1902 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."
"Always be cautious about rookie performances in September. They don't indicate what will happen in April." - Texas Rangers General Manager Tom Grieve
American League Debuts

1902

n/a C.B. Burns 1902 Baltimore Orioles 08-19-1902 23
n/a Ike Butler 1902 Baltimore Orioles 08-05-1902 28
n/a Tom Jones 1902 Baltimore Orioles 08-25-1902 25
n/a Jimmy Mathison 1902 Baltimore Orioles 08-29-1902 23
n/a Bill Mellor 1902 Baltimore Orioles 07-28-1902 28
n/a Andy Oyler 1902 Baltimore Orioles 05-08-1902 22
n/a Ernie Ross 1902 Baltimore Orioles 09-17-1902 22
n/a Charlie Shields 1902 Baltimore Orioles 04-23-1902 22
n/a Doc Adkins 1902 Boston Americans 06-24-1902 29
n/a Pep Deininger 1902 Boston Americans 04-26-1902 24
n/a Patsy Dougherty 1902 Boston Americans 04-19-1902 25
n/a Dave Williams 1902 Boston Americans 07-02-1902 21
n/a Gary Wilson 1902 Boston Americans 09-27-1902 23
n/a John Durham 1902 Chicago White Stockings 09-15-1902 20
n/a Ed Hughes 1902 Chicago White Stockings 08-29-1902 21
n/a Sam McMackin 1902 Chicago White Stockings 09-04-1902 29
n/a Harry Bemis 1902 Cleveland Blues 04-23-1902 28
n/a Ginger Clark 1902 Cleveland Blues 08-11-1902 23
n/a Gus Dorner 1902 Cleveland Blues 09-17-1902 26
n/a Peaches Graham 1902 Cleveland Blues 09-14-1902 25
n/a Otto Hess 1902 Cleveland Blues 08-03-1902 23
n/a Addie Joss 1902 Cleveland Blues 04-26-1902 22
n/a Jack Lundbom 1902 Cleveland Blues 05-09-1902 25
n/a Lou Polchow 1902 Cleveland Blues 09-14-1902 22
n/a Charlie Smith 1902 Cleveland Blues 08-06-1902 22
n/a George Starnagle 1902 Cleveland Blues 09-14-1902 28
n/a Jack Thoney 1902 Cleveland Blues 04-26-1902 22
n/a Dike Varney 1902 Cleveland Blues 07-03-1902 21
n/a Cal Vasbinder 1902 Cleveland Blues 04-27-1902 21
n/a Ed Walker 1902 Cleveland Blues 09-26-1902 28
n/a Harry Arndt 1902 Detroit Tigers 07-02-1902 23
n/a Wish Egan 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-03-1902 21
n/a Ed Fisher 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-05-1902 25
n/a Rube Kisinger 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-10-1902 25
n/a Pete LePine 1902 Detroit Tigers 07-21-1902 25
n/a Arch McCarthy 1902 Detroit Tigers 08-14-1902 21
n/a George Mullin 1902 Detroit Tigers 05-04-1902 21
n/a Lew Post 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-21-1902 27
n/a Lou Schiappacasse 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-07-1902 21
n/a John Terry 1902 Detroit Tigers 09-17-1902 22
n/a Luis Castro 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 04-23-1902 25
n/a Andy Coakley 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 09-17-1902 19
n/a Ed Kenna 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 05-05-1902 24
n/a Odie Porter 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 06-16-1902 25
n/a Tad Quinn 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 09-27-1902 21
n/a Tom Walker 1902 Philadelphia Athletics 09-27-1902 21
n/a Harry Kane 1902 St. Louis Browns 08-08-1902 19
n/a Jake Atz 1902 Washington Senators 09-24-1902 23
n/a Lew Drill 1902 Washington Senators 04-23-1902 24
1902 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1902 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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

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."
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