1965 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."
"You never forget your first hit in the Major Leagues. It was in my third at bat. That was kind of a relief. You could start off 0-for-34." - Ralph Kiner
American League Debuts

1965

57 Art Lopez 1965 New York Yankees 04-12-1965 27
12 Cesar Tovar 1965 Minnesota Twins 04-12-1965 24
47, 28 Sandy Valdespino 1965 Minnesota Twins 04-12-1965 26
6 Davey Johnson 1965 Baltimore Orioles 04-13-1965 22
15, 36 John Sanders 1965 Kansas City Athletics 04-13-1965 19
25 Dick Wantz 1965 Los Angeles Angels 04-13-1965 25
3 Curt Blefary 1965 Baltimore Orioles 04-14-1965 21
23 Bob Locker 1965 Chicago White Sox 04-14-1965 27
53 Ross Moschitto 1965 New York Yankees 04-15-1965 20
22 Jim Palmer 1965 Baltimore Orioles 04-17-1965 19
43 Darold Knowles 1965 Baltimore Orioles 04-18-1965 23
40 Rudy May 1965 Los Angeles Angels 04-18-1965 20
35 Jackie Moore 1965 Detroit Tigers 04-18-1965 26
1 Ray Oyler 1965 Detroit Tigers 04-18-1965 26
8 Skip Lockwood 1965 Kansas City Athletics 04-23-1965 18
16 Jim Lonborg 1965 Boston Red Sox 04-23-1965 23
28 Gil Blanco 1965 New York Yankees 04-24-1965 19
20, 25, 41 John Sevcik 1965 Minnesota Twins 04-24-1965 22
37, 11 Rene Lachemann 1965 Kansas City Athletics 05-04-1965 20
4 Bill Schlesinger 1965 Boston Red Sox 05-04-1965 23
23, 35 Tom Harrison 1965 Kansas City Athletics 05-07-1965 20
41 Mike Hedlund 1965 Cleveland Indians 05-08-1965 18
47 Greg Bollo 1965 Chicago White Sox 05-09-1965 21
41 Jerry Moses 1965 Boston Red Sox 05-09-1965 18
20 Horace Clarke 1965 New York Yankees 05-13-1965 24
27 Catfish Hunter 1965 Kansas City Athletics 05-13-1965 19
20 Don Buschhorn 1965 Kansas City Athletics 05-15-1965 19
30 Tom Egan 1965 Los Angeles Angels 05-27-1965 18
17 Barry Moore 1965 Washington Senators 05-29-1965 22
23 Jesse Hickman 1965 Kansas City Athletics 06-05-1965 26
21 Santiago Rosario 1965 Kansas City Athletics 06-23-1965 25
23 Jim Brenneman 1965 New York Yankees 07-09-1965 24
11 Frank Quilici 1965 Minnesota Twins 07-18-1965 26
26 Jim Merritt 1965 Minnesota Twins 08-02-1965 21
34 Steve Hargan 1965 Cleveland Indians 08-03-1965 22
33 Mark Belanger 1965 Baltimore Orioles 08-07-1965 21
8 Andy Kosco 1965 Minnesota Twins 08-13-1965 23
25, 28 Richie Scheinblum 1965 Cleveland Indians 09-01-1965 22
34 Dick Joyce 1965 Kansas City Athletics 09-03-1965 21
34 Ted Uhlaender 1965 Minnesota Twins 09-04-1965 24
39 John Hiller 1965 Detroit Tigers 09-06-1965 22
29 Mike Jurewicz 1965 New York Yankees 09-07-1965 19
32 Wayne Redmond 1965 Detroit Tigers 09-07-1965 19
48 Roy White 1965 New York Yankees 09-07-1965 21
38 Ed Barnowski 1965 Baltimore Orioles 09-08-1965 22
17 Bobby Murcer 1965 New York Yankees 09-08-1965 19
38 Randy Schwartz 1965 Kansas City Athletics 09-08-1965 21
46 Ron Tompkins 1965 Kansas City Athletics 09-09-1965 20
25 Brant Alyea 1965 Washington Senators 09-11-1965 24
37 Jim French 1965 Washington Senators 09-12-1965 24
23 Rich Beck 1965 New York Yankees 09-14-1965 25
12 Jackie Hernandez 1965 Los Angeles Angels 09-14-1965 25
40 Bill Voss 1965 Chicago White Sox 09-14-1965 21
46 Duane Josephson 1965 Chicago White Sox 09-15-1965 23
32 Paul Lindblad 1965 Kansas City Athletics 09-15-1965 24
12 Bill Davis 1965 Cleveland Indians 09-16-1965 23
32 Paul Casanova 1965 Washington Senators 09-18-1965 23
45 Jim McGlothlin 1965 Los Angeles Angels 09-20-1965 21
13 Ralph Gagliano 1965 Cleveland Indians 09-21-1965 18
35 Pete Cimino 1965 Minnesota Twins 09-22-1965 22
19 Vern Holtgrave 1965 Detroit Tigers 09-26-1965 22
46 Leo Marentette 1965 Detroit Tigers 09-26-1965 24
36 Joe Coleman 1965 Washington Senators 09-28-1965 18
34 Bill Heath 1965 Chicago White Sox 10-03-1965 26
1965 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1965 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Rich Amaral spent nine seasons in the Minor Leagues and upon his callup he commented, "I've been to every baseball park in America, except those in the American and National League."

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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