1939 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."
"Always be cautious about rookie performances in September. They don't indicate what will happen in April." - Texas Rangers General Manager Tom Grieve
National League Debuts

1939

12 Buster Adams 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 04-27-1939 23
29 Stan Andrews 1939 Boston Bees 06-11-1939 22
20 George Barnicle 1939 Boston Bees 09-06-1939 22
18 Frank Barrett 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 10-01-1939 26
23 Bud Bates 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-16-1939 27
17 Fern Bell 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-17-1939 26
16 Stan Benjamin 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-16-1939 25
22 Jack Bolling 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 06-10-1939 22
26 Bob Bowman 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 04-21-1939 28
33 Roy Bruner 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-14-1939 22
34 Joe Callahan 1939 Boston Bees 09-13-1939 22
41 Chet Clemens 1939 Boston Bees 09-13-1939 22
40 Bill Clemensen 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-22-1939 19
10 Dave Coble 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 05-01-1939 26
24, 26 Bill Crouch 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-09-1939 31
22 Lindsay Deal 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-13-1939 28
32 Murry Dickson 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 09-30-1939 23
4 Johnny Echols 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 05-24-1939 22
- Bob Elliott 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-02-1939 22
12, 13, 15 Herman Franks 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 04-27-1939 25
34 Len Gabrielson 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 04-21-1939 23
24 Johnny Gee 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-17-1939 23
2 Al Glossop 1939 New York Giants 09-23-1939 25
15 Tom Gorman 1939 New York Giants 09-14-1939 20
- Frankie Gustine 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-13-1939 19
19 Tom Hafey 1939 New York Giants 07-21-1939 26
23 Chris Hartje 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-09-1939 24
28 Oliver Hill 1939 Boston Bees 04-19-1939 29
25 Ralph Hodgin 1939 Boston Bees 04-19-1939 24
28 Bill Hoffman 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 08-13-1939 21
19 Johnny Hopp 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 09-18-1939 23
2, 25 Otto Huber 1939 Boston Bees 06-10-1939 25
14 Art Jacobs 1939 Cincinnati Reds 06-18-1939 36
22 Red Juelich 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-30-1939 22
11 Bill Kerksieck 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 06-21-1939 25
7 Joe Kracher 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-17-1939 25
1 Eddie Lake 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 09-26-1939 23
10 Charlie Letchas 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-16-1939 23
36 Wes Livengood 1939 Cincinnati Reds 05-30-1939 28
2 Hank Majeski 1939 Boston Bees 05-17-1939 22
10 Phil Masi 1939 Boston Bees 04-23-1939 23
19 Pinky May 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 04-21-1939 28
23 Vern Olsen 1939 Chicago Cubs 09-08-1939 21
4 Joe Orengo 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 04-18-1939 24
5 Ike Pearson 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 06-06-1939 22
23 Ken Raffensberger 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 04-25-1939 21
- Pep Rambert 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-23-1939 23
23 Bob Repass 1939 St. Louis Cardinals 09-18-1939 21
14 Elmer Riddle 1939 Cincinnati Reds 10-01-1939 25
38 Chet Ross 1939 Boston Bees 09-15-1939 22
1 Bama Rowell 1939 Boston Bees 09-03-1939 23
32 Rip Russell 1939 Chicago Cubs 05-05-1939 24
18 Manny Salvo 1939 New York Giants 04-22-1939 25
1 Skeeter Scalzi 1939 New York Giants 07-21-1939 26
- Joe Schultz 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-27-1939 21
28 Le Grant Scott 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1939 28
5, 25 Sibby Sisti 1939 Boston Bees 07-21-1939 18
- Oad Swigart 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-1939 24
39 Junior Thompson 1939 Cincinnati Reds 04-26-1939 21
- Maurice Van Robays 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-07-1939 24
27 Al Veigel 1939 Boston Bees 09-21-1939 22
26 Bennie Warren 1939 Philadelphia Phillies 09-13-1939 27
15 Whitey Wietelmann 1939 Boston Bees 09-06-1939 20
1939 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1939 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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