1997 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

1997

57 Antonio Alfonseca 1997 Florida Marlins 06-17-1997 25
38 Manny Aybar 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 08-04-1997 25
55 Manuel Barrios 1997 Houston Astros 09-16-1997 22
53 Rigo Beltran 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 06-02-1997 27
54 Shayne Bennett 1997 Montreal Expos 08-22-1997 25
56 Jeff Berblinger 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 09-07-1997 26
29 Steve Bieser 1997 New York Mets 04-01-1997 29
54 Henry Blanco 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-25-1997 25
17 Aaron Boone 1997 Cincinnati Reds 06-20-1997 24
49 Chris Brock 1997 Atlanta Braves 06-11-1997 27
13 Adrian Brown 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-16-1997 23
19 Emil Brown 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-03-1997 22
51 Jose Cabrera 1997 Houston Astros 07-15-1997 25
2 Orlando Cabrera 1997 Montreal Expos 09-03-1997 22
38 Mike Cather 1997 Atlanta Braves 07-13-1997 26
6 Lou Collier 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-28-1997 23
49 Joe Crawford 1997 New York Mets 04-07-1997 26
50 Jim Crowell 1997 Cincinnati Reds 09-12-1997 23
39 Will Cunnane 1997 San Diego Padres 04-03-1997 22
34 Rick DeHart 1997 Montreal Expos 07-16-1997 27
44 Mike DeJean 1997 Colorado Rockies 05-02-1997 26
17 Todd Dunwoody 1997 Florida Marlins 05-10-1997 22
44 Todd Erdos 1997 San Diego Padres 06-08-1997 23
53 Steve Falteisek 1997 Montreal Expos 07-22-1997 25
38 Keith Foulke 1997 San Francisco Giants 05-21-1997 24
40 Chad Fox 1997 Atlanta Braves 07-13-1997 26
68 Micah Franklin 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 05-13-1997 25
14 Brad Fullmer 1997 Montreal Expos 09-02-1997 22
12 Shawn Gilbert 1997 New York Mets 06-02-1997 32
61 Wayne Gomes 1997 Philadelphia Phillies 06-13-1997 24
54 Geremi Gonzalez 1997 Chicago Cubs 05-27-1997 22
55 Rick Gorecki 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-10-1997 24
22 Scarborough Green 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 08-02-1997 23
11 Jose Guillen 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-01-1997 20
53 Mike Gulan 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 05-14-1997 26
17 Todd Helton 1997 Colorado Rockies 08-02-1997 23
54 Oscar Henriquez 1997 Houston Astros 09-07-1997 23
15 Richard Hidalgo 1997 Houston Astros 09-01-1997 22
36 Jason Johnson 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-27-1997 23
19 Russ Johnson 1997 Houston Astros 04-08-1997 24
36 Bobby Jones 1997 Colorado Rockies 05-18-1997 25
60 Mike Judd 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-28-1997 22
18 Takashi Kashiwada 1997 New York Mets 05-01-1997 25
57 Curtis King 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 08-01-1997 26
66 Paul Konerko 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-08-1997 21
4 Mark Kotsay 1997 Florida Marlins 07-11-1997 21
27 Derrek Lee 1997 San Diego Padres 04-28-1997 21
50 John LeRoy 1997 Atlanta Braves 09-26-1997 22
11 Cory Lidle 1997 New York Mets 05-08-1997 25
46 Kerry Ligtenberg 1997 Atlanta Braves 08-12-1997 26
52 Joey Long 1997 San Diego Padres 04-25-1997 26
34 Sean Lowe 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 08-29-1997 26
10 Terrell Lowery 1997 Chicago Cubs 09-13-1997 26
26 Eli Marrero 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 09-03-1997 23
41 Tom Martin 1997 Houston Astros 04-02-1997 26
61 Tom McGraw 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 05-07-1997 29
9 Ryan McGuire 1997 Montreal Expos 06-05-1997 25
6 Carlos Mendoza 1997 New York Mets 09-03-1997 22
34 Kevin Millwood 1997 Atlanta Braves 07-14-1997 22
10 Kevin Morgan 1997 New York Mets 06-15-1997 28
35 Matt Morris 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 04-04-1997 22
48 Heath Murray 1997 San Diego Padres 05-24-1997 24
48 Abraham Nunez 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-27-1997 21
35 Ryan Nye 1997 Philadelphia Phillies 06-07-1997 23
33 Kirt Ojala 1997 Florida Marlins 08-18-1997 28
52 Luis Ordaz 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 09-03-1997 22
15 Kevin Orie 1997 Chicago Cubs 04-01-1997 24
41 Marc Pisciotta 1997 Chicago Cubs 06-30-1997 26
2 Kevin Polcovich 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-17-1997 26
23 Dante Powell 1997 San Francisco Giants 04-15-1997 23
64 Brady Raggio 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 04-15-1997 24
49 Edgar Ramos 1997 Philadelphia Phillies 05-21-1997 22
29 Ken Ramos 1997 Houston Astros 05-16-1997 29
3 Pokey Reese 1997 Cincinnati Reds 04-01-1997 23
57 Dennys Reyes 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 07-13-1997 20
51 Adam Riggs 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers 08-07-1997 24
73 Ricardo Rincon 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-03-1997 26
3 Mandy Romero 1997 San Diego Padres 07-15-1997 29
14 Pete Rose 1997 Cincinnati Reds 09-01-1997 27
41 Tony Saunders 1997 Florida Marlins 04-05-1997 22
33 Randall Simon 1997 Atlanta Braves 09-01-1997 22
38 Rob Stanifer 1997 Florida Marlins 05-03-1997 25
38 Everett Stull 1997 Montreal Expos 04-14-1997 25
52 Ramon Tatis 1997 Chicago Cubs 04-05-1997 23
52 John Thomson 1997 Colorado Rockies 05-11-1997 23
51 Mike Thurman 1997 Montreal Expos 09-02-1997 24
40 Brett Tomko 1997 Cincinnati Reds 05-27-1997 24
13 Jorge Velandia 1997 San Diego Padres 06-20-1997 22
37 Jose Vidro 1997 Montreal Expos 06-08-1997 22
39 Jeff Wallace 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-21-1997 21
44 Pat Watkins 1997 Cincinnati Reds 09-09-1997 25
30 Matt Whisenant 1997 Florida Marlins 07-04-1997 26
52 Scott Winchester 1997 Cincinnati Reds 09-08-1997 24
58 Darrin Winston 1997 Philadelphia Phillies 09-10-1997 31
1997 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1997 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

Rich Amaral spent nine seasons in the Minor Leagues and upon his callup he commented, "I've been to every baseball park in America, except those in the American and National League."
     

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