Home Run Allowed to First Batter Faced

Every pitcher dreams of that first game in the major leagues. That first game where all eyes are on him; where he gets to go up against the men he’s watched for so long. They all dream of coming into a game and shutting the opposing team down with something they’ve never seen before, but that is not very likely to happen. What’s most likely is that the more experienced batter will get the upper hand and see success against this brand new pitcher, especially if he is the first major league batter this guy has ever faced.

These pitchers found out this sad truth the hard way. The very first batter they ever faced didn’t just welcome him to the league, he took him long. Sixty-two pitchers, from names like Bert Blyleven and Bob Gibson to unknowns John Papa and Chris Bushing, have seen their first series of pitches end with a home run — for seven of these poor souls it was their first PITCH! Not all Fabulous Feats are good ones. Sometimes you just have to recognize the heartbreaks of the game. These pitchers learned that very quickly. Here is a complete list of the pitchers unlucky enough to surrender a home run to the first batter they ever faced.