1952 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."
"You never forget your first hit in the Major Leagues. It was in my third at bat. That was kind of a relief. You could start off 0-for-34." - Ralph Kiner
National League Debuts

1952

11 Toby Atwell 1952 Chicago Cubs 04-15-1952 28
17 Brandy Davis 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-15-1952 24
18 Dick Hall 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-15-1952 21
41 Bud Hardin 1952 Chicago Cubs 04-15-1952 29
26 Clem Koshorek 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-15-1952 26
41 Eddie Mathews 1952 Boston Braves 04-15-1952 20
6 Billy Reed 1952 Boston Braves 04-15-1952 29
16 Johnny Temple 1952 Cincinnati Reds 04-15-1952 24
37 George Crowe 1952 Boston Braves 04-16-1952 31
8 Bobby Del Greco 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-16-1952 19
17 Les Fusselman 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-16-1952 31
30 Dick Hoover 1952 Boston Braves 04-16-1952 26
2 Billy Klaus 1952 Boston Braves 04-16-1952 23
29 Jim Mangan 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-16-1952 22
8 Pete Whisenant 1952 Boston Braves 04-16-1952 22
56 Gene Conley 1952 Boston Braves 04-17-1952 21
22 Bert Thiel 1952 Boston Braves 04-17-1952 25
43 Eddie Yuhas 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-17-1952 27
43 Leon Brinkopf 1952 Chicago Cubs 04-18-1952 25
7 Jack Daniels 1952 Boston Braves 04-18-1952 24
5 Tony Bartirome 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1952 19
38 Herb Gorman 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-19-1952 27
41 Fred Hahn 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-19-1952 23
44 Willard Schmidt 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-19-1952 23
23 Jim Waugh 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1952 18
49 Hoyt Wilhelm 1952 New York Giants 04-19-1952 29
34 Ed Wolfe 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1952 23
9 Joe Rossi 1952 Cincinnati Reds 04-20-1952 31
20 Ron Kline 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-21-1952 20
6 Lee Walls 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-21-1952 19
33 Vinegar Bend Mizell 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 04-22-1952 21
40, 44 Buzz Clarkson 1952 Boston Braves 04-30-1952 37
15 Johnny Rutherford 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 04-30-1952 26
49 Joe Black 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 05-01-1952 28
6 Jack Dittmer 1952 Boston Braves 06-17-1952 24
22 Virgil Jester 1952 Boston Braves 06-18-1952 24
24 Dick Groat 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-19-1952 21
38 Dusty Rhodes 1952 New York Giants 07-13-1952 25
44 Bobby Tiefenauer 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 07-14-1952 22
36 Cal Hogue 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-15-1952 24
22 Mike Clark 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 07-27-1952 30
45 Ray Moore 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-01-1952 26
30, 37 Vern Fear 1952 Chicago Cubs 08-03-1952 27
21 Ron Necciai 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-10-1952 20
36 Stu Miller 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 08-12-1952 24
42 Harvey Haddix 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 08-20-1952 26
5 Sandy Amoros 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 08-22-1952 22
14 Sonny Senerchia 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-22-1952 21
29 Jim Dunn 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-26-1952 21
30 Bill Bell 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-05-1952 18
16 Ken Lehman 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-05-1952 24
23 Jim Greengrass 1952 Cincinnati Reds 09-09-1952 24
18 Jim Hughes 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-13-1952 29
34 Ron Negray 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 09-14-1952 22
8 Ray Katt 1952 New York Giants 09-16-1952 25
5 Daryl Spencer 1952 New York Giants 09-17-1952 24
53 Cal Howe 1952 Chicago Cubs 09-26-1952 27
40 Neal Hertweck 1952 St. Louis Cardinals 09-27-1952 20
1952 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1952 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

Ray Jansen (four for five in his first game), Aubrey Epps (three for four in his first game) and Ed Irvin (two for three in his first game) all finished their career with lifetime batting averages which were greater than their career fielding percentages.
     

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