1937 American League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1937 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."

"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

American League Debuts 1937
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
16	Dom Dallessandro	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-24-1937	23
21, 25	Bob Daughters	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-24-1937	22
9	Bobby Doerr	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-20-1937	19
19, 35	Joe Gonzales	1937 Boston Red Sox	08-28-1937	22
20	Archie McKain	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-25-1937	25
23	Johnny Peacock	1937 Boston Red Sox	09-23-1937	27
44	Merv Connors	1937 Chicago White Sox	09-04-1937	23
45	George Gick	1937 Chicago White Sox	10-03-1937	21
20, 29	Johnny Rigney	1937 Chicago White Sox	04-21-1937	22
46	Hank Steinbacher	1937 Chicago White Sox	04-21-1937	24
2	Hugh Alexander	1937 Cleveland Indians	08-15-1937	20
19	Ken Jungels	1937 Cleveland Indians	09-15-1937	21
25	Ken Keltner	1937 Cleveland Indians	10-02-1937	20
24	Blas Monaco	1937 Cleveland Indians	08-18-1937	21
-	Bill Sodd	1937 Cleveland Indians	09-27-1937	23
21	Slick Coffman	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-21-1937	26
16	George Gill	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-04-1937	28
6	Chet Laabs	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-05-1937	25
17, 22	Pat McLaughlin	1937 Detroit Tigers	04-25-1937	26
24	Boots Poffenberger	1937 Detroit Tigers	06-11-1937	21
13, 24, 35	Spud Chandler	1937 New York Yankees	05-06-1937	29
22, 32	Tommy Henrich	1937 New York Yankees	05-11-1937	24
23, 28, 34	Frank Makosky	1937 New York Yankees	04-30-1937	27
4	Wayne Ambler	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-04-1937	21
10, 42	Babe Barna	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-16-1937	22
2	Earle Brucker	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-19-1937	35
35	Gene Hasson	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-09-1937	22
10	Warren Huston	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-24-1937	23
61	Bill Kalfass	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-15-1937	21
92	Doyt Morris	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-06-1937	20
19, 26	Ace Parker	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-24-1937	24
-	Hal Wagner	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	10-03-1937	22
19, 25	Al Williams	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-19-1937	22
8	Eddie Yount	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-09-1937	21
26	Red Barkley	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-02-1937	24
23	Emil Bildilli	1937 St. Louis Browns	08-24-1937	24
23	Julio Bonetti	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-22-1937	25
37	Tom Cafego	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-03-1937	26
-	Sam Harshany	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-28-1937	27
25	George Hennessey	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-02-1937	29
28	Ben Huffman	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	22
15	Nig Lipscomb	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	26
25	Bill Miller	1937 St. Louis Browns	10-02-1937	27
-	Bob Muncrief	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-30-1937	21
29	Eddie Silber	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-03-1937	23
14	Bill Strickland	1937 St. Louis Browns	07-16-1937	29
9	Bill Trotter	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	28
-	Red Anderson	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	25
16	Jimmy Bloodworth	1937 Washington Senators	09-14-1937	20
25	George Case	1937 Washington Senators	09-08-1937	21
10	Herb Crompton	1937 Washington Senators	04-26-1937	25
20	Milt Gray	1937 Washington Senators	05-27-1937	23
38	Mike Guerra	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	24
20	Bucky Jacobs	1937 Washington Senators	06-27-1937	24
35	Joe Kohlman	1937 Washington Senators	09-26-1937	24
36	Joe Krakauskas	1937 Washington Senators	09-09-1937	22
-	Jerry Lynn	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	21
-	Frank Trechock	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	21
26	Jimmy Wasdell	1937 Washington Senators	09-03-1937	23
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1937 American League Debuts

1937 N.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1937 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Did you know that Future hall of famer Addie Joss made his Major League pitching debut on April 26, 1902 and tossed a one hitter?

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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