1939 National League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1939 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."

"There is a certain amount of fascination to the big league debut of any athlete. Sometimes they are incredible successes. Sometimes they are frenetic failures." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley

National League Debuts 1939
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
29	Stan Andrews	1939 Boston Bees	06-11-1939	22
20	George Barnicle	1939 Boston Bees	09-06-1939	22
34	Joe Callahan	1939 Boston Bees	09-13-1939	22
41	Chet Clemens	1939 Boston Bees	09-13-1939	22
28	Oliver Hill	1939 Boston Bees	04-19-1939	29
25	Ralph Hodgin	1939 Boston Bees	04-19-1939	24
2, 25	Otto Huber	1939 Boston Bees	06-10-1939	25
2	Hank Majeski	1939 Boston Bees	05-17-1939	22
10	Phil Masi	1939 Boston Bees	04-23-1939	23
38	Chet Ross	1939 Boston Bees	09-15-1939	22
1	Bama Rowell	1939 Boston Bees	09-04-1939	23
5, 25	Sibby Sisti	1939 Boston Bees	07-21-1939	18
27	Al Veigel	1939 Boston Bees	09-21-1939	22
15	Whitey Wietelmann	1939 Boston Bees	09-06-1939	20
24, 26	Bill Crouch	1939 Brooklyn Dodgers	05-09-1939	31
22	Lindsay Deal	1939 Brooklyn Dodgers	09-13-1939	28
23	Chris Hartje	1939 Brooklyn Dodgers	09-09-1939	24
23	Vern Olsen	1939 Chicago Cubs	09-08-1939	21
32	Rip Russell	1939 Chicago Cubs	05-05-1939	24
14	Art Jacobs	1939 Cincinnati Reds	06-18-1939	36
36	Wes Livengood	1939 Cincinnati Reds	05-30-1939	28
14	Elmer Riddle	1939 Cincinnati Reds	10-01-1939	25
39	Junior Thompson	1939 Cincinnati Reds	04-26-1939	21
2	Al Glossop	1939 New York Giants	09-23-1939	25
15	Tom Gorman	1939 New York Giants	09-14-1939	20
19	Tom Hafey	1939 New York Giants	07-21-1939	26
18	Manny Salvo	1939 New York Giants	04-22-1939	25
1	Skeeter Scalzi	1939 New York Giants	07-21-1939	26
23	Bud Bates	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-16-1939	27
16	Stan Benjamin	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-16-1939	25
22	Jack Bolling	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	06-10-1939	22
33	Roy Bruner	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-14-1939	22
10	Dave Coble	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	05-01-1939	26
34	Len Gabrielson	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	04-21-1939	23
28	Bill Hoffman	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	08-13-1939	21
11	Bill Kerksieck	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	06-21-1939	25
7	Joe Kracher	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-17-1939	25
10	Charlie Letchas	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-16-1939	23
19	Pinky May	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	04-21-1939	28
5	Ike Pearson	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	06-06-1939	22
28	Le Grant Scott	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	04-19-1939	28
26	Bennie Warren	1939 Philadelphia Phillies	09-13-1939	27
17	Fern Bell	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	04-17-1939	26
40	Bill Clemensen	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	05-22-1939	19
-	Bob Elliott	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-02-1939	22
24	Johnny Gee	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-17-1939	23
-	Frankie Gustine	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-13-1939	19
22	Red Juelich	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	05-30-1939	22
-	Pep Rambert	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-23-1939	23
-	Joe Schultz	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-27-1939	21
-	Oad Swigart	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-14-1939	24
-	Maurice Van Robays	1939 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-07-1939	24
12	Buster Adams	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	04-27-1939	23
18	Frank Barrett	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	10-01-1939	26
26	Bob Bowman	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	04-21-1939	28
32	Murry Dickson	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	09-30-1939	23
4	Johnny Echols	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	05-24-1939	22
12, 13, 15	Herman Franks	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	04-27-1939	25
19	Johnny Hopp	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	09-18-1939	23
1	Eddie Lake	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	09-26-1939	23
4	Joe Orengo	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	04-18-1939	24
23	Ken Raffensberger	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	04-25-1939	21
23	Bob Repass	1939 St. Louis Cardinals	09-18-1939	21
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1939 National League Debuts

1939 A.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1939 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

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.

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."

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.