1978 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."
"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
American League Debuts

1978

37 Tim Conroy 1978 Oakland Athletics 06-23-1978 18
3 Brian Milner 1978 Toronto Blue Jays 06-23-1978 18
15 Mike Morgan 1978 Oakland Athletics 06-11-1978 18
40 Britt Burns 1978 Chicago White Sox 08-05-1978 19
4 Nelson Norman 1978 Texas Rangers 05-20-1978 19
1 Harry Chappas 1978 Chicago White Sox 09-07-1978 20
47 Victor Cruz 1978 Toronto Blue Jays 06-24-1978 20
26 Domingo Ramos 1978 New York Yankees 09-08-1978 20
33 Steve Trout 1978 Chicago White Sox 07-01-1978 20
26 Willie Upshaw 1978 Toronto Blue Jays 04-09-1978 20
14 Jim Anderson 1978 California Angels 07-02-1978 21
31 Steve Baker 1978 Detroit Tigers 05-25-1978 21
19 Roger Erickson 1978 Minnesota Twins 04-06-1978 21
59 Dave Ford 1978 Baltimore Orioles 09-02-1978 21
38 John Henry Johnson 1978 Oakland Athletics 04-10-1978 21
12 Carney Lansford 1978 California Angels 04-08-1978 21
26 Scott Meyer 1978 Oakland Athletics 09-10-1978 21
4 Paul Molitor 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 04-07-1978 21
40 Willie Mueller 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 08-12-1978 21
17 Luis Silverio 1978 Kansas City Royals 09-09-1978 21
38 Alan Wirth 1978 Oakland Athletics 04-09-1978 21
25, 44 Darrell Woodard 1978 Oakland Athletics 08-06-1978 21
44 Danny Darwin 1978 Texas Rangers 09-08-1978 22
53 Ron Davis 1978 New York Yankees 07-29-1978 22
31 Darrell Jackson 1978 Minnesota Twins 06-16-1978 22
10 Hosken Powell 1978 Minnesota Twins 04-05-1978 22
41 Shane Rawley 1978 Seattle Mariners 04-06-1978 22
18 Dennis Sherrill 1978 New York Yankees 09-04-1978 22
47 Bobby Sprowl 1978 Boston Red Sox 09-05-1978 22
41 Ross Baumgarten 1978 Chicago White Sox 08-16-1978 23
45 Jim Beattie 1978 New York Yankees 04-25-1978 23
42 Sheldon Burnside 1978 Detroit Tigers 09-04-1978 23
30 Mike Colbern 1978 Chicago White Sox 07-18-1978 23
25 Brian Doyle 1978 New York Yankees 04-30-1978 23
37 John Flinn 1978 Baltimore Orioles 05-06-1978 23
23 Damaso Garcia 1978 New York Yankees 06-24-1978 23
31 Joe Gates 1978 Chicago White Sox 09-12-1978 23
37 Jim Gaudet 1978 Kansas City Royals 09-10-1978 23
46 Mike Heath 1978 New York Yankees 06-03-1978 23
29 Garth Iorg 1978 Toronto Blue Jays 04-09-1978 23
36 Dwayne Murphy 1978 Oakland Athletics 04-08-1978 23
7 Billy Sample 1978 Texas Rangers 09-02-1978 23
53 Sammy Stewart 1978 Baltimore Orioles 09-01-1978 23
37 Kip Young 1978 Detroit Tigers 07-21-1978 23
11 Charlie Beamon 1978 Seattle Mariners 09-11-1978 24
28 Steve Comer 1978 Texas Rangers 04-15-1978 24
33 Dave Edwards 1978 Minnesota Twins 09-11-1978 24
38 Rich Gale 1978 Kansas City Royals 04-30-1978 24
38 Garry Hancock 1978 Boston Red Sox 07-16-1978 24
23, 49 Craig Minetto 1978 Oakland Athletics 07-04-1978 24
16 Paul Mirabella 1978 Texas Rangers 07-28-1978 24
43 Bill Paschall 1978 Kansas City Royals 09-20-1978 24
27 Andy Replogle 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 04-11-1978 24
25, 48 Bruce Robinson 1978 Oakland Athletics 08-19-1978 24
22 Dave Stegman 1978 Detroit Tigers 09-04-1978 24
20 Bobby Thompson 1978 Texas Rangers 04-16-1978 24
52 Rich Wortham 1978 Chicago White Sox 05-03-1978 24
11 Jeff Yurak 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 09-15-1978 24
36 Mark Bomback 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 09-12-1978 25
17 Mark Budaska 1978 Oakland Athletics 06-06-1978 25
42 Marv Foley 1978 Chicago White Sox 09-11-1978 25
9 Ron Hassey 1978 Cleveland Indians 04-23-1978 25
24 Dave Revering 1978 Oakland Athletics 04-08-1978 25
28 Allen Ripley 1978 Boston Red Sox 04-10-1978 25
43 Randy Stein 1978 Milwaukee Brewers 04-17-1978 25
38 Dave Tobik 1978 Detroit Tigers 08-26-1978 25
15 La Rue Washington 1978 Texas Rangers 09-07-1978 25
31 Wayne Cage 1978 Cleveland Indians 04-22-1978 26
51 Dennis Kinney 1978 Cleveland Indians 04-09-1978 26
26 John LaRose 1978 Boston Red Sox 09-20-1978 26
43 Greg Mahlberg 1978 Texas Rangers 09-24-1978 26
52 Dave Rajsich 1978 New York Yankees 07-02-1978 26
31 Dave Cripe 1978 Kansas City Royals 09-10-1978 27
40 Bob Kammeyer 1978 New York Yankees 07-03-1978 27
35 Dave Machemer 1978 California Angels 06-21-1978 27
25 Tom Spencer 1978 Chicago White Sox 07-17-1978 27
45 Jim Wright 1978 Boston Red Sox 04-15-1978 27
14 Butch Alberts 1978 Toronto Blue Jays 09-07-1978 28
18 Greg Thayer 1978 Minnesota Twins 04-07-1978 28
42 Tom Brown 1978 Seattle Mariners 09-14-1978 29
1978 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1978 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

On April 13, 1954, Hank Aaron made his Major League debut and went 0-for-5. However, in his own autobiography Aaron wrote that he went 0-for-4.

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.
     

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