1944 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

1944

21 Pat Capri 1944 Boston Braves 07-16-1944 25
34 Frank Drews 1944 Boston Braves 08-13-1944 28
27 Roland Gladu 1944 Boston Braves 04-18-1944 32
29 Stew Hofferth 1944 Boston Braves 04-19-1944 31
34 Stan Klopp 1944 Boston Braves 04-30-1944 33
26 Harry Macpherson 1944 Boston Braves 08-14-1944 18
12 Gene Patton 1944 Boston Braves 06-17-1944 17
14, 21 Steve Shemo 1944 Boston Braves 04-18-1944 29
35 George Woodend 1944 Boston Braves 04-22-1944 26
3 Eddie Basinski 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-20-1944 21
13 Ralph Branca 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-12-1944 18
3 Tommy Brown 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-03-1944 16
27 Claude Crocker 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-01-1944 20
32 Fats Dantonio 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-18-1944 25
- Red Durrett 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-14-1944 23
22 Jack Franklin 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-12-1944 24
34 Roy Jarvis 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-30-1944 17
18 Clyde King 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-21-1944 20
16 Barney Koch 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 07-23-1944 21
3 Gene Mauch 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-18-1944 18
34 Cal McLish 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-13-1944 18
16 Eddie Miksis 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-17-1944 17
20 Charlie Osgood 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 06-18-1944 17
18 Lou Rochelli 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-25-1944 25
5 Clancy Smyres 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-18-1944 22
13, 20 Tommy Warren 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-18-1944 26
- John Wells 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-14-1944 21
22 Frank Wurm 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-04-1944 20
38 Chink Zachary 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-25-1944 30
12 Roy Easterwood 1944 Chicago Cubs 04-21-1944 29
- Charlie Gassaway 1944 Chicago Cubs 09-25-1944 26
38, 45 Garth Mann 1944 Chicago Cubs 05-14-1944 28
39 Hank Miklos 1944 Chicago Cubs 04-23-1944 33
38 Mack Stewart 1944 Chicago Cubs 07-07-1944 29
12 Dewey Williams 1944 Chicago Cubs 06-28-1944 28
24 Tony York 1944 Chicago Cubs 04-18-1944 31
- Jodie Beeler 1944 Cincinnati Reds 09-21-1944 22
33 Arnold Carter 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-29-1944 26
42 Tommy de la Cruz 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-20-1944 32
28 Jake Eisenhart 1944 Cincinnati Reds 06-10-1944 21
18 Buck Fausett 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-18-1944 36
39 Bob Ferguson 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-29-1944 25
44 Howie Fox 1944 Cincinnati Reds 09-28-1944 23
5 Joe Just 1944 Cincinnati Reds 05-13-1944 28
35 Bob Katz 1944 Cincinnati Reds 05-12-1944 33
35 Jim Konstanty 1944 Cincinnati Reds 06-18-1944 27
26 Mike Kosman 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-20-1944 26
43 Joe Nuxhall 1944 Cincinnati Reds 06-10-1944 15
39 Kent Peterson 1944 Cincinnati Reds 07-15-1944 18
24 Chucho Ramos 1944 Cincinnati Reds 05-07-1944 26
6 Len Rice 1944 Cincinnati Reds 04-26-1944 25
12 Kermit Wahl 1944 Cincinnati Reds 06-23-1944 21
21 Bob Barthelson 1944 New York Giants 07-04-1944 19
32 Jack Brewer 1944 New York Giants 07-15-1944 26
23 Ken Brondell 1944 New York Giants 05-03-1944 22
34 Steve Filipowicz 1944 New York Giants 09-03-1944 23
33 Danny Gardella 1944 New York Giants 05-14-1944 24
24 Andy Hansen 1944 New York Giants 06-30-1944 19
12 George Hausmann 1944 New York Giants 04-18-1944 28
21 Whitey Miller 1944 New York Giants 09-15-1944 29
32 Roy Nichols 1944 New York Giants 05-06-1944 23
20 Walter Ockey 1944 New York Giants 05-03-1944 24
36 Frank Rosso 1944 New York Giants 09-15-1944 23
25 Bruce Sloan 1944 New York Giants 04-29-1944 29
26 Red Treadway 1944 New York Giants 07-25-1944 24
30 Joe Antolick 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 09-20-1944 28
20 Putsy Caballero 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 09-14-1944 16
18, 7 Ted Cieslak 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-18-1944 27
22, 10 Chet Covington 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-23-1944 33
23 John Fick 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 07-29-1944 23
28, 21 Nick Goulish 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1944 27
21 Granny Hamner 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 09-14-1944 17
1 Moon Mullen 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-18-1944 27
27 Barney Mussill 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-20-1944 24
48 Lee Riley 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1944 37
18 Charlie Ripple 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 09-25-1944 23
16 Charley Schanz 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-20-1944 24
46 Turkey Tyson 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-23-1944 29
49 Al Verdel 1944 Philadelphia Phillies 04-20-1944 22
17 Vic Barnhart 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-01-1944 22
17 Len Gilmore 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-01-1944 26
3 Al Gionfriddo 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-23-1944 22
3 Bill Rodgers 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-27-1944 21
- Hank Sweeney 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 10-01-1944 28
25 Joe Vitelli 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-30-1944 36
15 Roy Wise 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-13-1944 20
14 Frankie Zak 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-21-1944 22
18 John Antonelli 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 09-16-1944 29
17 Augie Bergamo 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 04-25-1944 27
20 Blix Donnelly 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 05-06-1944 30
29 Al Jurisich 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 04-26-1944 22
2 Bob Keely 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 07-25-1944 34
11 Freddy Schmidt 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 04-25-1944 28
3 Emil Verban 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 04-18-1944 28
28 Ted Wilks 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 04-25-1944 28
1944 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1944 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Did you know that on September 27, 1963 the Houston Colt .45s fielded an all-rookie lineup that included future stars Joe Morgan, Jerry Grote, and Rusty Staub?

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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