1938 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 a certain amount of fascination to the big league debut of any athlete. Sometimes they are incredible successes. Sometimes they are frenetic failures." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley
National League Debuts

1938

56 Al Epperly 1938 Chicago Cubs 04-25-1938 19
24 Creepy Crespi 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 09-14-1938 20
- Eddie Feinberg 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 09-11-1938 20
21 Steve Mesner 1938 Chicago Cubs 09-23-1938 20
27 Tom Earley 1938 Boston Bees 09-27-1938 21
18 Oscar Georgy 1938 New York Giants 06-04-1938 21
12 Ralph McLeod 1938 Boston Bees 09-14-1938 21
9 Enos Slaughter 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 04-19-1938 21
29 Joe Walsh 1938 Boston Bees 07-01-1938 21
4 Max West 1938 Boston Bees 04-19-1938 21
22, 29 Bob Kahle 1938 Boston Bees 04-21-1938 22
11 Art Kenney 1938 Boston Bees 07-01-1938 22
32 Max Lanier 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 04-20-1938 22
16 Max Macon 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 04-21-1938 22
29 Bobby Mattick 1938 Chicago Cubs 05-05-1938 22
- Sam Nahem 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 10-02-1938 22
19 Preacher Roe 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 08-22-1938 22
4 Ray Stoviak 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 06-05-1938 22
59 Dick West 1938 Cincinnati Reds 09-28-1938 22
30 Jim Asbell 1938 Chicago Cubs 05-08-1938 23
46, 51 Don Lang 1938 Cincinnati Reds 07-04-1938 23
21 Harl Maggert 1938 Boston Bees 04-19-1938 23
- Alex Pitko 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 09-11-1938 23
19 Art Rebel 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1938 23
16 Tommy Reis 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 04-27-1938 23
10, 25 Butch Sutcliffe 1938 Boston Bees 08-28-1938 23
3 Pete Coscarart 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-26-1938 24
17 Hal Epps 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 09-09-1938 24
- John Gaddy 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-27-1938 24
7 George Myatt 1938 New York Giants 08-16-1938 24
22 Lynn Myers 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 07-13-1938 24
23 Johnnie Wittig 1938 New York Giants 08-04-1938 24
30 Mort Cooper 1938 St. Louis Cardinals 09-14-1938 25
9 Heinie Mueller 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1938 25
12 Johnny Rizzo 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1938 25
1, 7 Packy Rogers 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 07-12-1938 25
49 Nino Bongiovanni 1938 Cincinnati Reds 04-23-1938 26
18 Dick Errickson 1938 Boston Bees 04-27-1938 26
26 Hiker Moran 1938 Boston Bees 09-29-1938 26
- Justin Stein 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 05-28-1938 26
32 Coaker Triplett 1938 Chicago Cubs 04-19-1938 26
7 Woody Williams 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-05-1938 26
21 Mike Balas 1938 Boston Bees 04-27-1938 27
50 Willard Hershberger 1938 Cincinnati Reds 04-19-1938 27
29 Jim Hitchcock 1938 Boston Bees 08-24-1938 27
23 Dykes Potter 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-26-1938 27
17 Oris Hockett 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-04-1938 28
20, 33 Ernie Koy 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-19-1938 28
28 Les Powers 1938 New York Giants 09-17-1938 28
7 Ray Thomas 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 07-21-1938 28
41 Bob Klinger 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1938 29
10 Cap Clark 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 04-23-1938 31
29 Tom Kane 1938 Boston Bees 08-03-1938 31
- Tom Lanning 1938 Philadelphia Phillies 09-14-1938 31
21 Bill Posedel 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-23-1938 31
18 Tot Pressnell 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-21-1938 31
41 Vance Page 1938 Chicago Cubs 08-06-1938 32
18 Johnny Niggeling 1938 Boston Bees 04-30-1938 34
1938 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National 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.

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?
     

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