1918 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."
"You never forget your first hit in the Major Leagues. It was in my third at bat. That was kind of a relief. You could start off 0-for-34." - Ralph Kiner
National League Debuts

1918

n/a Doc Bass 1918 Boston Braves 07-29-1918 19
n/a Hugh Canavan 1918 Boston Braves 04-23-1918 20
n/a Rip Conway 1918 Boston Braves 04-16-1918 21
n/a Roy Massey 1918 Boston Braves 04-16-1918 27
n/a Hugh McQuillan 1918 Boston Braves 07-26-1918 22
n/a Tom Miller 1918 Boston Braves 07-29-1918 21
n/a Buzz Murphy 1918 Boston Braves 07-14-1918 23
n/a Jake Northrop 1918 Boston Braves 07-29-1918 30
n/a Jake Hehl 1918 Brooklyn Robins 06-20-1918 18
n/a Harry Heitmann 1918 Brooklyn Robins 07-27-1918 21
n/a Marty Herrmann 1918 Brooklyn Robins 07-10-1918 25
n/a Norman Plitt 1918 Brooklyn Robins 04-26-1918 25
n/a Red Sheridan 1918 Brooklyn Robins 07-03-1918 21
n/a Charlie Hollocher 1918 Chicago Cubs 04-16-1918 21
n/a Bill McCabe 1918 Chicago Cubs 04-16-1918 25
n/a Jesse Haines 1918 Cincinnati Reds 07-20-1918 24
n/a Larry Jacobus 1918 Cincinnati Reds 07-15-1918 23
n/a Red Causey 1918 New York Giants 04-26-1918 24
n/a Waite Hoyt 1918 New York Giants 07-24-1918 18
n/a Jack Ogden 1918 New York Giants 06-22-1918 20
n/a George Ross 1918 New York Giants 06-27-1918 26
n/a Mickey Devine 1918 Philadelphia Phillies 08-02-1918 26
n/a Ty Pickup 1918 Philadelphia Phillies 04-30-1918 20
n/a Frank Woodward 1918 Philadelphia Phillies 04-17-1918 23
n/a Dutch Distel 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 06-21-1918 22
n/a Cliff Heathcote 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 06-04-1918 20
n/a Earl Howard 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 04-18-1918 24
n/a Bob Larmore 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 05-14-1918 21
n/a Austin McHenry 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 06-22-1918 22
n/a Ted Menze 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 04-23-1918 20
n/a Bill Sherdel 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 04-22-1918 21
n/a Oscar Tuero 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 05-30-1918 19
n/a Dick Wheeler 1918 St. Louis Cardinals 06-13-1918 20
1918 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1918 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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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