1979 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

1979

43 Tony Brizzolara 1979 Atlanta Braves 05-19-1979 22
31 Mike Macha 1979 Atlanta Braves 04-20-1979 25
39 Rick Mahler 1979 Atlanta Braves 04-20-1979 25
29 Rick Matula 1979 Atlanta Braves 04-08-1979 25
16 Jim Wessinger 1979 Atlanta Braves 08-04-1979 23
36 Bill Caudill 1979 Chicago Cubs 05-12-1979 22
29 Steve Davis 1979 Chicago Cubs 09-23-1979 25
12 Steve Macko 1979 Chicago Cubs 08-18-1979 24
33 George Riley 1979 Chicago Cubs 09-15-1979 22
17 Kurt Seibert 1979 Chicago Cubs 09-03-1979 23
44 Charlie Leibrandt 1979 Cincinnati Reds 09-17-1979 22
35 Frank Pastore 1979 Cincinnati Reds 04-04-1979 21
21 Rafael Santo Domingo 1979 Cincinnati Reds 09-07-1979 23
20 Danny Heep 1979 Houston Astros 08-31-1979 22
11 Alan Knicely 1979 Houston Astros 08-12-1979 24
39 Pete Ladd 1979 Houston Astros 08-17-1979 23
54 Mike Mendoza 1979 Houston Astros 09-07-1979 23
46 Randy Niemann 1979 Houston Astros 05-20-1979 23
34 Gordie Pladson 1979 Houston Astros 09-07-1979 23
42 Bert Roberge 1979 Houston Astros 05-28-1979 24
19 Tom Wiedenbauer 1979 Houston Astros 09-14-1979 20
41 Gary Wilson 1979 Houston Astros 04-13-1979 24
27 Joe Beckwith 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-21-1979 24
44 Mickey Hatcher 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers 08-03-1979 24
56 Dave Patterson 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers 06-09-1979 22
7 Tony Bernazard 1979 Montreal Expos 07-13-1979 22
34 Bill Gullickson 1979 Montreal Expos 09-26-1979 20
32 Tim Raines 1979 Montreal Expos 09-11-1979 19
46 Neil Allen 1979 New York Mets 04-15-1979 21
10 Kelvin Chapman 1979 New York Mets 04-05-1979 22
61, 47 Jesse Orosco 1979 New York Mets 04-05-1979 21
45 Jeff Reardon 1979 New York Mets 08-25-1979 23
30 Mike Scott 1979 New York Mets 04-18-1979 23
48 Dickie Noles 1979 Philadelphia Phillies 07-05-1979 22
26 John Poff 1979 Philadelphia Phillies 09-08-1979 26
2 Gary Hargis 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-29-1979 22
30 Tim Flannery 1979 San Diego Padres 09-03-1979 21
49 Tom Tellmann 1979 San Diego Padres 06-09-1979 25
18 Greg Johnston 1979 San Francisco Giants 07-27-1979 24
30 Bob Kearney 1979 San Francisco Giants 09-25-1979 22
20 Joe Strain 1979 San Francisco Giants 06-28-1979 25
49 Max Venable 1979 San Francisco Giants 04-08-1979 21
41 John Fulgham 1979 St. Louis Cardinals 06-19-1979 23
28 Tom Herr 1979 St. Louis Cardinals 08-13-1979 23
48 Kim Seaman 1979 St. Louis Cardinals 09-28-1979 22
1979 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1979 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

On the final day of the 1930 season, Dizzy Dean was called up and pitched a three-hitter. In Spring Training the following year, Dean had a fight with catcher Gabby Street and the franchise left him in the Minor Leagues all season long.

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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