1938 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."
"Always be cautious about rookie performances in September. They don't indicate what will happen in April." - Texas Rangers General Manager Tom Grieve
American League Debuts

1938

17 Jim Bagby 1938 Boston Red Sox 04-18-1938 21
15 Al Baker 1938 Boston Red Sox 08-20-1938 32
19 Bill Humphrey 1938 Boston Red Sox 04-24-1938 26
1 Bill Lefebvre 1938 Boston Red Sox 06-10-1938 22
27 Dick Midkiff 1938 Boston Red Sox 04-24-1938 23
15 Lee Rogers 1938 Boston Red Sox 04-27-1938 24
26 Jim Tabor 1938 Boston Red Sox 08-02-1938 21
11 Charlie Wagner 1938 Boston Red Sox 04-19-1938 25
26 Harry Boyles 1938 Chicago White Sox 08-03-1938 24
47 Johnny Gerlach 1938 Chicago White Sox 09-03-1938 21
28 Jesse Landrum 1938 Chicago White Sox 04-26-1938 25
17 George Meyer 1938 Chicago White Sox 09-03-1938 29
36 Norm Schlueter 1938 Chicago White Sox 05-28-1938 21
15 Mike Tresh 1938 Chicago White Sox 09-04-1938 24
47 Bob Uhl 1938 Chicago White Sox 05-08-1938 24
34 Lou Boudreau 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1938 21
31 Oscar Grimes 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-28-1938 23
10 Hank Helf 1938 Cleveland Indians 05-05-1938 24
21 Johnny Humphries 1938 Cleveland Indians 05-08-1938 22
32 Tommy Irwin 1938 Cleveland Indians 10-01-1938 25
36 Ray Mack 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1938 22
35 Lloyd Russell 1938 Cleveland Indians 04-26-1938 25
30 Clay Smith 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-13-1938 24
- Charley Suche 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-18-1938 23
33 Chuck Workman 1938 Cleveland Indians 09-18-1938 23
35 George Archie 1938 Detroit Tigers 09-14-1938 24
20 Mark Christman 1938 Detroit Tigers 04-20-1938 24
19 Roy Cullenbine 1938 Detroit Tigers 04-19-1938 24
35 Woody Davis 1938 Detroit Tigers 05-02-1938 25
14 Bob Harris 1938 Detroit Tigers 09-19-1938 23
24 Benny McCoy 1938 Detroit Tigers 09-14-1938 22
34 Joe Rogalski 1938 Detroit Tigers 09-14-1938 26
6 Don Ross 1938 Detroit Tigers 04-19-1938 23
22 Joe Beggs 1938 New York Yankees 04-19-1938 27
28 Atley Donald 1938 New York Yankees 04-21-1938 27
6 Joe Gordon 1938 New York Yankees 04-18-1938 23
- Irv Bartling 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 09-08-1938 24
- Ralph Buxton 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 09-11-1938 24
14 Sam Chapman 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 05-16-1938 22
- Nick Etten 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 09-08-1938 24
7 Dario Lodigiani 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 04-18-1938 21
30 Jim Reninger 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 09-17-1938 23
11 Dave Smith 1938 Philadelphia Athletics 06-16-1938 23
26 Ed Cole 1938 St. Louis Browns 04-22-1938 29
30 Joe Grace 1938 St. Louis Browns 09-24-1938 24
- Sig Gryska 1938 St. Louis Browns 09-28-1938 23
23 Johnny Lucadello 1938 St. Louis Browns 09-24-1938 19
4 Glenn McQuillen 1938 St. Louis Browns 06-16-1938 23
21 Mickey Livingston 1938 Washington Senators 09-17-1938 23
- Rene Monteagudo 1938 Washington Senators 09-06-1938 22
23 Taffy Wright 1938 Washington Senators 04-18-1938 26
1938 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1938 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.

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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