1934 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."
"There is no Major League record held by a rookie. It's revealing to see just how far the rookie marks are below the single season marks. This is a testament to how difficult the game is to learn and play." - Luke Salisbury in The Answer is Baseball (1989)
American League Debuts

1934

- Skinny Graham 1934 Boston Red Sox 09-14-1934 25
9 Gordie Hinkle 1934 Boston Red Sox 04-19-1934 29
- George Hockette 1934 Boston Red Sox 09-17-1934 26
8 Red Kellett 1934 Boston Red Sox 07-02-1934 24
- Spike Merena 1934 Boston Red Sox 09-16-1934 24
14 Joe Mulligan 1934 Boston Red Sox 06-28-1934 20
- Al Niemiec 1934 Boston Red Sox 09-19-1934 23
19 Fritz Ostermueller 1934 Boston Red Sox 04-21-1934 26
22 Moose Solters 1934 Boston Red Sox 04-17-1934 28
3 Zeke Bonura 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 25
34 Frenchy Bordagaray 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 24
- George Caithamer 1934 Chicago White Sox 09-17-1934 24
12 Joe Chamberlain 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 23
8 Jocko Conlan 1934 Chicago White Sox 07-06-1934 34
- Dutch Fehring 1934 Chicago White Sox 06-25-1934 22
24 Vern Kennedy 1934 Chicago White Sox 09-18-1934 27
17 Harry Kinzy 1934 Chicago White Sox 06-08-1934 23
19 Hugo Klaerner 1934 Chicago White Sox 09-10-1934 25
36 Mark Mauldin 1934 Chicago White Sox 09-10-1934 19
24, 28 John Pomorski 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 28
9 Rip Radcliff 1934 Chicago White Sox 09-17-1934 28
27 Lee Stine 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 20
24 Monty Stratton 1934 Chicago White Sox 06-02-1934 22
36 Frenchy Uhalt 1934 Chicago White Sox 04-17-1934 23
34 Charlie Uhlir 1934 Chicago White Sox 08-03-1934 22
26 Kit Carson 1934 Cleveland Indians 07-21-1934 21
24 Denny Galehouse 1934 Cleveland Indians 04-30-1934 22
9 Bob Garbark 1934 Cleveland Indians 09-03-1934 24
- Bill Perrin 1934 Cleveland Indians 09-30-1934 24
24 Flea Clifton 1934 Detroit Tigers 04-29-1934 24
19 Steve Larkin 1934 Detroit Tigers 05-06-1934 23
19 Red Phillips 1934 Detroit Tigers 07-24-1934 25
19 Icehouse Wilson 1934 Detroit Tigers 05-31-1934 21
19 Rudy York 1934 Detroit Tigers 08-22-1934 21
21, 22, 26 Johnny Broaca 1934 New York Yankees 06-02-1934 24
10 Don Heffner 1934 New York Yankees 04-17-1934 23
20 Floyd Newkirk 1934 New York Yankees 08-21-1934 26
1 George Selkirk 1934 New York Yankees 08-12-1934 26
22, 24 Vito Tamulis 1934 New York Yankees 09-25-1934 23
21 Al Benton 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 04-18-1934 23
20 Joe Cascarella 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 04-17-1934 26
- George Caster 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 09-10-1934 27
15 Mort Flohr 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 06-08-1934 22
19 Ed Lagger 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 06-15-1934 21
19 Harry Matuzak 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 04-19-1934 24
10 Jerry McQuaig 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 08-25-1934 22
10 Charlie Moss 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 05-19-1934 23
16 Roy Vaughn 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 07-01-1934 22
18, 26 Whitey Wilshere 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 06-24-1934 21
- Jack Wilson 1934 Philadelphia Athletics 09-09-1934 22
22 Ollie Bejma 1934 St. Louis Browns 04-24-1934 26
7 Harlond Clift 1934 St. Louis Browns 04-17-1934 21
25 Lefty Mills 1934 St. Louis Browns 06-10-1934 24
1 Alan Strange 1934 St. Louis Browns 04-17-1934 27
- Jim Walkup 1934 St. Louis Browns 09-22-1934 24
29 Orville Armbrust 1934 Washington Senators 09-18-1934 26
10 Allen Benson 1934 Washington Senators 08-19-1934 32
12 Syd Cohen 1934 Washington Senators 09-18-1934 28
22 Reese Diggs 1934 Washington Senators 09-15-1934 18
- Marc Filley 1934 Washington Senators 04-19-1934 22
21 Elmer Klumpp 1934 Washington Senators 04-17-1934 27
6 Fred Sington 1934 Washington Senators 09-23-1934 24
19, 22 Pete Susko 1934 Washington Senators 08-01-1934 30
1934 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1934 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Five-for-five debuts? Believe it or not it has happened twice: On June 30, 1894 Fred Clarke of the Louisville Colonels and on May 16, 1933, Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators made their Major League debuts and both went five-for-five at the plate.

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.
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