2005 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."
"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
American League Debuts

2005

18 Chip Ambres 2005 Kansas City Royals 07-20-2005 25
44 Brian Anderson 2005 Chicago White Sox 08-16-2005 23
30 Scott Baker 2005 Minnesota Twins 05-07-2005 23
22 Jonah Bayliss 2005 Kansas City Royals 06-21-2005 24
58 Colter Bean 2005 New York Yankees 04-26-2005 28
46 Yuniesky Betancourt 2005 Seattle Mariners 07-28-2005 23
44 Jason Botts 2005 Texas Rangers 09-14-2005 25
56 Travis Bowyer 2005 Minnesota Twins 09-10-2005 24
62 Jaime Bubela 2005 Seattle Mariners 09-15-2005 27
50 Ambiorix Burgos 2005 Kansas City Royals 04-23-2005 21
49 Freddie Bynum 2005 Oakland Athletics 08-30-2005 25
39 Melky Cabrera 2005 New York Yankees 07-07-2005 20
37 Napoleon Calzado 2005 Baltimore Orioles 05-29-2005 28
32, 49 Jorge Campillo 2005 Seattle Mariners 05-20-2005 26
14, 22 Robinson Cano 2005 New York Yankees 05-03-2005 22
64 Bernie Castro 2005 Baltimore Orioles 09-01-2005 26
54 Shin-Soo Choo 2005 Seattle Mariners 04-21-2005 22
56 Tim Corcoran 2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 06-14-2005 27
2 Fernando Cortez 2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 07-05-2005 23
15 Shane Costa 2005 Kansas City Royals 06-02-2005 23
57 Manny Delcarmen 2005 Boston Red Sox 07-26-2005 23
52 Chris Demaria 2005 Kansas City Royals 09-09-2005 24
39 Scott Feldman 2005 Texas Rangers 08-31-2005 22
16 Jeff Fiorentino 2005 Baltimore Orioles 05-12-2005 22
47 Ron Flores 2005 Oakland Athletics 06-17-2005 25
58 Alejandro Freire 2005 Baltimore Orioles 08-09-2005 30
25 Ryan Garko 2005 Cleveland Indians 09-18-2005 24
59 Dave Gassner 2005 Minnesota Twins 04-16-2005 26
39 Tony Giarratano 2005 Detroit Tigers 06-01-2005 22
24 John-Ford Griffin 2005 Toronto Blue Jays 09-06-2005 25
38 Franklin Gutierrez 2005 Cleveland Indians 08-31-2005 22
56 Craig Hansen 2005 Boston Red Sox 09-19-2005 21
58 Jeff Harris 2005 Seattle Mariners 08-02-2005 31
41 Chris Heintz 2005 Minnesota Twins 09-10-2005 31
58 Sean Henn 2005 New York Yankees 05-04-2005 23
59 Felix Hernandez 2005 Seattle Mariners 08-04-2005 19
2 Aaron Hill 2005 Toronto Blue Jays 05-20-2005 23
49 Kevin Hooper 2005 Detroit Tigers 07-09-2005 28
53 J.P. Howell 2005 Kansas City Royals 06-11-2005 22
16 Justin Huber 2005 Kansas City Royals 06-21-2005 22
15 Tadahito Iguchi 2005 Chicago White Sox 04-04-2005 30
45 Bobby Jenks 2005 Chicago White Sox 07-06-2005 24
11 Dan Johnson 2005 Oakland Athletics 05-17-2005 25
47 Francisco Liriano 2005 Minnesota Twins 09-05-2005 21
62 Pedro Lopez 2005 Chicago White Sox 05-01-2005 20
40 Alejandro Machado 2005 Boston Red Sox 09-02-2005 23
28 Shaun Marcum 2005 Toronto Blue Jays 09-06-2005 23
44 Jeff Mathis 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 08-12-2005 21
41 Brandon McCarthy 2005 Chicago White Sox 05-22-2005 21
20 Marshall McDougall 2005 Texas Rangers 06-07-2005 26
40 Dustin McGowan 2005 Toronto Blue Jays 07-30-2005 23
51 Cla Meredith 2005 Boston Red Sox 05-08-2005 21
46, 12 Mike Morse 2005 Seattle Mariners 05-31-2005 23
54 Chad Orvella 2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 05-31-2005 24
43 Juan Oviedo 2005 Kansas City Royals 05-09-2005 21
58 Jonathan Papelbon 2005 Boston Red Sox 07-31-2005 24
49 Hayden Penn 2005 Baltimore Orioles 05-28-2005 20
58 Joel Peralta 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 05-25-2005 29
38 Chris Prieto 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 05-14-2005 32
60 Hanley Ramirez 2005 Boston Red Sox 09-20-2005 21
37 Chris Ray 2005 Baltimore Orioles 06-14-2005 23
28 Keith Reed 2005 Baltimore Orioles 05-11-2005 26
39 Kevin Reese 2005 New York Yankees 06-26-2005 27
38 Luis Rodriguez 2005 Minnesota Twins 05-21-2005 25
59 Josh Rupe 2005 Texas Rangers 09-16-2005 23
54 Ervin Santana 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 05-17-2005 22
68 Joe Saunders 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 08-16-2005 23
48 Kelly Shoppach 2005 Boston Red Sox 05-28-2005 25
51 Andrew Sisco 2005 Kansas City Royals 04-04-2005 22
37 Steve Stemle 2005 Kansas City Royals 05-26-2005 28
39 Adam Stern 2005 Boston Red Sox 07-07-2005 25
20 Huston Street 2005 Oakland Athletics 04-06-2005 21
24 Mark Teahen 2005 Kansas City Royals 04-04-2005 23
58 Mike Vento 2005 New York Yankees 09-13-2005 27
59 Justin Verlander 2005 Detroit Tigers 07-04-2005 22
40 Edinson Volquez 2005 Texas Rangers 08-30-2005 22
40 Chien-Ming Wang 2005 New York Yankees 04-30-2005 25
77 Eli Whiteside 2005 Baltimore Orioles 07-05-2005 25
16 Glenn Williams 2005 Minnesota Twins 06-07-2005 27
36 C.J. Wilson 2005 Texas Rangers 06-10-2005 24
36, 34 Jake Woods 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 04-08-2005 23
50 Mark Woodyard 2005 Detroit Tigers 09-17-2005 26
13 Keiichi Yabu 2005 Oakland Athletics 04-09-2005 36
75 Walter Young 2005 Baltimore Orioles 09-06-2005 25
2005 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 2005 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.

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.
     

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