1962 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."
"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)
National League Debuts

1962

14 Tommy Harper 1962 Cincinnati Reds 04-09-1962 21
14, 7 Ted Savage 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 04-09-1962 26
28 Tommie Aaron 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-10-1962 22
25 Howie Bedell 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-10-1962 26
31, 45 Dave Gerard 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-10-1962 25
5 Howie Goss 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-10-1962 27
17 Cookie Rojas 1962 Cincinnati Reds 04-10-1962 23
27 Amado Samuel 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-10-1962 23
38 Jack Warner 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-10-1962 21
19 Elder White 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-10-1962 28
22 Bob Moorhead 1962 New York Mets 04-11-1962 24
11 Larry Burright 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-12-1962 24
38 Joe Moeller 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-12-1962 19
45 Pete Richert 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-12-1962 22
44 Dick Tracewski 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-12-1962 27
27 Pidge Browne 1962 Houston Colt .45s 04-13-1962 33
35 Ray Daviault 1962 New York Mets 04-13-1962 27
34 Dave Giusti 1962 Houston Colt .45s 04-13-1962 22
48 Jack Hamilton 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 04-13-1962 23
7 Merritt Ranew 1962 Houston Colt .45s 04-13-1962 23
35 Morrie Steevens 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-13-1962 21
8 Bob Uecker 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-13-1962 27
24 Johnny Weekly 1962 Houston Colt .45s 04-13-1962 24
39 Tony Balsamo 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-14-1962 24
32 Sammy Ellis 1962 Cincinnati Reds 04-14-1962 21
9 Jim Hickman 1962 New York Mets 04-14-1962 24
34 Cal Koonce 1962 Chicago Cubs 04-14-1962 21
29 Denis Menke 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-14-1962 21
22, 28 Gaylord Perry 1962 San Francisco Giants 04-14-1962 23
10 Rod Kanehl 1962 New York Mets 04-15-1962 28
14 Dick Phillips 1962 San Francisco Giants 04-15-1962 30
45 Hank Fischer 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-16-1962 22
23 Willard Hunter 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-16-1962 28
38 Manny Mota 1962 San Francisco Giants 04-16-1962 24
39 Bob Veale 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-16-1962 26
36 Jack Lamabe 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-17-1962 25
17 Jacke Davis 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1962 26
14 Larry Elliot 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-19-1962 24
42 Paul Toth 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 04-22-1962 26
22 Cecil Butler 1962 Milwaukee Braves 04-23-1962 24
3 Orlando McFarlane 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-23-1962 23
19 Daryl Robertson 1962 Chicago Cubs 05-04-1962 26
23 Dennis Bennett 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 05-12-1962 22
17 Fred Whitfield 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 05-27-1962 24
27 Dal Maxvill 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 06-10-1962 23
19 Ernie Fazio 1962 Houston Colt .45s 07-03-1962 20
28 Bob Garibaldi 1962 San Francisco Giants 07-15-1962 20
23 Denny Lemaster 1962 Milwaukee Braves 07-15-1962 23
9 Jim Campbell 1962 Houston Colt .45s 07-17-1962 25
37 Tommie Sisk 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-19-1962 20
18 J.C. Hartman 1962 Houston Colt .45s 07-21-1962 28
29 John Boozer 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 07-22-1962 24
22 Ron Davis 1962 Houston Colt .45s 08-01-1962 20
6 Rick Herrscher 1962 New York Mets 08-01-1962 25
14 Carl Boles 1962 San Francisco Giants 08-02-1962 27
24 Bob Burda 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 08-25-1962 24
20, 19 Billy Ott 1962 Chicago Cubs 09-04-1962 21
42 Freddie Burdette 1962 Chicago Cubs 09-05-1962 25
24 Dave Roberts 1962 Houston Colt .45s 09-05-1962 29
45 Ethan Blackaby 1962 Milwaukee Braves 09-06-1962 22
30 Tom Butters 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-08-1962 24
20 Elmo Plaskett 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-08-1962 24
41 Jack Smith 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-10-1962 26
28 Mike Shannon 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 09-11-1962 23
17 Cap Peterson 1962 San Francisco Giants 09-12-1962 20
3 Bob Bailey 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-1962 19
21 John Herrnstein 1962 Philadelphia Phillies 09-15-1962 24
8 Willie Stargell 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-16-1962 22
14 Ken McMullen 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-17-1962 20
40 Harvey Branch 1962 St. Louis Cardinals 09-18-1962 23
35 Bob Priddy 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-20-1962 22
48, 47 Don Prince 1962 Chicago Cubs 09-21-1962 24
21 Ed Kranepool 1962 New York Mets 09-22-1962 17
30, 33 George Gerberman 1962 Chicago Cubs 09-23-1962 20
1962 National League Debuts


 

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

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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