1912 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."
"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
National League Debuts

1912

n/a Bill Brady 1912 Boston Braves 07-09-1912 22
n/a Mike Gonzalez 1912 Boston Braves 09-28-1912 22
n/a Rabbit Maranville 1912 Boston Braves 09-10-1912 20
n/a Frank O'Rourke 1912 Boston Braves 06-12-1912 18
n/a Joe Schultz 1912 Boston Braves 09-28-1912 19
n/a Art Schwind 1912 Boston Braves 10-03-1912 22
n/a Steve White 1912 Boston Braves 05-29-1912 27
n/a Gil Whitehouse 1912 Boston Braves 06-20-1912 18
n/a Frank Allen 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-24-1912 23
n/a George Cutshaw 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-25-1912 24
n/a Bob Fisher 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-03-1912 25
n/a Maury Kent 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-15-1912 26
n/a Enos Kirkpatrick 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-24-1912 27
n/a Casey Stengel 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-17-1912 22
n/a Harry Chapman 1912 Chicago Cubs 10-06-1912 26
n/a Mike Hechinger 1912 Chicago Cubs 09-27-1912 22
n/a Jimmy Lavender 1912 Chicago Cubs 04-23-1912 27
n/a Len Madden 1912 Chicago Cubs 08-31-1912 22
n/a Charley Moore 1912 Chicago Cubs 04-16-1912 27
n/a George Pierce 1912 Chicago Cubs 04-16-1912 24
n/a Rudy Sommers 1912 Chicago Cubs 09-08-1912 24
n/a Joe Vernon 1912 Chicago Cubs 07-20-1912 22
n/a Cy Williams 1912 Chicago Cubs 07-18-1912 24
n/a George Yantz 1912 Chicago Cubs 09-30-1912 26
n/a Jim Bagby 1912 Cincinnati Reds 04-22-1912 22
n/a Bill Cramer 1912 Cincinnati Reds 06-25-1912 21
n/a Dixie Davis 1912 Cincinnati Reds 07-12-1912 21
n/a Bill Doak 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-01-1912 21
n/a Ed Donalds 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-01-1912 27
n/a Frank Gregory 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-05-1912 24
n/a Frank Harter 1912 Cincinnati Reds 08-31-1912 25
n/a Hanson Horsey 1912 Cincinnati Reds 04-27-1912 22
n/a Pete Knisely 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-04-1912 25
n/a Andy Kyle 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-07-1912 22
n/a Tex McDonald 1912 Cincinnati Reds 04-11-1912 21
n/a Howard McGraner 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-12-1912 23
n/a Gene Packard 1912 Cincinnati Reds 09-27-1912 25
n/a Bill Prough 1912 Cincinnati Reds 04-27-1912 24
n/a Ben Taylor 1912 Cincinnati Reds 06-28-1912 23
n/a Chuck Tompkins 1912 Cincinnati Reds 06-25-1912 22
n/a Lore Bader 1912 New York Giants 09-30-1912 24
n/a Al Demaree 1912 New York Giants 09-26-1912 28
n/a Ted Goulait 1912 New York Giants 09-28-1912 23
n/a Heinie Groh 1912 New York Giants 04-12-1912 22
n/a La Rue Kirby 1912 New York Giants 08-07-1912 22
n/a Dave Robertson 1912 New York Giants 06-05-1912 22
n/a Ernie Shore 1912 New York Giants 06-20-1912 21
n/a Jeff Tesreau 1912 New York Giants 04-12-1912 24
n/a Jack Boyle 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 06-28-1912 22
n/a Bill Brinker 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 04-24-1912 28
n/a John Dodge 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 08-29-1912 23
n/a Happy Finneran 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 08-20-1912 21
n/a Mike Loan 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 09-18-1912 17
n/a George Mangus 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 08-20-1912 22
n/a Rube Marshall 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 09-28-1912 22
n/a Erskine Mayer 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 09-04-1912 22
n/a Frank Nicholson 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 09-06-1912 23
n/a Hank Ritter 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 08-03-1912 18
n/a Eppa Rixey 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 06-21-1912 21
n/a Jimmie Savage 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 09-03-1912 29
n/a Tom Seaton 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 04-13-1912 24
n/a Gene Steinbrenner 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 04-25-1912 19
n/a Huck Wallace 1912 Philadelphia Phillies 06-05-1912 29
n/a Rivington Bisland 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-13-1912 22
n/a Earl Blackburn 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-17-1912 19
n/a Ralph Capron 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-25-1912 22
n/a Wilbur Cooper 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-29-1912 20
n/a Ona Dodd 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-26-1912 25
n/a Stump Edington 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-20-1912 20
n/a Stan Gray 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-17-1912 23
n/a Ed Mensor 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-15-1912 28
n/a Ovid Nicholson 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-17-1912 23
n/a Wally Rehg 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-14-1912 23
n/a Jim Viox 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-09-1912 21
n/a Ed Warner 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-02-1912 23
n/a Ed Burns 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 06-25-1912 24
n/a Ted Cather 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 09-23-1912 23
n/a Wheezer Dell 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 04-22-1912 25
n/a Jim Galloway 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 08-24-1912 24
n/a Dan Griner 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 08-17-1912 24
n/a Roland Howell 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 06-14-1912 20
n/a John Kelleher 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 07-31-1912 18
n/a John Mercer 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 06-25-1912 20
n/a Elmer Miller 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 04-26-1912 21
n/a Mike Murphy 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 05-17-1912 23
n/a Pol Perritt 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 09-07-1912 22
n/a Phil Redding 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 09-14-1912 22
n/a Ray Rolling 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 09-06-1912 25
n/a Frank Snyder 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 08-25-1912 18
n/a Possum Whitted 1912 St. Louis Cardinals 09-16-1912 22
1912 National League Debuts


 

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

Five-for-five debuts? Believe it or not it has happened twice: On June 30, 1894 Fred Clarke of the Louisville Colonels and on May 16, 1933, Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators made their Major League debuts and both went five-for-five at the plate.
     

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