1986 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."
"There is a certain amount of fascination to the big league debut of any athlete. Sometimes they are incredible successes. Sometimes they are frenetic failures." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley
National League Debuts

1986

29, 57 Tracy Jones 1986 Cincinnati Reds 04-07-1986 25
44 John Kruk 1986 San Diego Padres 04-07-1986 25
2 Bip Roberts 1986 San Diego Padres 04-07-1986 22
22 Will Clark 1986 San Francisco Giants 04-08-1986 22
6 Robby Thompson 1986 San Francisco Giants 04-08-1986 23
30 Tony Walker 1986 Houston Astros 04-08-1986 26
28 Kal Daniels 1986 Cincinnati Reds 04-09-1986 22
38 Scott Terry 1986 Cincinnati Reds 04-09-1986 26
49 Jeff Parrett 1986 Montreal Expos 04-11-1986 24
30 Paul Assenmacher 1986 Atlanta Braves 04-12-1986 25
48 Duane Ward 1986 Atlanta Braves 04-12-1986 21
51 Rafael Montalvo 1986 Houston Astros 04-13-1986 22
11 Kurt Stillwell 1986 Cincinnati Reds 04-13-1986 20
18, 11 Greg Legg 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 04-18-1986 25
33 Barry Lyons 1986 New York Mets 04-19-1986 25
26 Chris James 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 04-23-1986 23
52 Balvino Galvez 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers 05-07-1986 22
26 Chuck Hensley 1986 San Francisco Giants 05-10-1986 27
49 Ed Hearn 1986 New York Mets 05-17-1986 25
12 Mark Wasinger 1986 San Diego Padres 05-27-1986 24
1 Mike Aldrete 1986 San Francisco Giants 05-28-1986 25
7, 24 Barry Bonds 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-30-1986 21
31 Ed Olwine 1986 Atlanta Braves 06-02-1986 28
44 Mike Maddux 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 06-03-1986 24
53 Greg Mathews 1986 St. Louis Cardinals 06-03-1986 24
9 Casey Candaele 1986 Montreal Expos 06-05-1986 25
38 Manny Hernandez 1986 Houston Astros 06-05-1986 25
45 Terry Mulholland 1986 San Francisco Giants 06-08-1986 23
32 Rick Anderson 1986 New York Mets 06-09-1986 29
1 Dave Martinez 1986 Chicago Cubs 06-15-1986 21
49 Jamie Moyer 1986 Chicago Cubs 06-16-1986 23
9 Randy Kutcher 1986 San Francisco Giants 06-19-1986 26
38 Craig Shipley 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers 06-22-1986 23
33 Jeff Hamilton 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers 06-28-1986 22
47 Bruce Ruffin 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 06-28-1986 22
36 Rich Sauveur 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-01-1986 22
26 Louie Meadows 1986 Houston Astros 07-03-1986 25
47 Ray Soff 1986 St. Louis Cardinals 07-17-1986 27
50 Barry Jones 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-18-1986 23
14 Bill Moore 1986 Montreal Expos 07-19-1986 25
42 Tom Funk 1986 Houston Astros 07-24-1986 24
37 Kelly Downs 1986 San Francisco Giants 07-29-1986 25
39 Cliff Speck 1986 Atlanta Braves 07-30-1986 29
17 Luis Rivera 1986 Montreal Expos 08-03-1986 22
33 John Morris 1986 St. Louis Cardinals 08-05-1986 25
33 Mike Jackson 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 08-11-1986 21
15 Barry Larkin 1986 Cincinnati Reds 08-13-1986 22
41 Mike Martin 1986 Chicago Cubs 08-15-1986 27
43 Bill Landrum 1986 Cincinnati Reds 08-31-1986 29
16 Hipolito Pena 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-01-1986 22
57 John Smiley 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-01-1986 21
34 Jeff Bittiger 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 09-02-1986 24
2 Kevin Elster 1986 New York Mets 09-02-1986 22
31 Greg Maddux 1986 Chicago Cubs 09-02-1986 20
7 Robbie Wine 1986 Houston Astros 09-02-1986 24
15 Jim Lindeman 1986 St. Louis Cardinals 09-03-1986 24
20 Larry See 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-03-1986 26
54 Stan Fansler 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-06-1986 21
27 Stan Jefferson 1986 New York Mets 09-07-1986 23
29 Dave Magadan 1986 New York Mets 09-07-1986 23
43 John Mitchell 1986 New York Mets 09-08-1986 21
25 Rafael Palmeiro 1986 Chicago Cubs 09-08-1986 21
55 Wilfredo Tejada 1986 Montreal Expos 09-09-1986 23
26 Randy Bockus 1986 San Francisco Giants 09-10-1986 25
12 Phil Ouellette 1986 San Francisco Giants 09-10-1986 24
50 Sergio Valdez 1986 Montreal Expos 09-10-1986 22
12 Randy Asadoor 1986 San Diego Padres 09-14-1986 23
20 Gary Green 1986 San Diego Padres 09-14-1986 24
44 Drew Hall 1986 Chicago Cubs 09-14-1986 23
17 Tim Pyznarski 1986 San Diego Padres 09-14-1986 26
13 Rich Renteria 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-1986 24
10 Benito Santiago 1986 San Diego Padres 09-14-1986 21
7 Ruben Rodriguez 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-15-1986 22
48 Marvin Freeman 1986 Philadelphia Phillies 09-16-1986 23
50 Ed Vosberg 1986 San Diego Padres 09-17-1986 24
25 Ray Hayward 1986 San Diego Padres 09-20-1986 25
27 Mark Parent 1986 San Diego Padres 09-20-1986 25
45 Jimmy Jones 1986 San Diego Padres 09-21-1986 22
41 Bill Earley 1986 St. Louis Cardinals 09-22-1986 30
1986 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1986 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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