1974 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."
"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
National League Debuts

1974

24 Joe McIntosh 1974 San Diego Padres 04-05-1974 22
45 Jamie Easterly 1974 Atlanta Braves 04-06-1974 21
10 Larry Milbourne 1974 Houston Astros 04-06-1974 23
40 Herb Hutson 1974 Chicago Cubs 04-10-1974 24
29 Stan Papi 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 04-11-1974 23
25 Don DeMola 1974 Montreal Expos 04-13-1974 21
46 Pat Osburn 1974 Cincinnati Reds 04-13-1974 24
43 Dave Freisleben 1974 San Diego Padres 04-26-1974 22
11 Mario Mendoza 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-26-1974 23
32 Jim Sadowski 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-27-1974 22
25 Larry Hardy 1974 San Diego Padres 04-28-1974 26
39 Jim Todd 1974 Chicago Cubs 04-29-1974 26
39 John Fuller 1974 Atlanta Braves 05-09-1974 24
50 Kent Tekulve 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-20-1974 27
48 Dan Spillner 1974 San Diego Padres 05-21-1974 22
28 Dennis Blair 1974 Montreal Expos 05-26-1974 19
44 Larry Demery 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-02-1974 20
27 Ed Ott 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-10-1974 22
47 Jesus Hernaiz 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 06-14-1974 29
9 Steve Swisher 1974 Chicago Cubs 06-14-1974 22
55 Terry Enyart 1974 Montreal Expos 06-17-1974 23
45 Oscar Zamora 1974 Chicago Cubs 06-18-1974 29
37 Will McEnaney 1974 Cincinnati Reds 07-03-1974 22
36 Rick Rhoden 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-05-1974 21
51 Tom Carroll 1974 Cincinnati Reds 07-07-1974 21
31 Bob Forsch 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 07-07-1974 24
27 Dale Murray 1974 Montreal Expos 07-07-1974 24
28 Ed Halicki 1974 San Francisco Giants 07-08-1974 23
14 Art Howe 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-10-1974 27
15 Alan Bannister 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 07-13-1974 22
22 Mike Johnson 1974 San Diego Padres 07-25-1974 23
38 Rusty Gerhardt 1974 San Diego Padres 07-27-1974 23
40 Rex Hudson 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-27-1974 20
11 Junior Kennedy 1974 Cincinnati Reds 08-09-1974 24
24 Danny Godby 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 08-10-1974 27
16 Rob Sperring 1974 Chicago Cubs 08-11-1974 24
34 Tom Underwood 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 08-19-1974 20
24 Ramon de los Santos 1974 Houston Astros 08-21-1974 25
18 Benny Ayala 1974 New York Mets 08-27-1974 23
18 Keith Hernandez 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 08-30-1974 20
6 Bill Almon 1974 San Diego Padres 09-02-1974 21
37 Miguel Dilone 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-02-1974 19
42 Jerry Turner 1974 San Diego Padres 09-02-1974 20
28 Ron Dunn 1974 Chicago Cubs 09-03-1974 24
50 John Montefusco 1974 San Francisco Giants 09-03-1974 24
46 Larry Herndon 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 09-04-1974 20
49 Warren Cromartie 1974 Montreal Expos 09-06-1974 20
50 Larry Parrish 1974 Montreal Expos 09-06-1974 20
27 Mike Beard 1974 Atlanta Braves 09-07-1974 24
11 Jerry Martin 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 09-07-1974 25
34 John Scott 1974 San Diego Padres 09-07-1974 22
31 Paul Siebert 1974 Houston Astros 09-07-1974 21
43 John Hale 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-08-1974 21
48 Butch Metzger 1974 San Francisco Giants 09-08-1974 22
20 Glenn Redmon 1974 San Francisco Giants 09-08-1974 26
56 Juan Jimenez 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-09-1974 25
25 Ray Knight 1974 Cincinnati Reds 09-10-1974 21
46 Gary Lavelle 1974 San Francisco Giants 09-10-1974 25
29 Jerry Mumphrey 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 09-10-1974 22
2 Brock Pemberton 1974 New York Mets 09-10-1974 20
26 Bruce Boisclair 1974 New York Mets 09-11-1974 21
58 Pat Darcy 1974 Cincinnati Reds 09-12-1974 24
36 John Denny 1974 St. Louis Cardinals 09-12-1974 21
49 Rawly Eastwick 1974 Cincinnati Reds 09-12-1974 23
20 Ike Hampton 1974 New York Mets 09-12-1974 23
14 Ivan DeJesus 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-13-1974 21
48 Nino Espinosa 1974 New York Mets 09-13-1974 21
6 Rich Puig 1974 New York Mets 09-13-1974 21
34 Ken Macha 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-1974 23
46 Jim Minshall 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-1974 27
57 Gary Carter 1974 Montreal Expos 09-16-1974 20
35 Randy Sterling 1974 New York Mets 09-16-1974 23
37 Jerry White 1974 Montreal Expos 09-16-1974 22
48 Erskine Thomason 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 09-18-1974 26
9 John Stearns 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 09-22-1974 23
42 Pat Scanlon 1974 Montreal Expos 09-27-1974 22
4 Kevin Pasley 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 10-02-1974 21
1974 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1974 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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.
     

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