1934 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."
"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)
National League Debuts

1934

26 Johnny Babich 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-19-1934 21
- Junie Barnes 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-12-1934 22
22 Ray Berres 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-24-1934 26
12 Linc Blakely 1934 Cincinnati Reds 04-29-1934 22
43 Cy Blanton 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-23-1934 26
- Ed Boland 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 09-18-1934 26
2 Jim Bucher 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-18-1934 23
14, 33 Slick Castleman 1934 New York Giants 05-09-1934 20
43 Phil Cavarretta 1934 Chicago Cubs 09-16-1934 18
20 Glenn Chapman 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-18-1934 28
21 Lou Chiozza 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-17-1934 23
41 George Darrow 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-22-1934 30
42 Curt Davis 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-21-1934 30
21 Paul Dean 1934 St. Louis Cardinals 04-18-1934 21
- Sherman Edwards 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-21-1934 25
16 Elbie Fletcher 1934 Boston Braves 09-16-1934 18
34 Fred Frink 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 07-01-1934 22
31 Augie Galan 1934 Chicago Cubs 04-29-1934 21
24 Lee Grissom 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-02-1934 26
27 Clarence Heise 1934 St. Louis Cardinals 04-22-1934 26
- Bert Hogg 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-01-1934 21
10 Joe Holden 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 06-14-1934 21
23 Marty Hopkins 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-17-1934 27
50 Lloyd Johnson 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-21-1934 23
21 Roy Joiner 1934 Chicago Cubs 04-30-1934 27
30 Alex Kampouris 1934 Cincinnati Reds 07-31-1934 21
47 Ted Kleinhans 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-20-1934 35
22 Cookie Lavagetto 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-17-1934 21
19 Bill Lee 1934 Chicago Cubs 04-29-1934 24
- Bill Lohrman 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 06-19-1934 21
49 Cy Malis 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 08-17-1934 27
7 Johnny McCarthy 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-02-1934 24
- Frank McCormick 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-11-1934 23
23 Dan McGee 1934 Boston Braves 07-14-1934 22
14 Wally Millies 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-23-1934 27
10 Buster Mills 1934 St. Louis Cardinals 04-18-1934 25
43 Euel Moore 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 07-08-1934 26
25 Les Munns 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-22-1934 25
33 Prince Oana 1934 Philadelphia Phillies 04-22-1934 24
2 Ted Petoskey 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-09-1934 23
10 Harlin Pool 1934 Cincinnati Reds 05-30-1934 26
29 Lew Riggs 1934 St. Louis Cardinals 04-28-1934 24
21 Al Smith 1934 New York Giants 05-05-1934 26
42 Tuck Stainback 1934 Chicago Cubs 04-17-1934 22
- Steamboat Struss 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-30-1934 25
11 Nick Tremark 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-09-1934 21
23 Johnnie Tyler 1934 Boston Braves 09-16-1934 28
15 Dick Ward 1934 Chicago Cubs 05-03-1934 24
14 Charlie Wiedemeyer 1934 Chicago Cubs 09-09-1934 20
19 Whitey Wistert 1934 Cincinnati Reds 09-11-1934 22
1934 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1934 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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.
     

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