1955 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

1955

15 Ted Abernathy 1955 Washington Senators 04-13-1955 22
22 Hank Aguirre 1955 Cleveland Indians 09-10-1955 24
37 Bob Alexander 1955 Baltimore Orioles 04-11-1955 32
45, 6 Joe Altobelli 1955 Cleveland Indians 04-14-1955 22
35, 26 Earl Battey 1955 Chicago White Sox 09-10-1955 20
40 Frank Baumann 1955 Boston Red Sox 07-31-1955 22
39 Julio Becquer 1955 Washington Senators 09-13-1955 23
19 Babe Birrer 1955 Detroit Tigers 06-05-1955 25
38 Johnny Blanchard 1955 New York Yankees 09-25-1955 22
12 Clete Boyer 1955 Kansas City Athletics 06-05-1955 18
15 Jim Bunning 1955 Detroit Tigers 07-20-1955 23
40 Tom Carroll 1955 New York Yankees 05-07-1955 18
33 Wayne Causey 1955 Baltimore Orioles 06-05-1955 18
19 Art Ceccarelli 1955 Kansas City Athletics 05-03-1955 25
21 Webbo Clarke 1955 Washington Senators 09-04-1955 27
38 Rocky Colavito 1955 Cleveland Indians 09-10-1955 22
30 Rip Coleman 1955 New York Yankees 08-15-1955 24
8 Glenn Cox 1955 Kansas City Athletics 09-20-1955 24
15 Walt Craddock 1955 Kansas City Athletics 09-03-1955 23
30, 43 Bill Currie 1955 Washington Senators 04-13-1955 26
5 Angelo Dagres 1955 Baltimore Orioles 09-11-1955 21
28 Bud Daley 1955 Cleveland Indians 09-10-1955 22
24 Pete Daley 1955 Boston Red Sox 05-03-1955 25
34 Juan Delis 1955 Washington Senators 04-16-1955 27
46 Don Ferrarese 1955 Baltimore Orioles 04-11-1955 25
26 Van Fletcher 1955 Detroit Tigers 04-12-1955 30
38 Bill Froats 1955 Detroit Tigers 04-22-1955 24
10 Tom Gastall 1955 Baltimore Orioles 06-21-1955 23
46 Alex George 1955 Kansas City Athletics 09-16-1955 16
16 Vince Gonzales 1955 Washington Senators 04-13-1955 29
6 Bob Hale 1955 Baltimore Orioles 07-04-1955 21
37 Billy Harrell 1955 Cleveland Indians 09-02-1955 27
25 Bob Harrison 1955 Baltimore Orioles 09-23-1955 25
32 Elston Howard 1955 New York Yankees 04-14-1955 26
32 Dick Hyde 1955 Washington Senators 04-23-1955 26
25 Bobby Kline 1955 Washington Senators 04-11-1955 26
53 Johnny Kucks 1955 New York Yankees 04-17-1955 21
8 Kenny Kuhn 1955 Cleveland Indians 07-07-1955 18
29 Mike Kume 1955 Kansas City Athletics 08-26-1955 29
9, 40 Don Leppert 1955 Baltimore Orioles 04-11-1955 24
13 Chuck Locke 1955 Baltimore Orioles 09-16-1955 23
32 Stu Locklin 1955 Cleveland Indians 06-23-1955 26
1, 10 Hector Lopez 1955 Kansas City Athletics 05-12-1955 25
47 Duke Maas 1955 Detroit Tigers 04-21-1955 26
10 Eric Mackenzie 1955 Kansas City Athletics 04-23-1955 22
21, 25 Harry Malmberg 1955 Detroit Tigers 04-12-1955 29
7, 11 Frank Malzone 1955 Boston Red Sox 09-17-1955 25
24 Roger Marquis 1955 Baltimore Orioles 09-25-1955 18
37 Tex Nelson 1955 Baltimore Orioles 06-22-1955 18
37 Ernie Oravetz 1955 Washington Senators 04-11-1955 23
22 Jim Pagliaroni 1955 Boston Red Sox 08-13-1955 17
35 Stan Pawloski 1955 Cleveland Indians 09-24-1955 24
11 Buddy Peterson 1955 Chicago White Sox 09-14-1955 30
11 Bubba Phillips 1955 Detroit Tigers 04-12-1955 27
6 Don Plarski 1955 Kansas City Athletics 07-20-1955 25
21 Bob Powell 1955 Chicago White Sox 09-16-1955 21
8 Jim Pyburn 1955 Baltimore Orioles 04-17-1955 22
28 Pedro Ramos 1955 Washington Senators 04-11-1955 19
17 Bobby Richardson 1955 New York Yankees 08-05-1955 19
40 Brooks Robinson 1955 Baltimore Orioles 09-17-1955 18
29 Jerry Schoonmaker 1955 Washington Senators 06-11-1955 21
6 Jerry Schypinski 1955 Kansas City Athletics 08-31-1955 23
27 Herb Score 1955 Cleveland Indians 04-15-1955 21
20, 21 Jim Small 1955 Detroit Tigers 06-22-1955 18
39 Bob Smith 1955 Boston Red Sox 04-29-1955 24
22 Hal Smith 1955 Baltimore Orioles 04-11-1955 24
29 Bob Spicer 1955 Kansas City Athletics 04-17-1955 30
31 Bill Stewart 1955 Kansas City Athletics 04-17-1955 27
47 Tom Sturdivant 1955 New York Yankees 04-14-1955 24
44 Haywood Sullivan 1955 Boston Red Sox 09-20-1955 24
27, 41 George Susce 1955 Boston Red Sox 04-15-1955 23
44 Dick Tettelbach 1955 New York Yankees 09-25-1955 26
41 Marv Throneberry 1955 New York Yankees 09-25-1955 22
44 Joe Trimble 1955 Boston Red Sox 04-29-1955 24
36 Jose Valdivielso 1955 Washington Senators 06-21-1955 21
27 Ed White 1955 Chicago White Sox 09-16-1955 29
1955 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1955 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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?
     

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