1902 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."
"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
National League Debuts

1902

n/a Ernie Courtney 1902 Boston Beaneaters 04-17-1902 27
n/a Sammy Curran 1902 Boston Beaneaters 08-01-1902 27
n/a Bob Dresser 1902 Boston Beaneaters 08-13-1902 23
n/a Dad Hale 1902 Boston Beaneaters 04-21-1902 22
n/a Red Long 1902 Boston Beaneaters 09-11-1902 25
n/a Pat Deisel 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 08-21-1902 26
n/a Nig Fuller 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 07-01-1902 24
n/a George Hildebrand 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 04-17-1902 23
n/a John McMakin 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 04-19-1902 24
n/a Lew Ritter 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 09-10-1902 27
n/a Rube Ward 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 04-28-1902 23
n/a Ed Wheeler 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 05-10-1902 23
n/a Lave Winham 1902 Brooklyn Superbas 04-21-1902 20
n/a Dad Clark 1902 Chicago Cubs 07-03-1902 28
n/a Bunk Congalton 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-17-1902 27
n/a Johnny Evers 1902 Chicago Cubs 09-01-1902 21
n/a Fred Glade 1902 Chicago Cubs 05-27-1902 26
n/a Alex Hardy 1902 Chicago Cubs 09-04-1902 0
n/a R.E. Hillebrand 1902 Chicago Cubs 08-29-1902 0
n/a Joe Hughes 1902 Chicago Cubs 08-30-1902 22
n/a Mike Jacobs 1902 Chicago Cubs 07-16-1902 0
n/a Snapper Kennedy 1902 Chicago Cubs 05-01-1902 23
n/a Pete Lamer 1902 Chicago Cubs 09-10-1902 28
n/a Carl Lundgren 1902 Chicago Cubs 06-19-1902 22
n/a Mike Lynch 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-24-1902 26
n/a Dusty Miller 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-17-1902 25
n/a Jim Murray 1902 Chicago Cubs 09-02-1902 24
n/a Chick Pedro 1902 Chicago Cubs 08-21-1902 32
n/a Bob Rhoads 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-19-1902 22
n/a Larry Schlafly 1902 Chicago Cubs 09-18-1902 23
n/a Jim St.Vrain 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-20-1902 18
n/a Joe Tinker 1902 Chicago Cubs 04-17-1902 21
n/a Art Williams 1902 Chicago Cubs 05-07-1902 24
n/a Clarence Currie 1902 Cincinnati Reds 04-25-1902 23
n/a Bob Ewing 1902 Cincinnati Reds 04-19-1902 28
n/a Martin Glendon 1902 Cincinnati Reds 04-18-1902 25
n/a Buck Hooker 1902 Cincinnati Reds 09-05-1902 22
n/a Jack Morrissey 1902 Cincinnati Reds 09-18-1902 26
n/a Rube Vickers 1902 Cincinnati Reds 09-21-1902 24
n/a Joe Bean 1902 New York Giants 04-28-1902 28
n/a Bob Blewett 1902 New York Giants 06-17-1902 24
n/a John Burke 1902 New York Giants 06-27-1902 25
n/a Jim Callahan 1902 New York Giants 05-25-1902 21
n/a Roy Clark 1902 New York Giants 04-19-1902 27
n/a Chick Hartley 1902 New York Giants 06-04-1902 21
n/a Jack Hendricks 1902 New York Giants 06-12-1902 27
n/a Jim McDonald 1902 New York Giants 06-02-1902 0
n/a Jack Robinson 1902 New York Giants 09-06-1902 22
n/a Henry Thielman 1902 New York Giants 04-17-1902 21
n/a Heinie Wagner 1902 New York Giants 07-01-1902 21
n/a Libe Washburn 1902 New York Giants 05-30-1902 27
n/a Joe Berry 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-04-1902 29
n/a Bill Clay 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 08-08-1902 27
n/a Red Dooin 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 04-18-1902 22
n/a Henry Fox 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-04-1902 28
n/a Paddy Greene 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-10-1902 27
n/a Ham Iburg 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 04-17-1902 28
n/a Henry Krug 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 07-26-1902 25
n/a Frank Mahar 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 08-29-1902 23
n/a Tom Maher 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 04-24-1902 31
n/a Bill Salisbury 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 04-19-1902 25
n/a Nap Shea 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-11-1902 28
n/a Bill Thomas 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 05-01-1902 24
n/a Cy Vorhees 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 04-17-1902 27
n/a Ed Watkins 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-06-1902 25
n/a Jesse Whiting 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-27-1902 23
n/a Bill Wolff 1902 Philadelphia Phillies 09-10-1902 26
n/a Harvey Cushman 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-24-1902 25
n/a Lee Fohl 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-29-1902 25
n/a Mike Hopkins 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-24-1902 29
n/a Bill Miller 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 08-23-1902 23
n/a Ed Phelps 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-03-1902 23
n/a Jimmy Sebring 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 09-08-1902 20
n/a Joe Adams 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-26-1902 24
n/a George Barclay 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-17-1902 25
n/a Roy Brashear 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-25-1902 28
n/a Jack Calhoun 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 06-27-1902 22
n/a Wiley Dunham 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 05-24-1902 25
n/a Jim Hackett 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 09-14-1902 24
n/a Doc Hazleton 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-17-1902 25
n/a Rudy Kling 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 09-21-1902 32
n/a Chappie McFarland 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 09-15-1902 27
n/a John Murphy 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 09-10-1902 23
n/a Jack O'Neill 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-21-1902 29
n/a Alex Pearson 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 08-01-1902 25
n/a Bill Popp 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-19-1902 24
n/a Homer Smoot 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 04-17-1902 24
n/a Art Weaver 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 09-14-1902 23
n/a Otto Williams 1902 St. Louis Cardinals 10-05-1902 24
1902 National League Debuts


 

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

On April 13, 1954, Hank Aaron made his Major League debut and went 0-for-5. However, in his own autobiography Aaron wrote that he went 0-for-4.

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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