1935 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."

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"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

1935 American League Debuts

1935 A.L. Rookies | 1935 N.L. Rookies | Baseball Firsts (All Years)

23 Stew Bowers 1935 Boston Red Sox 08-05-1935 20
8 Babe Dahlgren 1935 Boston Red Sox 04-16-1935 22
28 George Dickey 1935 Boston Red Sox 09-21-1935 20
- John Kroner 1935 Boston Red Sox 09-29-1935 26
18 Walt Ripley 1935 Boston Red Sox 08-17-1935 18
23 Hy Vandenberg 1935 Boston Red Sox 06-08-1935 29
30 Italo Chelini 1935 Chicago White Sox 09-12-1935 20
47 Bud Hafey 1935 Chicago White Sox 04-21-1935 22
45 Fred Tauby 1935 Chicago White Sox 09-01-1935 29
48 Joe Vance 1935 Chicago White Sox 04-18-1935 29
12 George Washington 1935 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1935 27
34 John Whitehead 1935 Chicago White Sox 04-19-1935 25
14 Greek George 1935 Cleveland Indians 06-30-1935 22
29 Roy Hughes 1935 Cleveland Indians 04-16-1935 24
31 Ab Wright 1935 Cleveland Indians 04-20-1935 29
12 Clyde Hatter 1935 Detroit Tigers 04-23-1935 26
27 Chet Morgan 1935 Detroit Tigers 04-19-1935 24
15 Hugh Shelley 1935 Detroit Tigers 06-25-1935 24
19 Joe Sullivan 1935 Detroit Tigers 04-20-1935 24
25 Jesse Hill 1935 New York Yankees 04-17-1935 28
10 Bill Conroy 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-21-1935 20
15 Carl Doyle 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 08-05-1935 23
20 Vallie Eaves 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-12-1935 24
- Bill Ferrazzi 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-07-1935 28
- Herman Fink 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-16-1935 24
3 Alex Hooks 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 04-17-1935 28
24 Earl Huckleberry 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-13-1935 25
16 Dutch Lieber 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 04-18-1935 25
20 Wedo Martini 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 07-28-1935 21
19 Wally Moses 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 04-17-1935 24
28 Skeeter Newsome 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 04-19-1935 24
- Jack Owens 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-21-1935 27
- Bill Patton 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 06-29-1935 22
- Jack Peerson 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-07-1935 25
- Bernie Snyder 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-15-1935 22
18 George Turbeville 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 07-20-1935 20
9 Woody Upchurch 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-14-1935 23
- Al Veach 1935 Philadelphia Athletics 09-22-1935 26
3 Beau Bell 1935 St. Louis Browns 04-16-1935 27
14 Tom Carey 1935 St. Louis Browns 07-19-1935 28
9 Tommy Heath 1935 St. Louis Browns 04-23-1935 21
20 Mel Mazzera 1935 St. Louis Browns 09-09-1935 21
25 Hal Warnock 1935 St. Louis Browns 09-02-1935 23
22 Henry Coppola 1935 Washington Senators 04-19-1935 22
32 Bobby Estalella 1935 Washington Senators 09-07-1935 24
14 Jim Hayes 1935 Washington Senators 07-13-1935 23
12 Phil Hensiek 1935 Washington Senators 08-15-1935 33
9 Sammy Holbrook 1935 Washington Senators 04-25-1935 24
12 Dick Lanahan 1935 Washington Senators 09-15-1935 23
33 Buddy Lewis 1935 Washington Senators 09-16-1935 19
10 Red Marion 1935 Washington Senators 09-16-1935 21
12 Al McLean 1935 Washington Senators 07-16-1935 22
34 John Mihalic 1935 Washington Senators 09-18-1935 23
31 Dee Miles 1935 Washington Senators 07-07-1935 26
20 Leon Pettit 1935 Washington Senators 04-18-1935 32
10 Jack Redmond 1935 Washington Senators 04-22-1935 24
14 Buck Rogers 1935 Washington Senators 09-15-1935 22
15 Bill Starr 1935 Washington Senators 08-23-1935 24
1935 American League Debuts
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1935 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

Ray Jansen (four for five in his first game), Aubrey Epps (three for four in his first game) and Ed Irwin (two for three in his first game) all finished their career with lifetime batting averages which were greater than their career fielding percentages.