1937 American League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1937 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 1937
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
16	Dom Dallessandro	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-24-1937	23
21, 25	Bob Daughters	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-24-1937	22
9	Bobby Doerr	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-20-1937	19
19, 35	Joe Gonzales	1937 Boston Red Sox	08-28-1937	22
20	Archie McKain	1937 Boston Red Sox	04-25-1937	25
23	Johnny Peacock	1937 Boston Red Sox	09-23-1937	27
44	Merv Connors	1937 Chicago White Sox	09-04-1937	23
45	George Gick	1937 Chicago White Sox	10-03-1937	21
20, 29	Johnny Rigney	1937 Chicago White Sox	04-21-1937	22
46	Hank Steinbacher	1937 Chicago White Sox	04-21-1937	24
2	Hugh Alexander	1937 Cleveland Indians	08-15-1937	20
19	Ken Jungels	1937 Cleveland Indians	09-15-1937	21
25	Ken Keltner	1937 Cleveland Indians	10-02-1937	20
24	Blas Monaco	1937 Cleveland Indians	08-18-1937	21
-	Bill Sodd	1937 Cleveland Indians	09-27-1937	23
21	Slick Coffman	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-21-1937	26
16	George Gill	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-04-1937	28
6	Chet Laabs	1937 Detroit Tigers	05-05-1937	25
17, 22	Pat McLaughlin	1937 Detroit Tigers	04-25-1937	26
24	Boots Poffenberger	1937 Detroit Tigers	06-11-1937	21
13, 24, 35	Spud Chandler	1937 New York Yankees	05-06-1937	29
22, 32	Tommy Henrich	1937 New York Yankees	05-11-1937	24
23, 28, 34	Frank Makosky	1937 New York Yankees	04-30-1937	27
4	Wayne Ambler	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-04-1937	21
10, 42	Babe Barna	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-16-1937	22
2	Earle Brucker	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-19-1937	35
35	Gene Hasson	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-09-1937	22
10	Warren Huston	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-24-1937	23
61	Bill Kalfass	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-15-1937	21
92	Doyt Morris	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	06-06-1937	20
19, 26	Ace Parker	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-24-1937	24
-	Hal Wagner	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	10-03-1937	22
19, 25	Al Williams	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	04-19-1937	22
8	Eddie Yount	1937 Philadelphia Athletics	09-09-1937	21
26	Red Barkley	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-02-1937	24
23	Emil Bildilli	1937 St. Louis Browns	08-24-1937	24
23	Julio Bonetti	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-22-1937	25
37	Tom Cafego	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-03-1937	26
-	Sam Harshany	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-28-1937	27
25	George Hennessey	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-02-1937	29
28	Ben Huffman	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	22
15	Nig Lipscomb	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	26
25	Bill Miller	1937 St. Louis Browns	10-02-1937	27
-	Bob Muncrief	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-30-1937	21
29	Eddie Silber	1937 St. Louis Browns	09-03-1937	23
14	Bill Strickland	1937 St. Louis Browns	07-16-1937	29
9	Bill Trotter	1937 St. Louis Browns	04-23-1937	28
-	Red Anderson	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	25
16	Jimmy Bloodworth	1937 Washington Senators	09-14-1937	20
25	George Case	1937 Washington Senators	09-08-1937	21
10	Herb Crompton	1937 Washington Senators	04-26-1937	25
20	Milt Gray	1937 Washington Senators	05-27-1937	23
38	Mike Guerra	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	24
20	Bucky Jacobs	1937 Washington Senators	06-27-1937	24
35	Joe Kohlman	1937 Washington Senators	09-26-1937	24
36	Joe Krakauskas	1937 Washington Senators	09-09-1937	22
-	Jerry Lynn	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	21
-	Frank Trechock	1937 Washington Senators	09-19-1937	21
26	Jimmy Wasdell	1937 Washington Senators	09-03-1937	23
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1937 American League Debuts

1937 N.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1937 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Rich Amaral spent nine seasons in the Minor Leagues and upon his callup he commented, "I've been to every baseball park in America, except those in the American and National League."

Ted Cox made his Major League debut in 1977 with the Boston Red Sox and over two games on September 18 and 19, Cox went six for six before he made an out.

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Design by Geisler Young. Hosted by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Football Almanac | Pigskin Fever | Today in Baseball History.