1942 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."
"Baseball is the sport that cackles back at can't-miss kids. Baseball humbles every player sooner or later. Baseball confers greatness stingily, in its own sweet time. At least that's what the bow-tied essayists and sandlot scouts solemnly tell us." - Johnette Howard in Sports Illustrated
American League Debuts

1942

15 Ted Sepkowski 1942 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1942 18
19 Lou Bevil 1942 Washington Senators 09-02-1942 19
7 Johnny Lipon 1942 Detroit Tigers 08-16-1942 19
11 George Yankowski 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 08-17-1942 19
- Ted Abernathy 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 09-19-1942 20
- Joe Coleman 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 09-19-1942 20
9 Hank Riebe 1942 Detroit Tigers 08-26-1942 20
29 Bob Savage 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 06-24-1942 20
16 Larry Eschen 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 06-16-1942 21
- Val Heim 1942 Chicago White Sox 08-31-1942 21
34 Al Kvasnak 1942 Washington Senators 04-15-1942 21
- Bill Mueller 1942 Chicago White Sox 08-29-1942 21
31 Eddie Robinson 1942 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1942 21
32 John Sullivan 1942 Washington Senators 06-07-1942 21
- Dick Adkins 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 09-19-1942 22
27 Frank Biscan 1942 St. Louis Browns 05-03-1942 22
31 Hardin Cathey 1942 Washington Senators 04-16-1942 22
11 Bruce Konopka 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 06-07-1942 22
- Sam Lowry 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 09-19-1942 22
34 Jim Castiglia 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 04-14-1942 23
22 Stan Galle 1942 Washington Senators 04-14-1942 23
20 Jimmy Grant 1942 Chicago White Sox 09-08-1942 23
21 Bill Kennedy 1942 Washington Senators 05-01-1942 23
6 Johnny Pesky 1942 Boston Red Sox 04-14-1942 23
12 Bud Sketchley 1942 Chicago White Sox 04-14-1942 23
- Dewey Adkins 1942 Washington Senators 09-19-1942 24
- Paul Calvert 1942 Cleveland Indians 09-24-1942 24
24 Russ Christopher 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 04-14-1942 24
21 Phil McCullough 1942 Washington Senators 04-22-1942 24
34 Len Perme 1942 Chicago White Sox 09-08-1942 24
35 Ray Poat 1942 Cleveland Indians 04-15-1942 24
36 Mel Queen 1942 New York Yankees 04-18-1942 24
10, 66 Ray Scarborough 1942 Washington Senators 06-26-1942 24
- Thurman Tucker 1942 Chicago White Sox 04-14-1942 24
36 Leo Wells 1942 Chicago White Sox 04-16-1942 24
38 Hank Borowy 1942 New York Yankees 04-18-1942 25
21 Ellis Clary 1942 Washington Senators 06-07-1942 25
7 Billy Hitchcock 1942 Detroit Tigers 04-14-1942 25
6 Ray Hoffman 1942 Washington Senators 08-30-1942 25
- Allie Reynolds 1942 Cleveland Indians 09-17-1942 25
14 Tony Criscola 1942 St. Louis Browns 04-15-1942 26
25 Eddie Kearse 1942 New York Yankees 06-13-1942 26
11 Ken Richardson 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 04-14-1942 26
19 Stan Ferens 1942 St. Louis Browns 06-10-1942 27
2 Andy Gilbert 1942 Boston Red Sox 09-14-1942 28
9 Otto Denning 1942 Cleveland Indians 04-15-1942 29
17 Charlie Fuchs 1942 Detroit Tigers 04-17-1942 29
31 Al Unser 1942 Detroit Tigers 09-14-1942 29
7 Pete Center 1942 Cleveland Indians 09-11-1942 30
6 Buddy Blair 1942 Philadelphia Athletics 04-14-1942 31
1942 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1942 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.

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."
     

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