1924 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

1924

n/a Max Bishop 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 04-15-1924 24
n/a Al Simmons 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 04-15-1924 21
n/a Earle Combs 1924 New York Yankees 04-16-1924 24
n/a Ben Shields 1924 New York Yankees 04-17-1924 20
n/a Joe Burns 1924 Chicago White Sox 04-18-1924 24
n/a Sam Gray 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 04-19-1924 26
n/a Joe Martina 1924 Washington Senators 04-19-1924 34
n/a Ollie Voigt 1924 St. Louis Browns 04-19-1924 25
n/a Chick Autry 1924 New York Yankees 04-20-1924 21
n/a Wally Dashiell 1924 Chicago White Sox 04-20-1924 21
n/a Milt Gaston 1924 New York Yankees 04-20-1924 28
n/a By Speece 1924 Washington Senators 04-21-1924 27
n/a Phil Todt 1924 Boston Red Sox 04-25-1924 22
n/a Bennie Tate 1924 Washington Senators 04-29-1924 22
n/a Ernie Wingard 1924 St. Louis Browns 05-01-1924 23
n/a Bill Black 1924 Chicago White Sox 05-04-1924 24
n/a Milt Steengrafe 1924 Chicago White Sox 05-05-1924 25
n/a Mule Shirley 1924 Washington Senators 05-06-1924 22
n/a Ken Jones 1924 Detroit Tigers 05-19-1924 21
n/a Watty Clark 1924 Cleveland Indians 05-28-1924 22
n/a Willie Ludolph 1924 Detroit Tigers 05-28-1924 24
n/a Charlie Gibson 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 05-30-1924 24
n/a Red Ruffing 1924 Boston Red Sox 05-31-1924 19
n/a Luther Roy 1924 Cleveland Indians 06-12-1924 21
n/a Buster Ross 1924 Boston Red Sox 06-15-1924 21
n/a Tony Rego 1924 St. Louis Browns 06-21-1924 26
n/a Hoge Workman 1924 Boston Red Sox 06-27-1924 24
n/a John Chapman 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 06-28-1924 24
n/a Joe Green 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 07-02-1924 26
n/a Joe Dawson 1924 Cleveland Indians 07-04-1924 27
n/a Bob Barnes 1924 Chicago White Sox 07-08-1924 22
n/a Tommy Taylor 1924 Washington Senators 07-09-1924 31
n/a Johnny Grabowski 1924 Chicago White Sox 07-11-1924 24
n/a Leo Mangum 1924 Chicago White Sox 07-11-1924 28
n/a Shags Horan 1924 New York Yankees 07-14-1924 28
n/a Chappie Geygan 1924 Boston Red Sox 07-16-1924 21
n/a Bob Lawrence 1924 Chicago White Sox 07-19-1924 24
n/a Bud Messenger 1924 Cleveland Indians 07-31-1924 26
n/a Webb Schultz 1924 Chicago White Sox 08-03-1924 26
n/a Earl McNeely 1924 Washington Senators 08-09-1924 26
n/a Ray Morehart 1924 Chicago White Sox 08-09-1924 24
n/a John Dobb 1924 Chicago White Sox 08-13-1924 22
n/a Ed Sherling 1924 Philadelphia Athletics 08-13-1924 27
n/a Lefty Jamerson 1924 Boston Red Sox 08-16-1924 24
n/a Frank Wayenberg 1924 Cleveland Indians 08-25-1924 25
n/a Clarence Winters 1924 Boston Red Sox 08-28-1924 24
n/a Bud Clancy 1924 Chicago White Sox 08-29-1924 23
n/a Paul Fitzke 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-01-1924 24
n/a Bub Kuhn 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-01-1924 24
n/a Walter Beall 1924 New York Yankees 09-03-1924 25
n/a Happy Foreman 1924 Chicago White Sox 09-03-1924 25
n/a Carl Yowell 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-05-1924 21
n/a Verdo Elmore 1924 St. Louis Browns 09-11-1924 24
n/a Jake Miller 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-11-1924 26
n/a Joe Wyatt 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-11-1924 24
n/a Bernie DeViveiros 1924 Chicago White Sox 09-13-1924 23
n/a Mack Hillis 1924 New York Yankees 09-13-1924 23
n/a Frank Naleway 1924 Chicago White Sox 09-16-1924 22
n/a John Woods 1924 Boston Red Sox 09-16-1924 26
n/a Bill Lasley 1924 St. Louis Browns 09-19-1924 22
n/a Freddy Spurgeon 1924 Cleveland Indians 09-19-1924 22
n/a Boom-Boom Beck 1924 St. Louis Browns 09-22-1924 19
n/a Charlie Gehringer 1924 Detroit Tigers 09-22-1924 21
n/a Edgar Barnhart 1924 St. Louis Browns 09-23-1924 20
n/a Pat Burke 1924 St. Louis Browns 09-23-1924 23
1924 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1924 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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.
     

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