2008 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

2008

18 Gregor Blanco 2008 Atlanta Braves 03-30-2008 24
29 Brian Bocock 2008 San Francisco Giants 03-31-2008 23
33 Blake DeWitt 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 03-31-2008 22
1 Kosuke Fukudome 2008 Chicago Cubs 03-31-2008 30
53 Wesley Wright 2008 Houston Astros 03-31-2008 23
54 Brian Barton 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 04-01-2008 25
46 Kyle McClellan 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 04-01-2008 23
1 Jayson Nix 2008 Colorado Rockies 04-01-2008 25
38 Ramon Troncoso 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-01-2008 25
59 Rico Washington 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 04-01-2008 29
44 Evan Meek 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-02-2008 24
28 Alex Romero 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks 04-02-2008 24
27 Callix Crabbe 2008 San Diego Padres 04-03-2008 25
47 Johnny Cueto 2008 Cincinnati Reds 04-03-2008 22
20 Steve Holm 2008 San Francisco Giants 04-04-2008 28
18 Hiroki Kuroda 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-04-2008 33
10 Brian Bixler 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 04-06-2008 25
49 Clay Timpner 2008 San Francisco Giants 04-08-2008 24
66 Burke Badenhop 2008 Florida Marlins 04-09-2008 25
21 John Bowker 2008 San Francisco Giants 04-12-2008 24
26 Hernan Iribarren 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 04-12-2008 23
7 Emmanuel Burriss 2008 San Francisco Giants 04-20-2008 23
18 Brad Harman 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 04-22-2008 22
47 Cory Wade 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 04-24-2008 25
1 Brent Lillibridge 2008 Atlanta Braves 04-26-2008 24
39 Max Scherzer 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks 04-29-2008 23
21 Jonathan Herrera 2008 Colorado Rockies 04-30-2008 23
65 Mike Parisi 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 05-05-2008 25
1 Luke Carlin 2008 San Diego Padres 05-10-2008 27
54 Greg Reynolds 2008 Colorado Rockies 05-11-2008 22
2 Edgar Gonzalez 2008 San Diego Padres 05-12-2008 29
56 Marino Salas 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 05-13-2008 26
7 Paul Janish 2008 Cincinnati Reds 05-14-2008 25
57 Luis Maza 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 05-14-2008 27
52 Alex Hinshaw 2008 San Francisco Giants 05-15-2008 25
63 Chris Perez 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 05-16-2008 22
45 Mark DiFelice 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 05-18-2008 31
6 Micah Hoffpauir 2008 Chicago Cubs 05-18-2008 28
28 Travis Denker 2008 San Francisco Giants 05-21-2008 23
48 Tim Dillard 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 05-23-2008 24
6 Nick Evans 2008 New York Mets 05-24-2008 22
36 Charlie Manning 2008 Washington Nationals 05-24-2008 29
40 Jared Wells 2008 San Diego Padres 05-24-2008 26
54, 22 Clayton Kershaw 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 05-25-2008 20
32 Jay Bruce 2008 Cincinnati Reds 05-27-2008 21
49 Brian Horwitz 2008 San Francisco Giants 05-30-2008 25
62 Joe Mather 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 05-30-2008 25
58 Carlos Guevara 2008 San Diego Padres 06-02-2008 26
52 Daniel Ray Herrera 2008 Cincinnati Reds 06-03-2008 23
67 Mark Worrell 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 06-03-2008 25
68 Mitchell Boggs 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 06-06-2008 24
50 Garrett Mock 2008 Washington Nationals 06-08-2008 25
39 Ryan Tucker 2008 Florida Marlins 06-08-2008 21
50 Charlie Morton 2008 Atlanta Braves 06-14-2008 24
47 Leo Rosales 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks 06-15-2008 27
1 Doug Bernier 2008 Colorado Rockies 06-17-2008 27
53 Daryl Thompson 2008 Cincinnati Reds 06-21-2008 22
65 Jai Miller 2008 Florida Marlins 06-22-2008 23
59 Steven Shell 2008 Washington Nationals 06-22-2008 25
61 Nick Stavinoha 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 06-22-2008 26
54 Sergio Romo 2008 San Francisco Giants 06-26-2008 25
46 Jimmy Barthmaier 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 06-27-2008 24
7, 2 Roger Bernadina 2008 Washington Nationals 06-29-2008 24
40 Collin Balester 2008 Washington Nationals 07-01-2008 22
31 Cedrick Bowers 2008 Colorado Rockies 07-02-2008 30
56 Osiris Matos 2008 San Francisco Giants 07-03-2008 24
4 Argenis Reyes 2008 New York Mets 07-03-2008 25
4 Nick Hundley 2008 San Diego Padres 07-04-2008 24
26 Jason Perry 2008 Atlanta Braves 07-04-2008 27
41 Chris Volstad 2008 Florida Marlins 07-06-2008 21
56 R.J. Swindle 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 07-07-2008 25
53, 21 John Baker 2008 Florida Marlins 07-09-2008 27
24 Mike Cervenak 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 07-11-2008 31
64 Jaime Garcia 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 07-11-2008 22
64 Yoslan Herrera 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 07-12-2008 27
23 Ivan Ochoa 2008 San Francisco Giants 07-12-2008 25
43 Geno Espineli 2008 San Francisco Giants 07-20-2008 25
21 James D'Antona 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks 07-22-2008 26
29 Jeff Samardzija 2008 Chicago Cubs 07-25-2008 23
28 Daniel Murphy 2008 New York Mets 08-02-2008 23
44 Eddie Kunz 2008 New York Mets 08-03-2008 22
41 Steven Register 2008 Colorado Rockies 08-04-2008 25
60 Adam Rosales 2008 Cincinnati Reds 08-09-2008 25
63, 21 Chris Dickerson 2008 Cincinnati Reds 08-12-2008 26
26 Francisley Bueno 2008 Atlanta Braves 08-13-2008 27
7 Sean Kazmar 2008 San Diego Padres 08-13-2008 24
57 Ryan Rohlinger 2008 San Francisco Giants 08-13-2008 24
48 Pablo Sandoval 2008 San Francisco Giants 08-14-2008 22
32 Matt Palmer 2008 San Francisco Giants 08-16-2008 29
59 Chad Reineke 2008 San Diego Padres 08-16-2008 26
55 Marco Estrada 2008 Washington Nationals 08-20-2008 25
57 Dirk Hayhurst 2008 San Diego Padres 08-23-2008 27
46 Drew Carpenter 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 08-27-2008 23
43 Jesse Chavez 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-27-2008 25
57 Scott Elbert 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 08-29-2008 23
25 Will Venable 2008 San Diego Padres 08-29-2008 25
52 Josh Geer 2008 San Diego Padres 08-30-2008 25
58 Ramon Ramirez 2008 Cincinnati Reds 08-30-2008 25
9 Matt Antonelli 2008 San Diego Padres 09-01-2008 23
40 Brad Nelson 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 09-01-2008 25
26 Wilkin Castillo 2008 Cincinnati Reds 09-02-2008 24
63 Luis Cruz 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-02-2008 24
14 Dexter Fowler 2008 Colorado Rockies 09-02-2008 22
58 Mike Hinckley 2008 Washington Nationals 09-02-2008 25
27 Casey McGehee 2008 Chicago Cubs 09-02-2008 25
49 Jon Niese 2008 New York Mets 09-02-2008 21
29 Josh Whitesell 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks 09-02-2008 26
21 Alcides Escobar 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 09-03-2008 21
24 Mat Gamel 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 09-03-2008 23
40 Greg Golson 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 09-03-2008 22
58 Wade LeBlanc 2008 San Diego Padres 09-03-2008 24
60 Jason Motte 2008 St. Louis Cardinals 09-03-2008 26
50 Angel Salome 2008 Milwaukee Brewers 09-03-2008 22
51 Shairon Martis 2008 Washington Nationals 09-04-2008 21
23 Luke Montz 2008 Washington Nationals 09-04-2008 25
61 James Parr 2008 Atlanta Braves 09-04-2008 22
23 Edwin Maysonet 2008 Houston Astros 09-07-2008 26
19 Mark Saccomanno 2008 Houston Astros 09-08-2008 28
50 Conor Gillaspie 2008 San Francisco Giants 09-09-2008 22
56 Mike Ekstrom 2008 San Diego Padres 09-10-2008 25
65 Josh Roenicke 2008 Cincinnati Reds 09-13-2008 26
49 A.J. Ellis 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-15-2008 26
39 Bobby Parnell 2008 New York Mets 09-15-2008 24
61 Jesus Delgado 2008 Florida Marlins 09-17-2008 24
52 James McDonald 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers 09-17-2008 23
29 Gaby Sanchez 2008 Florida Marlins 09-17-2008 25
3 Lou Marson 2008 Philadelphia Phillies 09-28-2008 22
2008 National League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 2008 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."

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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