1963 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 a certain amount of fascination to the big league debut of any athlete. Sometimes they are incredible successes. Sometimes they are frenetic failures." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley
National League Debuts

1963

42 Jay Dahl 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-27-1963 17
23 Ivan Murrell 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-28-1963 18
22 John Paciorek 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-29-1963 18
8, 24 Dave Adlesh 1963 Houston Colt .45s 05-12-1963 19
22 Wade Blasingame 1963 Milwaukee Braves 09-17-1963 19
34 Dick Calmus 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-22-1963 19
10 Jose Cardenal 1963 San Francisco Giants 04-14-1963 19
29 Brock Davis 1963 Houston Colt .45s 04-09-1963 19
26 Derrell Griffith 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-26-1963 19
19 Sonny Jackson 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-27-1963 19
44 Marcelino Lopez 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 04-14-1963 19
48 Al Stanek 1963 San Francisco Giants 04-26-1963 19
10 Rusty Staub 1963 Houston Colt .45s 04-09-1963 19
4 Glenn Vaughan 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-20-1963 19
44 Chris Zachary 1963 Houston Colt .45s 04-11-1963 19
39 Steve Dillon 1963 New York Mets 09-05-1963 20
36 Roy Gleason 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-03-1963 20
6 Jerry Grote 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-21-1963 20
12 Joe Morgan 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-21-1963 20
25 Dan Schneider 1963 Milwaukee Braves 05-12-1963 20
14 Woody Woodward 1963 Milwaukee Braves 09-09-1963 20
47 Larry Yellen 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-26-1963 20
32 Dick Allen 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 09-03-1963 21
14 Jesus Alou 1963 San Francisco Giants 09-10-1963 21
31 Larry Bearnarth 1963 New York Mets 04-16-1963 21
34 Conrad Cardinal 1963 Houston Colt .45s 04-11-1963 21
41 Danny Coombs 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-27-1963 21
37 Ray Culp 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 04-10-1963 21
16 Phil Gagliano 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 04-16-1963 21
16 Jim Ray Hart 1963 San Francisco Giants 07-07-1963 21
34 Cleon Jones 1963 New York Mets 09-14-1963 21
10 Jeoff Long 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 07-31-1963 21
17 Aaron Pointer 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-22-1963 21
14 Pete Rose 1963 Cincinnati Reds 04-08-1963 21
18 Jimmy Wynn 1963 Houston Colt .45s 07-10-1963 21
7 John Bateman 1963 Houston Colt .45s 04-19-1963 22
22 John Boccabella 1963 Chicago Cubs 09-02-1963 22
30 Harry Fanok 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 04-16-1963 22
33 Ron Hunt 1963 New York Mets 04-16-1963 22
36 Frank Linzy 1963 San Francisco Giants 08-14-1963 22
29 Nate Oliver 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-09-1963 22
41 Grover Powell 1963 New York Mets 07-13-1963 22
28 Nick Willhite 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 06-16-1963 22
12 Gene Alley 1963 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-04-1963 23
16 Ron Brand 1963 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-26-1963 23
20 Al Ferrara 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-30-1963 23
5 Dick Nen 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-18-1963 23
35 Tom Parsons 1963 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-05-1963 23
17 Jim Beauchamp 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 09-22-1963 24
77 Rico Carty 1963 Milwaukee Braves 09-15-1963 24
40 Al Moran 1963 New York Mets 04-09-1963 24
43 Ted Schreiber 1963 New York Mets 04-14-1963 24
16 Dick Smith 1963 New York Mets 07-20-1963 24
19 Jimmy Stewart 1963 Chicago Cubs 09-03-1963 24
16 Mike White 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-21-1963 24
20 Billy Cowan 1963 Chicago Cubs 09-09-1963 25
19 Jack Damaska 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 07-03-1963 25
34 Jim Dickson 1963 Houston Colt .45s 07-02-1963 25
34 Ron Herbel 1963 San Francisco Giants 09-10-1963 25
33 Phil Mudrock 1963 Chicago Cubs 04-19-1963 25
37 Bob Sadowski 1963 Milwaukee Braves 06-19-1963 25
29 Corky Withrow 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 09-06-1963 25
9 Cal Emery 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 07-15-1963 26
48 Joe Hoerner 1963 Houston Colt .45s 09-27-1963 26
19 Bud Bloomfield 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 09-25-1963 27
34 Wayne Graham 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 04-10-1963 27
29 Don Rowe 1963 New York Mets 04-09-1963 27
9 Mickey Harrington 1963 Philadelphia Phillies 07-10-1963 28
38 Dave Ricketts 1963 St. Louis Cardinals 09-25-1963 28
41 Tom Baker 1963 Chicago Cubs 08-02-1963 29
39 Ken Rowe 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-14-1963 29
40 John Pregenzer 1963 San Francisco Giants 04-20-1963 30
20 Dick Scott 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 05-08-1963 30
1963 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1963 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Did you know that Future hall of famer Addie Joss made his Major League pitching debut on April 26, 1902 and tossed a one hitter?

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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