1921 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."
"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)
American League Debuts

1921

n/a Sam Dodge 1921 Boston Red Sox 09-24-1921 21
n/a Curt Fullerton 1921 Boston Red Sox 04-14-1921 22
n/a Ernie Neitzke 1921 Boston Red Sox 06-02-1921 26
n/a John Perrin 1921 Boston Red Sox 07-11-1921 23
n/a Pinky Pittenger 1921 Boston Red Sox 04-15-1921 22
n/a Fred Bratschi 1921 Chicago White Sox 07-24-1921 29
n/a Sarge Connally 1921 Chicago White Sox 09-10-1921 23
n/a Lum Davenport 1921 Chicago White Sox 05-03-1921 20
n/a Hod Fenner 1921 Chicago White Sox 09-09-1921 24
n/a George Lees 1921 Chicago White Sox 05-07-1921 26
n/a Elmer Leifer 1921 Chicago White Sox 09-07-1921 28
n/a Doug McWeeny 1921 Chicago White Sox 04-24-1921 24
n/a John Michaelson 1921 Chicago White Sox 08-28-1921 28
n/a Dominic Mulrenan 1921 Chicago White Sox 04-24-1921 27
n/a Red Ostergard 1921 Chicago White Sox 06-14-1921 25
n/a Rusty Pence 1921 Chicago White Sox 05-13-1921 21
n/a Frank Pratt 1921 Chicago White Sox 05-13-1921 23
n/a Earl Sheely 1921 Chicago White Sox 04-14-1921 28
n/a Lee Thompson 1921 Chicago White Sox 09-04-1921 23
n/a Cy Twombly 1921 Chicago White Sox 06-25-1921 24
n/a Jack Wieneke 1921 Chicago White Sox 07-04-1921 27
n/a Yam Yaryan 1921 Chicago White Sox 04-23-1921 28
n/a Bernie Henderson 1921 Cleveland Indians 09-05-1921 22
n/a Tex Jeanes 1921 Cleveland Indians 04-20-1921 20
n/a Ted Odenwald 1921 Cleveland Indians 04-13-1921 19
n/a Jesse Petty 1921 Cleveland Indians 04-14-1921 26
n/a Luke Sewell 1921 Cleveland Indians 06-30-1921 20
n/a Ginger Shinault 1921 Cleveland Indians 07-04-1921 28
n/a Riggs Stephenson 1921 Cleveland Indians 04-13-1921 23
n/a Sam Barnes 1921 Detroit Tigers 09-14-1921 21
n/a Lu Blue 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-14-1921 24
n/a Bert Cole 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-19-1921 24
n/a Carl Holling 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-19-1921 24
n/a Herm Merritt 1921 Detroit Tigers 08-24-1921 20
n/a Slicker Parks 1921 Detroit Tigers 07-11-1921 25
n/a Joe Sargent 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-27-1921 27
n/a Lefty Stewart 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-20-1921 20
n/a Suds Sutherland 1921 Detroit Tigers 04-14-1921 27
n/a Jackie Tavener 1921 Detroit Tigers 09-24-1921 23
n/a Jim Walsh 1921 Detroit Tigers 08-25-1921 27
n/a Chicken Hawks 1921 New York Yankees 04-14-1921 25
n/a Johnny Mitchell 1921 New York Yankees 05-21-1921 26
n/a Bill Barrett 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 05-13-1921 20
n/a Bill Bishop 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-15-1921 20
n/a Frank Brazill 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 04-13-1921 21
n/a Frank Callaway 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-17-1921 23
n/a Harvey Freeman 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 07-10-1921 23
n/a Dot Fulghum 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-15-1921 21
n/a Ben Mallonee 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-14-1921 27
n/a Ray Miner 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-15-1921 24
n/a Jim Sullivan 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-27-1921 27
n/a Arlas Taylor 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-15-1921 25
n/a Lefty Wolf 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 07-04-1921 21
n/a Elmer Yoter 1921 Philadelphia Athletics 09-09-1921 21
n/a Dutch Henry 1921 St. Louis Browns 09-16-1921 19
n/a Ray Kolp 1921 St. Louis Browns 04-16-1921 26
n/a Jim Riley 1921 St. Louis Browns 07-03-1921 26
n/a Luke Stuart 1921 St. Louis Browns 07-28-1921 29
n/a Red Bird 1921 Washington Senators 09-17-1921 31
n/a George Foss 1921 Washington Senators 04-16-1921 23
n/a Nemo Gaines 1921 Washington Senators 06-26-1921 23
n/a Goose Goslin 1921 Washington Senators 09-16-1921 20
n/a Vance McIlree 1921 Washington Senators 09-13-1921 23
n/a Bing Miller 1921 Washington Senators 04-16-1921 26
n/a Ralph Miller 1921 Washington Senators 09-16-1921 22
1921 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1921 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.

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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