1962 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

1962

39 Ed Kirkpatrick 1962 Los Angeles Angels 09-13-1962 17
42 Jim Manning 1962 Minnesota Twins 04-15-1962 18
34 Bobby Darwin 1962 Los Angeles Angels 09-30-1962 19
8 Andy Etchebarren 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-26-1962 19
1 Jack Jenkins 1962 Washington Senators 09-13-1962 19
8 Brian McCall 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-18-1962 19
19 Dave McNally 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-26-1962 19
44 Jim Roland 1962 Minnesota Twins 09-20-1962 19
10 Dick Simpson 1962 Los Angeles Angels 09-21-1962 19
4 Tommie Agee 1962 Cleveland Indians 09-14-1962 20
31 Tom Fletcher 1962 Detroit Tigers 09-12-1962 20
47 Billy Macleod 1962 Boston Red Sox 09-13-1962 20
38 Marty Martinez 1962 Minnesota Twins 05-02-1962 20
17 Fred Newman 1962 Los Angeles Angels 09-16-1962 20
36 Fred Norman 1962 Kansas City Athletics 09-21-1962 20
31 Rupe Toppin 1962 Kansas City Athletics 07-28-1962 20
17 John Wojcik 1962 Kansas City Athletics 09-09-1962 20
4 Ken Berry 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-09-1962 21
33 Joe Bonikowski 1962 Minnesota Twins 04-12-1962 21
22 Dave DeBusschere 1962 Chicago White Sox 04-22-1962 21
23 Mike Joyce 1962 Chicago White Sox 07-02-1962 21
34 John Kennedy 1962 Washington Senators 09-05-1962 21
25 Dick Kenworthy 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-08-1962 21
34 Mickey McGuire 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-07-1962 21
17 John Miller 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-22-1962 21
25 Joe Pepitone 1962 New York Yankees 04-10-1962 21
23 Floyd Weaver 1962 Cleveland Indians 09-30-1962 21
12 Bernie Allen 1962 Minnesota Twins 04-10-1962 22
17 Bob Baird 1962 Washington Senators 09-03-1962 22
40 Jack Cullen 1962 New York Yankees 09-09-1962 22
19 Bill Faul 1962 Detroit Tigers 09-19-1962 22
32, 51 Doug Gallagher 1962 Detroit Tigers 04-09-1962 22
19 Jim Hannan 1962 Washington Senators 04-17-1962 22
34 Phil Linz 1962 New York Yankees 04-13-1962 22
49 Pete Smith 1962 Boston Red Sox 09-13-1962 22
11 George Banks 1962 Minnesota Twins 04-15-1962 23
56 Jim Bouton 1962 New York Yankees 04-22-1962 23
41 Jake Gibbs 1962 New York Yankees 09-11-1962 23
12 Manny Jimenez 1962 Kansas City Athletics 04-11-1962 23
29 Frank Kreutzer 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-20-1962 23
17 Hector Martinez 1962 Kansas City Athletics 09-30-1962 23
15 Jose Tartabull 1962 Kansas City Athletics 04-10-1962 23
10 Max Alvis 1962 Cleveland Indians 09-11-1962 24
5, 54 Purnal Goldy 1962 Detroit Tigers 06-12-1962 24
15, 19 Merlin Nippert 1962 Boston Red Sox 09-12-1962 24
37 Tony Oliva 1962 Minnesota Twins 09-09-1962 24
27 Art Quirk 1962 Baltimore Orioles 04-17-1962 24
24 Diego Segui 1962 Kansas City Athletics 04-12-1962 24
22 Ron Taylor 1962 Cleveland Indians 04-11-1962 24
41 Verle Tiefenthaler 1962 Chicago White Sox 08-19-1962 24
26 Dave Tyriver 1962 Cleveland Indians 08-21-1962 24
6 Al Weis 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-15-1962 24
36 Bo Belinsky 1962 Los Angeles Angels 04-18-1962 25
25 Doc Edwards 1962 Cleveland Indians 04-21-1962 25
46 Frank Kostro 1962 Detroit Tigers 09-02-1962 25
25 Don Lock 1962 Washington Senators 07-17-1962 25
17 Dick Radatz 1962 Boston Red Sox 04-10-1962 25
30 Bob Tillman 1962 Boston Red Sox 04-15-1962 25
28 Pete Ward 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-21-1962 25
28, 42 Hal Kolstad 1962 Boston Red Sox 04-22-1962 26
35 Julio Navarro 1962 Los Angeles Angels 09-03-1962 26
22 Bob Botz 1962 Los Angeles Angels 05-08-1962 27
9 Ramon Conde 1962 Chicago White Sox 07-17-1962 27
46 Bob Humphreys 1962 Detroit Tigers 09-08-1962 27
26 Dick Luebke 1962 Baltimore Orioles 08-11-1962 27
27 Nate Smith 1962 Baltimore Orioles 09-19-1962 27
16 Ed Charles 1962 Kansas City Athletics 04-11-1962 28
20, 50 Deacon Jones 1962 Chicago White Sox 09-08-1962 28
31 Dan Osinski 1962 Kansas City Athletics 04-11-1962 28
20 Ray Rippelmeyer 1962 Washington Senators 04-14-1962 28
15 Dave Stenhouse 1962 Washington Senators 04-18-1962 28
14 Bill Kern 1962 Kansas City Athletics 09-19-1962 29
19 Felix Torres 1962 Los Angeles Angels 04-10-1962 29
1962 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1962 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.

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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