1953 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."
"Baseball is the sport that cackles back at can't-miss kids. Baseball humbles every player sooner or later. Baseball confers greatness stingily, in its own sweet time. At least that's what the bow-tied essayists and sandlot scouts solemnly tell us." - Johnette Howard in Sports Illustrated
American League Debuts

1953

15 Dick Aylward 1953 Cleveland Indians 05-01-1953 27
30 Bruce Barmes 1953 Washington Senators 09-13-1953 23
38 John Baumgartner 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-14-1953 21
2 Reno Bertoia 1953 Detroit Tigers 09-22-1953 18
23 Mike Blyzka 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-21-1953 24
22 Frank Carswell 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-17-1953 33
8 Billy Consolo 1953 Boston Red Sox 04-20-1953 18
15 Yo-Yo Davalillo 1953 Washington Senators 08-01-1953 25
16 Sonny Dixon 1953 Washington Senators 04-20-1953 28
27 Hal Erickson 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-14-1953 33
21 Paul Foytack 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-21-1953 22
15 George Freese 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-29-1953 26
7, 36 Tommy Giordano 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 09-11-1953 27
18 Bill Harrington 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 04-16-1953 25
24 Bobo Holloman 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1953 30
51, 22 Dave Hoskins 1953 Cleveland Indians 04-18-1953 27
6 Billy Hunter 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-14-1953 24
24, 45 Connie Johnson 1953 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1953 30
35 Milt Jordan 1953 Detroit Tigers 04-16-1953 25
25 Al Kaline 1953 Detroit Tigers 06-25-1953 18
15 Bob Keegan 1953 Chicago White Sox 05-24-1953 32
2 Frank Kellert 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1953 28
35 Steve Kraly 1953 New York Yankees 08-09-1953 24
25 Jerry Lane 1953 Washington Senators 07-07-1953 27
27 Don Larsen 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1953 23
41 John Mackinson 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 04-16-1953 29
28 Bob Miller 1953 Detroit Tigers 06-25-1953 17
34 Rinty Monahan 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 08-09-1953 25
10 Bob Oldis 1953 Washington Senators 04-28-1953 25
8 Les Peden 1953 Washington Senators 04-17-1953 29
- Jim Pisoni 1953 St. Louis Browns 09-25-1953 24
28 Bill Renna 1953 New York Yankees 04-14-1953 28
29 Tony Roig 1953 Washington Senators 09-13-1953 25
43 Art Schult 1953 New York Yankees 05-17-1953 24
32 Al Smith 1953 Cleveland Indians 07-10-1953 25
31, 32 Dean Stone 1953 Washington Senators 09-13-1953 23
18 Frank Sullivan 1953 Boston Red Sox 07-31-1953 23
28 Dick Tomanek 1953 Cleveland Indians 09-25-1953 22
26 Gus Triandos 1953 New York Yankees 08-03-1953 23
23 Bob Trice 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 09-13-1953 27
38 Tom Umphlett 1953 Boston Red Sox 04-16-1953 22
36 Dixie Upright 1953 St. Louis Browns 04-18-1953 26
44 Frank Verdi 1953 New York Yankees 05-10-1953 26
45 Neal Watlington 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 07-10-1953 30
7 Spider Wilhelm 1953 Philadelphia Athletics 09-06-1953 24
1953 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1953 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."
     

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