1951 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."
"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)
American League Debuts

1951

39 Bob DiPietro 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-23-1951 24
36 Ben Flowers 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-29-1951 24
24 Paul Hinrichs 1951 Boston Red Sox 05-16-1951 25
24 Harley Hisner 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-30-1951 24
2, 28 Mel Hoderlein 1951 Boston Red Sox 08-16-1951 28
25, 27 Leo Kiely 1951 Boston Red Sox 06-27-1951 21
21, 28 Karl Olson 1951 Boston Red Sox 06-30-1951 20
34 Al Richter 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-23-1951 24
38 Sammy White 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-26-1951 23
35 Norm Zauchin 1951 Boston Red Sox 09-23-1951 21
5 Bob Boyd 1951 Chicago White Sox 09-08-1951 31
27 Hal Brown 1951 Chicago White Sox 04-19-1951 26
14 Joe DeMaestri 1951 Chicago White Sox 04-19-1951 22
27 Ross Grimsley 1951 Chicago White Sox 09-03-1951 29
27 Sammy Hairston 1951 Chicago White Sox 07-21-1951 31
16 Bob Mahoney 1951 Chicago White Sox 05-03-1951 22
45 Bud Sheely 1951 Chicago White Sox 07-26-1951 30
16 Red Wilson 1951 Chicago White Sox 09-22-1951 22
29 Bob Chakales 1951 Cleveland Indians 04-21-1951 23
28 Jerry Fahr 1951 Cleveland Indians 04-29-1951 26
2 Doug Hansen 1951 Cleveland Indians 09-04-1951 22
36 Sam Jones 1951 Cleveland Indians 09-22-1951 25
23 Hal Naragon 1951 Cleveland Indians 09-23-1951 22
35 Harry Simpson 1951 Cleveland Indians 04-21-1951 25
17 George Zuverink 1951 Cleveland Indians 04-21-1951 26
21 Doc Daugherty 1951 Detroit Tigers 04-22-1951 23
46 Al Federoff 1951 Detroit Tigers 09-27-1951 27
37 Dick Marlowe 1951 Detroit Tigers 09-19-1951 22
19 Wayne McLeland 1951 Detroit Tigers 04-20-1951 26
18 Russ Sullivan 1951 Detroit Tigers 09-08-1951 28
9 Jim Brideweser 1951 New York Yankees 09-29-1951 24
7 Bob Cerv 1951 New York Yankees 08-01-1951 26
20, 45 Clint Courtney 1951 New York Yankees 09-29-1951 24
6, 7 Mickey Mantle 1951 New York Yankees 04-17-1951 19
12 Gil McDougald 1951 New York Yankees 04-20-1951 22
28, 52 Tom Morgan 1951 New York Yankees 04-20-1951 20
20 Art Schallock 1951 New York Yankees 07-16-1951 27
40, 53 Bob Wiesler 1951 New York Yankees 08-03-1951 20
23 Archie Wilson 1951 New York Yankees 09-18-1951 27
3 Lou Limmer 1951 Philadelphia Athletics 04-22-1951 26
6 Ed Samcoff 1951 Philadelphia Athletics 04-21-1951 26
24 Jim Dyck 1951 St. Louis Browns 09-27-1951 29
1/8 Eddie Gaedel 1951 St. Louis Browns 08-19-1951 26
25 Bobby Herrera 1951 St. Louis Browns 04-19-1951 24
6 Bill Jennings 1951 St. Louis Browns 07-19-1951 25
18 Joe Lutz 1951 St. Louis Browns 04-17-1951 26
28 Duke Markell 1951 St. Louis Browns 09-06-1951 28
19 Bob Nieman 1951 St. Louis Browns 09-14-1951 24
16 Frank Saucier 1951 St. Louis Browns 07-21-1951 25
8 Ben Taylor 1951 St. Louis Browns 07-29-1951 26
4 Bud Thomas 1951 St. Louis Browns 09-02-1951 22
26 Bob Turley 1951 St. Louis Browns 09-29-1951 21
24 Alton Brown 1951 Washington Senators 04-21-1951 26
25 Frank Campos 1951 Washington Senators 09-11-1951 27
26 Roy Hawes 1951 Washington Senators 09-23-1951 25
16 Willy Miranda 1951 Washington Senators 05-06-1951 24
29 Dan Porter 1951 Washington Senators 08-16-1951 19
35 Pete Runnels 1951 Washington Senators 07-01-1951 23
25 Frank Sacka 1951 Washington Senators 04-29-1951 26
6 Gene Verble 1951 Washington Senators 04-17-1951 22
1951 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1951 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Ted Cox made his Major League debut in 1977 with the Boston Red Sox and over two games on September 18 and 19, Cox went six for six before he made an out.

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.
     

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