1949 National League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1949 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 no Major League record held by a rookie. It's revealing to see just how far the rookie marks are below the single season marks. This is a testament to how difficult the game is to learn and play." - Luke Salisbury in The Answer is Baseball (1989)

National League Debuts 1949
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
23	Del Crandall	1949 Boston Braves	06-17-1949	19
25	Bob Hall	1949 Boston Braves	04-23-1949	25
16	Steve Kuczek	1949 Boston Braves	09-29-1949	24
23	Don Thompson	1949 Boston Braves	04-24-1949	25
32	Cal Abrams	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	04-20-1949	25
36	Chuck Connors	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	05-01-1949	28
16	Morrie Martin	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	04-25-1949	26
23	Pat McGlothin	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	04-25-1949	28
36	Don Newcombe	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	05-20-1949	22
40	Bud Podbielan	1949 Brooklyn Dodgers	04-25-1949	25
4, 8	Smoky Burgess	1949 Chicago Cubs	04-19-1949	22
36	Jim Kirby	1949 Chicago Cubs	05-01-1949	25
9	Rube Novotney	1949 Chicago Cubs	04-29-1949	24
6	Bill Serena	1949 Chicago Cubs	09-16-1949	24
6	Wayne Terwilliger	1949 Chicago Cubs	08-06-1949	24
40	Frank Fanovich	1949 Cincinnati Reds	04-25-1949	27
20	Lloyd Merriman	1949 Cincinnati Reds	04-24-1949	24
29	Wally Post	1949 Cincinnati Reds	09-18-1949	20
8	Johnny Pramesa	1949 Cincinnati Reds	04-24-1949	23
17	Roger Bowman	1949 New York Giants	09-22-1949	22
26	Bobby Hofman	1949 New York Giants	04-19-1949	23
7	Monte Irvin	1949 New York Giants	07-08-1949	30
28	Rudy Rufer	1949 New York Giants	09-22-1949	22
48	Andy Tomasic	1949 New York Giants	04-28-1949	31
-	Davey Williams	1949 New York Giants	09-16-1949	21
3	Bill Glynn	1949 Philadelphia Phillies	09-16-1949	24
9	Mike Goliat	1949 Philadelphia Phillies	08-03-1949	27
17	Stan Hollmig	1949 Philadelphia Phillies	04-19-1949	23
41	Bob Miller	1949 Philadelphia Phillies	09-16-1949	23
33	Ed Sanicki	1949 Philadelphia Phillies	09-14-1949	26
19	Jack Cassini	1949 Pittsburgh Pirates	04-19-1949	29
14	Dino Restelli	1949 Pittsburgh Pirates	06-14-1949	24
18	Tom Saffell	1949 Pittsburgh Pirates	07-02-1949	27
19, 29	Bill Werle	1949 Pittsburgh Pirates	04-22-1949	28
5	Steve Bilko	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	09-22-1949	20
24	Cloyd Boyer	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-23-1949	21
12	Tommy Glaviano	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-19-1949	25
22	Solly Hemus	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-27-1949	26
36	Bill Howerton	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	09-11-1949	27
24	Kurt Krieger	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-21-1949	22
19	Rocky Nelson	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-27-1949	24
33	Bill Reeder	1949 St. Louis Cardinals	04-23-1949	27
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1949 National League Debuts

1949 A.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1949 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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