2003 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

2003

57 Ryan Madson 2003 Philadelphia Phillies 03-21-2003 22
27 Luis Terrero 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 03-28-2003 22
56 Luis Ayala 2003 Montreal Expos 03-31-2003 25
53, 22 Ron Calloway 2003 Montreal Expos 03-31-2003 26
57 Tommy Phelps 2003 Florida Marlins 03-31-2003 29
34 Stephen Randolph 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 03-31-2003 28
56 Oscar Villarreal 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 03-31-2003 21
45 Javier Lopez 2003 Colorado Rockies 04-01-2003 25
77, 40 Kiko Calero 2003 St. Louis Cardinals 04-02-2003 28
9 Enrique Cruz 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 04-02-2003 21
52 Matt Ford 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 04-02-2003 21
30 Horacio Ramirez 2003 Atlanta Braves 04-02-2003 23
3 Shane Victorino 2003 San Diego Padres 04-02-2003 22
64, 50 Steve Colyer 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-03-2003 24
26 Chase Utley 2003 Philadelphia Phillies 04-04-2003 24
7 Robby Hammock 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 04-11-2003 25
34 Jesse Foppert 2003 San Francisco Giants 04-14-2003 22
43 Kevin Ohme 2003 St. Louis Cardinals 04-14-2003 32
52 Andrew Good 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 04-18-2003 23
55 Brandon Webb 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 04-22-2003 23
33 Claudio Vargas 2003 Montreal Expos 04-26-2003 24
57 Jerome Williams 2003 San Francisco Giants 04-26-2003 21
57 Chris Capuano 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 05-04-2003 24
35 Nate Bland 2003 Houston Astros 05-05-2003 28
56 Jason Ellison 2003 San Francisco Giants 05-09-2003 25
35 Dontrelle Willis 2003 Florida Marlins 05-09-2003 21
58 Roger Deago 2003 San Diego Padres 05-10-2003 25
49 Jason Young 2003 Colorado Rockies 05-12-2003 23
40 Todd Wellemeyer 2003 Chicago Cubs 05-15-2003 24
20 Miguel Ojeda 2003 San Diego Padres 05-17-2003 28
61 Jeff Duncan 2003 New York Mets 05-20-2003 24
2 Jason Bay 2003 San Diego Padres 05-23-2003 24
4 Ray Olmedo 2003 Cincinnati Reds 05-25-2003 21
49 Bubba Crosby 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers 05-29-2003 26
1, 9 Colin Porter 2003 Houston Astros 05-30-2003 27
49 Edgar Gonzalez 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 06-01-2003 20
47 Jose Valverde 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 06-01-2003 25
46 Jeremy Griffiths 2003 New York Mets 06-05-2003 25
44 Julio Manon 2003 Montreal Expos 06-05-2003 29
32 Anthony Ferrari 2003 Montreal Expos 06-07-2003 24
28 David Kelton 2003 Chicago Cubs 06-08-2003 23
7 Jose Reyes 2003 New York Mets 06-10-2003 19
57 Jason Roach 2003 New York Mets 06-14-2003 27
11 Matt Kata 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks 06-15-2003 25
16 Francisco Santos 2003 San Francisco Giants 06-18-2003 29
31 Bo Hart 2003 St. Louis Cardinals 06-19-2003 26
20 Miguel Cabrera 2003 Florida Marlins 06-20-2003 20
60 Rodrigo Rosario 2003 Houston Astros 06-21-2003 25
21 Carlos Valderrama 2003 San Francisco Giants 06-21-2003 25
55 Carlos Rivera 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-22-2003 25
48 Aaron Heilman 2003 New York Mets 06-26-2003 24
4 Eric Bruntlett 2003 Houston Astros 06-27-2003 25
1 Dave Matranga 2003 Houston Astros 06-27-2003 26
46 Matt Miller 2003 Colorado Rockies 06-27-2003 31
40 Nate Bump 2003 Florida Marlins 06-28-2003 26
77 Jimmy Journell 2003 St. Louis Cardinals 06-29-2003 25
50 Dan Haren 2003 St. Louis Cardinals 06-30-2003 22
37 Stephen Smitherman 2003 Cincinnati Reds 07-01-2003 24
45 Mike Gallo 2003 Houston Astros 07-02-2003 26
59 Bryan Hebson 2003 Montreal Expos 07-06-2003 27
56 Edwin Almonte 2003 New York Mets 07-07-2003 26
50, 53 Kevin Correia 2003 San Francisco Giants 07-10-2003 22
38 Ryan Wagner 2003 Cincinnati Reds 07-19-2003 21
52 Sergio Mitre 2003 Chicago Cubs 07-22-2003 22
3 Rene Reyes 2003 Colorado Rockies 07-22-2003 25
71 Chin-hui Tsao 2003 Colorado Rockies 07-25-2003 22
53 Roy Corcoran 2003 Montreal Expos 07-30-2003 23
58 Josh Hall 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-02-2003 22
33 David Manning 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 08-02-2003 30
27 Garrett Atkins 2003 Colorado Rockies 08-03-2003 23
53 Mark Budzinski 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-03-2003 29
10 Joe DePastino 2003 New York Mets 08-05-2003 29
51 Michael Gonzalez 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-11-2003 25
63 Dernell Stenson 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-13-2003 25
50 Todd Linden 2003 San Francisco Giants 08-18-2003 23
12 Mike Hessman 2003 Atlanta Braves 08-22-2003 25
64 Jim Chamblee 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-24-2003 28
20 Prentice Redman 2003 New York Mets 08-24-2003 24
48 Joe Valentine 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-24-2003 23
60 Tim Hummel 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-26-2003 24
65 Scott Randall 2003 Cincinnati Reds 08-26-2003 27
56 Geoff Geary 2003 Philadelphia Phillies 08-27-2003 27
62 Chad Cordero 2003 Montreal Expos 08-30-2003 21
12 Danny Garcia 2003 New York Mets 09-02-2003 23
3 Khalil Greene 2003 San Diego Padres 09-03-2003 23
31 Luis Martinez 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 09-03-2003 23
11 Humberto Quintero 2003 San Diego Padres 09-03-2003 24
62 Felix Sanchez 2003 Chicago Cubs 09-03-2003 21
12 Clint Barmes 2003 Colorado Rockies 09-05-2003 24
55 Koyie Hill 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-05-2003 24
60 Noah Lowry 2003 San Francisco Giants 09-05-2003 22
28 Lance Niekro 2003 San Francisco Giants 09-05-2003 24
57 Pete Zoccolillo 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 09-05-2003 26
67 Dane Sardinha 2003 Cincinnati Reds 09-06-2003 24
70 Matt Belisle 2003 Cincinnati Reds 09-07-2003 23
71 Juan Cerros 2003 Cincinnati Reds 09-08-2003 26
23 Travis Chapman 2003 Philadelphia Phillies 09-09-2003 25
36 Edwin Jackson 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-09-2003 20
50 Matt Watson 2003 New York Mets 09-12-2003 24
27 Mike Glavine 2003 New York Mets 09-14-2003 30
39 John Grabow 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-14-2003 24
23 Rickie Weeks 2003 Milwaukee Brewers 09-15-2003 21
30 J.R. House 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-27-2003 23
12 Andy Machado 2003 Philadelphia Phillies 09-27-2003 22
2003 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 2003 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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."

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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