1917 American League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1917 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 is the sport that cackles back at can't-miss kids. Baseball humbles every player sooner or later. Baseball confers greatness stingily, in its own sweet time. At least that's what the bow-tied essayists and sandlot scouts solemnly tell us." - Johnette Howard in Sports Illustrated

American League Debuts 1917
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
n/a	Jimmy Cooney	1917 Boston Red Sox	09-22-1917	23
n/a	Swede Risberg	1917 Chicago White Sox	04-11-1917	22
n/a	George Dickerson	1917 Cleveland Indians	08-02-1917	24
n/a	Ferd Eunick	1917 Cleveland Indians	08-29-1917	25
n/a	Ray Miller	1917 Cleveland Indians	04-14-1917	29
n/a	Red Torkelson	1917 Cleveland Indians	08-29-1917	23
n/a	Johnny Couch	1917 Detroit Tigers	04-11-1917	26
n/a	Ira Flagstead	1917 Detroit Tigers	07-20-1917	23
n/a	Bob Jones	1917 Detroit Tigers	04-11-1917	27
n/a	Fred Nicholson	1917 Detroit Tigers	04-11-1917	22
n/a	Frank Walker	1917 Detroit Tigers	09-06-1917	22
n/a	Archie Yelle	1917 Detroit Tigers	05-12-1917	24
n/a	Howie Camp	1917 New York Yankees	09-19-1917	24
n/a	Jack Enright	1917 New York Yankees	09-26-1917	21
n/a	Chick Fewster	1917 New York Yankees	09-19-1917	21
n/a	Bill Lamar	1917 New York Yankees	09-19-1917	20
n/a	Bob McGraw	1917 New York Yankees	09-25-1917	22
n/a	Ed Monroe	1917 New York Yankees	05-29-1917	22
n/a	Bill Piercy	1917 New York Yankees	10-03-1917	21
n/a	Walt Smallwood	1917 New York Yankees	09-19-1917	24
n/a	Hank Thormahlen	1917 New York Yankees	09-29-1917	21
n/a	Sammy Vick	1917 New York Yankees	09-20-1917	22
n/a	Aaron Ward	1917 New York Yankees	08-14-1917	20
n/a	Walter Anderson	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	05-14-1917	19
n/a	Eddie Bacon	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	08-13-1917	22
n/a	Gene Bailey	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	09-10-1917	23
n/a	Dallas Bradshaw	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	06-05-1917	21
n/a	Joe Dugan	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	07-05-1917	20
n/a	Pat French	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	07-02-1917	23
n/a	Pug Griffin	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	07-27-1917	21
n/a	Red Hill	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	04-21-1917	24
n/a	Dave Keefe	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	04-21-1917	20
n/a	Rollie Naylor	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	09-14-1917	25
n/a	Eddie Palmer	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	09-06-1917	24
n/a	Ralph Sharman	1917 Philadelphia Athletics	09-10-1917	22
n/a	Pete Bigler	1917 St. Louis Browns	05-06-1917	24
n/a	Speed Martin	1917 St. Louis Browns	07-05-1917	23
n/a	Vince Molyneaux	1917 St. Louis Browns	07-05-1917	28
n/a	Scrappy Moore	1917 St. Louis Browns	06-21-1917	24
n/a	Ed Murray	1917 St. Louis Browns	06-24-1917	22
n/a	Otto Neu	1917 St. Louis Browns	07-10-1917	22
n/a	Kewpie Pennington	1917 St. Louis Browns	04-14-1917	20
n/a	Tom Richardson	1917 St. Louis Browns	08-02-1917	33
n/a	Tom Rogers	1917 St. Louis Browns	04-14-1917	25
n/a	Rasty Wright	1917 St. Louis Browns	06-22-1917	21
n/a	Bill Murray	1917 Washington Senators	06-27-1917	23
n/a	Doc Waldbauer	1917 Washington Senators	09-24-1917	25
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1917 American League Debuts

1917 N.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1917 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.

Did you know that Future hall of famer Addie Joss made his Major League pitching debut on April 26, 1902 and tossed a one hitter?

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