1943 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

1943

17 Rogers McKee 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 08-18-1943 16
12 Rex Barney 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-18-1943 18
21, 18 George Eyrich 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 06-13-1943 18
14 Chris Haughey 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 10-03-1943 18
35 Ray Martin 1943 Boston Braves 08-15-1943 18
4 Gil Hodges 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 10-03-1943 19
18 Buddy Kerr 1943 New York Giants 09-08-1943 20
11 Mickey Kreitner 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-28-1943 20
25, 12 Dale Matthewson 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 07-03-1943 20
8 Howie Schultz 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-16-1943 21
27 Bud Byerly 1943 St. Louis Cardinals 09-26-1943 22
28 Hal Gregg 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-18-1943 22
20 Ray Hamrick 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 08-14-1943 22
22 Charlie Mead 1943 New York Giants 08-28-1943 22
33 Andy Pafko 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-24-1943 22
28 Frank Seward 1943 New York Giants 09-28-1943 22
25 Joe Stephenson 1943 New York Giants 09-19-1943 22
3 Boyd Bartley 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-30-1943 23
26 Ben Cardoni 1943 Boston Braves 08-22-1943 23
20 Dain Clay 1943 Cincinnati Reds 06-12-1943 23
- Deacon Donahue 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 09-16-1943 23
14 Gene Hermanski 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-15-1943 23
29 Jack Niemes 1943 Cincinnati Reds 05-30-1943 23
21 Luis Olmo 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 07-23-1943 23
21, 23 Nap Reyes 1943 New York Giants 05-19-1943 23
15 Andy Seminick 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 09-14-1943 23
- Roy Talcott 1943 Boston Braves 06-24-1943 23
19 Ken Trinkle 1943 New York Giants 04-25-1943 23
2 Lou Klein 1943 St. Louis Cardinals 04-21-1943 24
16 Jack Kraus 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 04-25-1943 24
- Carl Lindquist 1943 Boston Braves 09-27-1943 24
38 Bob Malloy 1943 Cincinnati Reds 05-04-1943 24
18 Red Munger 1943 St. Louis Cardinals 05-01-1943 24
11, 26 Tommy O'Brien 1943 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-24-1943 24
34 Dave Odom 1943 Boston Braves 05-31-1943 24
2 Tony Ordenana 1943 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-03-1943 24
24 Ed Sauer 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-17-1943 24
39 Rocky Stone 1943 Cincinnati Reds 05-02-1943 24
31 Dale Alderson 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-18-1943 25
23 Cookie Cuccurullo 1943 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-03-1943 25
8 Pete Elko 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-17-1943 25
6, 11 Al Gerheauser 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 04-24-1943 25
22 Lonnie Goldstein 1943 Cincinnati Reds 09-11-1943 25
29 Butch Nieman 1943 Boston Braves 05-02-1943 25
47 Johnny Ostrowski 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-24-1943 25
19 Charlie Brewster 1943 Cincinnati Reds 05-02-1943 26
14 Joe Burns 1943 Boston Braves 04-24-1943 26
3 Al Campanis 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-23-1943 26
42 John Dagenhard 1943 Boston Braves 09-28-1943 26
35 Sam Gentile 1943 Boston Braves 04-24-1943 26
6 Hal Peck 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-13-1943 26
24 Heinz Becker 1943 Chicago Cubs 04-21-1943 27
17 Connie Creeden 1943 Boston Braves 04-28-1943 27
15 Bob Finley 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 06-13-1943 27
25 Eddie Stanky 1943 Chicago Cubs 04-21-1943 27
29 Vic Bradford 1943 New York Giants 05-01-1943 28
22 Hank Camelli 1943 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-03-1943 28
- Buck Etchison 1943 Boston Braves 09-22-1943 28
11 Al Brazle 1943 St. Louis Cardinals 07-25-1943 29
25 Garton Del Savio 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 04-24-1943 29
9 Kerby Farrell 1943 Boston Braves 04-24-1943 29
8 Heinie Heltzel 1943 Boston Braves 07-27-1943 29
20 Bill Webb 1943 Philadelphia Phillies 05-15-1943 29
6 Tony DePhillips 1943 Cincinnati Reds 04-25-1943 30
9 Bill Hart 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-18-1943 30
4 Xavier Rescigno 1943 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-22-1943 30
12 Billy Holm 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-24-1943 31
20 Don Johnson 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-26-1943 31
50 Walter Signer 1943 Chicago Cubs 09-18-1943 32
29 Hugh Poland 1943 New York Giants 04-22-1943 33
1943 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1943 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

On the final day of the 1930 season, Dizzy Dean was called up and pitched a three-hitter. In Spring Training the following year, Dean had a fight with catcher Gabby Street and the franchise left him in the Minor Leagues all season long.

Rich Amaral spent nine seasons in the Minor Leagues and upon his callup he commented, "I've been to every baseball park in America, except those in the American and National League."
     

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