Harry Smith 1912 Chicago White Sox 10-06-1912 23
n/a Buck Weaver 1912 Chicago White Sox 04-11-1912 21
n/a Polly Wolfe 1912 Chicago White Sox 09-22-1912 24
n/a Howard Baker 1912 Cleveland Naps 08-11-1912 24
n/a Bert Brenner 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-21-1912 25
n/a Ray Chapman 1912 Cleveland Naps 08-30-1912 21
n/a Hack Eibel 1912 Cleveland Naps 06-13-1912 18
n/a Harvey Grubb 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-27-1912 22
n/a Arthur Hauger 1912 Cleveland Naps 07-17-1912 20
n/a Bill Hunter 1912 Cleveland Naps 08-06-1912 25
n/a Lefty James 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-20-1912 22
n/a Jack Kibble 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-10-1912 20
n/a Moxie Meixell 1912 Cleveland Naps 07-07-1912 24
n/a Lou Nagelsen 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-10-1912 25
n/a Ken Nash 1912 Cleveland Naps 07-04-1912 23
n/a Jim Neher 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-10-1912 23
n/a Buddy Ryan 1912 Cleveland Naps 04-11-1912 26
n/a Bill Steen 1912 Cleveland Naps 04-15-1912 24
n/a Roy Walker 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-16-1912 19
n/a Ernie Wolf 1912 Cleveland Naps 09-10-1912 23
n/a Al Bashang 1912 Detroit Tigers 07-30-1912 23
n/a George Boehler 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-13-1912 20
n/a Hooks Dauss 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-28-1912 23
n/a Charlie Deal 1912 Detroit Tigers 07-17-1912 20
n/a Ed Irwin 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 30
n/a Willie Jensen 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-10-1912 22
n/a Brad Kocher 1912 Detroit Tigers 04-24-1912 24
n/a Bill Leinhauser 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 18
n/a Billy Maharg 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 31
n/a Vincent Maney 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 25
n/a Red McDermott 1912 Detroit Tigers 08-06-1912 23
n/a Jim McGarr 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 23
n/a Dan McGarvey 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 24
n/a Pat McGehee 1912 Detroit Tigers 08-23-1912 24
n/a Harry Moran 1912 Detroit Tigers 06-23-1912 23
n/a Ollie O'Mara 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-08-1912 21
n/a Eddie Onslow 1912 Detroit Tigers 08-07-1912 19
n/a Jack Onslow 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-02-1912 23
n/a Hank Perry 1912 Detroit Tigers 04-12-1912 25
n/a Alex Remneas 1912 Detroit Tigers 04-15-1912 26
n/a Jack Smith 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 18
n/a Allan Travers 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 20
n/a Bun Troy 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-15-1912 24
n/a Bobby Veach 1912 Detroit Tigers 08-06-1912 24
n/a Ossie Vitt 1912 Detroit Tigers 04-11-1912 22
n/a Hap Ward 1912 Detroit Tigers 05-18-1912 26
n/a Charlie Wheatley 1912 Detroit Tigers 09-06-1912 19
n/a George Batten 1912 New York Highlanders 09-28-1912 20
n/a Curt Coleman 1912 New York Highlanders 04-13-1912 25
n/a George Davis 1912 New York Highlanders 07-16-1912 22
n/a John Dowd 1912 New York Highlanders 07-03-1912 21
n/a Benny Kauff 1912 New York Highlanders 04-20-1912 22
n/a Ray Keating 1912 New York Highlanders 09-12-1912 19
n/a Jack Little 1912 New York Highlanders 07-02-1912 21
n/a Pat Maloney 1912 New York Highlanders 06-19-1912 24
n/a Jack Martin 1912 New York Highlanders 04-25-1912 25
n/a Bill Otis 1912 New York Highlanders 07-04-1912 22
n/a Al Schulz 1912 New York Highlanders 09-25-1912 23
n/a George Shears 1912 New York Highlanders 04-24-1912 22
n/a Klondike Smith 1912 New York Highlanders 09-28-1912 25
n/a Dutch Sterrett 1912 New York Highlanders 06-20-1912 22
n/a Bill Stumpf 1912 New York Highlanders 05-11-1912 20
n/a Homer Thompson 1912 New York Highlanders 10-05-1912 21
n/a Tommy Thompson 1912 New York Highlanders 06-05-1912 22
n/a Hardin Barry 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 06-21-1912 21
n/a Joe Bush 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 09-30-1912 19
n/a Stan Coveleski 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 09-10-1912 23
n/a Howard Fahey 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 07-23-1912 20
n/a Slim Harrell 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 06-21-1912 21
n/a Byron Houck 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 05-15-1912 20
n/a Joe Mathes 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 09-19-1912 21
n/a Eddie Murphy 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 08-26-1912 20
n/a Herb Pennock 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 05-14-1912 18
n/a Roger Salmon 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 05-03-1912 20
n/a Jimmy Walsh 1912 Philadelphia Athletics 08-26-1912 26
n/a Willie Adams 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-30-1912 21
n/a George Aiton 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-29-1912 21
n/a Walt Alexander 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-21-1912 21
n/a George Baumgardner 1912 St. Louis Browns 04-14-1912 20
n/a Bundy Brief 1912 St. Louis Browns 09-22-1912 20
n/a Bill Brown 1912 St. Louis Browns 08-15-1912 19
n/a Frank Crossin 1912 St. Louis Browns 09-24-1912 21
n/a John Daley 1912 St. Louis Browns 07-19-1912 25
n/a Heinie Jantzen 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-29-1912 22
n/a Phil Ketter 1912 St. Louis Browns 05-23-1912 28
n/a Charlie Miller 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-29-1912 20
n/a Ed Miller 1912 St. Louis Browns 09-18-1912 23
n/a Buddy Napier 1912 St. Louis Browns 08-14-1912 22
n/a Del Pratt 1912 St. Louis Browns 04-11-1912 24
n/a Doc Shanley 1912 St. Louis Browns 09-15-1912 0
n/a Henry Smoyer 1912 St. Louis Browns 08-14-1912 22
n/a Charlie Snell 1912 St. Louis Browns 07-19-1912 18
n/a Hack Spencer 1912 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1912 26
n/a Tom Tennant 1912 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1912 29
n/a Fred Walden 1912 St. Louis Browns 06-03-1912 21
n/a Carl Weilman 1912 St. Louis Browns 08-24-1912 22
n/a Joe Agler 1912 Washington Senators 10-01-1912 25
n/a Jerry Akers 1912 Washington Senators 05-04-1912 24
n/a Joe Boehling 1912 Washington Senators 06-20-1912 21
n/a Joe Engel 1912 Washington Senators 05-30-1912 19
n/a Bert Gallia 1912 Washington Senators 09-04-1912 20
n/a Herb Herring 1912 Washington Senators 09-04-1912 21
n/a Dave Howard 1912 Washington Senators 05-08-1912 23
n/a Bill Kenworthy 1912 Washington Senators 08-28-1912 26
n/a Roy Moran 1912 Washington Senators 09-03-1912 27
n/a Paul Musser 1912 Washington Senators 06-06-1912 22
n/a Lefty Schegg 1912 Washington Senators 08-20-1912 22
n/a Howie Shanks 1912 Washington Senators 05-09-1912 21
n/a Steve White 1912 Washington Senators 05-29-1912 27
1912 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1912 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.

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.
     

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.