1971 National League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1971 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."

"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

National League Debuts 1971
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
14	Leo Foster	1971 Atlanta Braves	07-09-1971	20
39	Tom House	1971 Atlanta Braves	06-23-1971	24
33	Bill Bonham	1971 Chicago Cubs	04-07-1971	22
19	Pat Bourque	1971 Chicago Cubs	09-06-1971	24
25	Hal Breeden	1971 Chicago Cubs	04-07-1971	26
16	Gene Hiser	1971 Chicago Cubs	08-20-1971	22
44	Burt Hooton	1971 Chicago Cubs	06-17-1971	21
45	Ray Newman	1971 Chicago Cubs	05-16-1971	25
25	Billy North	1971 Chicago Cubs	09-03-1971	23
37	Earl Stephenson	1971 Chicago Cubs	04-07-1971	23
42	Steve Blateric	1971 Cincinnati Reds	09-17-1971	27
48	Ross Grimsley	1971 Cincinnati Reds	05-16-1971	21
16	Ray Busse	1971 Houston Astros	07-24-1971	22
29	Rich Chiles	1971 Houston Astros	04-20-1971	21
44	Bill Greif	1971 Houston Astros	07-19-1971	21
50	J.R. Richard	1971 Houston Astros	09-05-1971	21
17	Jay Schlueter	1971 Houston Astros	06-18-1971	21
19	Derrel Thomas	1971 Houston Astros	09-14-1971	20
31	Larry Yount	1971 Houston Astros	09-15-1971	21
48	Doyle Alexander	1971 Los Angeles Dodgers	06-26-1971	20
10	Ron Cey	1971 Los Angeles Dodgers	09-03-1971	23
50	Bob O'Brien	1971 Los Angeles Dodgers	04-11-1971	21
20	Rich Hacker	1971 Montreal Expos	07-02-1971	23
22	Terry Humphrey	1971 Montreal Expos	09-05-1971	22
21	Ernie McAnally	1971 Montreal Expos	04-11-1971	24
37	Stan Swanson	1971 Montreal Expos	06-23-1971	27
38	Buzz Capra	1971 New York Mets	09-15-1971	23
5	Frank Estrada	1971 New York Mets	09-14-1971	23
32	Jon Matlack	1971 New York Mets	07-11-1971	21
28	John Milner	1971 New York Mets	09-15-1971	21
31	Don Rose	1971 New York Mets	09-15-1971	24
35	Charlie Williams	1971 New York Mets	04-23-1971	23
40	Mike Anderson	1971 Philadelphia Phillies	09-02-1971	20
29	Manny Muniz	1971 Philadelphia Phillies	09-03-1971	23
25	Bruce Kison	1971 Pittsburgh Pirates	07-04-1971	21
48	Rimp Lanier	1971 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-11-1971	22
6	Rennie Stennett	1971 Pittsburgh Pirates	07-10-1971	20
10	Frank Taveras	1971 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-25-1971	21
10	Richie Zisk	1971 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-08-1971	22
23	Mike Caldwell	1971 San Diego Padres	09-04-1971	22
29	Jay Franklin	1971 San Diego Padres	09-04-1971	18
11	Enzo Hernandez	1971 San Diego Padres	04-17-1971	22
28	Mike Ivie	1971 San Diego Padres	09-04-1971	19
31	Chris Arnold	1971 San Francisco Giants	09-07-1971	23
33	Jim Barr	1971 San Francisco Giants	07-31-1971	23
37	Jim Howarth	1971 San Francisco Giants	09-05-1971	24
45	Dave Kingman	1971 San Francisco Giants	07-30-1971	22
8	Dave Rader	1971 San Francisco Giants	09-05-1971	22
43	Jimmy Rosario	1971 San Francisco Giants	04-08-1971	25
35	Chris Speier	1971 San Francisco Giants	04-07-1971	20
33	Steve Stone	1971 San Francisco Giants	04-08-1971	23
19	Jim Willoughby	1971 San Francisco Giants	09-05-1971	22
43	Rudy Arroyo	1971 St. Louis Cardinals	06-01-1971	20
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1971 National League Debuts

1971 A.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1971 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.

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."

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