1919 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

1919

n/a Horace Allen 1919 Brooklyn Robins 06-15-1919 20
n/a Sweetbreads Bailey 1919 Chicago Cubs 05-23-1919 24
n/a Virgil Barnes 1919 New York Giants 09-25-1919 22
n/a Bill Bolden 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 06-27-1919 26
n/a Chick Bowen 1919 New York Giants 09-15-1919 22
n/a Dixie Carroll 1919 Boston Braves 09-12-1919 28
n/a John Cavanaugh 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 07-07-1919 19
n/a Lloyd Christenbury 1919 Boston Braves 09-20-1919 25
n/a Rags Faircloth 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 05-06-1919 26
n/a Sam Fishburn 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 09-30-1919 26
n/a Tom Fitzsimmons 1919 Brooklyn Robins 06-12-1919 29
n/a Hod Ford 1919 Boston Braves 09-08-1919 22
n/a Bernie Friberg 1919 Chicago Cubs 08-20-1919 20
n/a Frankie Frisch 1919 New York Giants 06-17-1919 20
n/a Ed Gerner 1919 Cincinnati Reds 05-14-1919 21
n/a Lafayette Henion 1919 Brooklyn Robins 09-10-1919 20
n/a Bill Hubbell 1919 New York Giants 09-24-1919 22
n/a Johnny Jones 1919 New York Giants 04-24-1919 26
n/a Wally Kimmick 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 09-13-1919 22
n/a Bob Kinsella 1919 New York Giants 09-20-1919 20
n/a Will Koenigsmark 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 09-10-1919 23
n/a Bevo LeBourveau 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 09-09-1919 23
n/a Cliff Lee 1919 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-15-1919 22
n/a Pat Murray 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 07-01-1919 21
n/a Joel Newkirk 1919 Chicago Cubs 08-20-1919 23
n/a Dizzy Nutter 1919 Boston Braves 09-07-1919 26
n/a Mickey O'Neil 1919 Boston Braves 09-12-1919 21
n/a Roy Parker 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 09-10-1919 23
n/a Mike Pasquella 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 07-09-1919 20
n/a Lou Raymond 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 05-02-1919 24
n/a Hal Reilly 1919 Chicago Cubs 06-19-1919 25
n/a Art Reinhart 1919 St. Louis Cardinals 04-26-1919 19
n/a Rosy Ryan 1919 New York Giants 09-07-1919 21
n/a Charlie See 1919 Cincinnati Reds 08-06-1919 22
n/a Earl Smith 1919 New York Giants 04-24-1919 22
n/a Colonel Snover 1919 New York Giants 09-18-1919 24
n/a Jigger Statz 1919 New York Giants 07-30-1919 21
n/a Doc Wallace 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 05-02-1919 25
n/a Lefty Weinert 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 09-24-1919 17
n/a Sam White 1919 Boston Braves 09-08-1919 26
n/a Jesse Winters 1919 New York Giants 05-03-1919 25
n/a Jack Wisner 1919 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-12-1919 19
n/a Bert Yeabsley 1919 Philadelphia Phillies 05-28-1919 25
n/a Billy Zitzmann 1919 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-17-1919 23
1919 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1919 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.

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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