1941 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."
"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
American League Debuts

1941

37 Paul Campbell 1941 Boston Red Sox 04-15-1941 23
16 Al Flair 1941 Boston Red Sox 09-06-1941 25
29 Tex Hughson 1941 Boston Red Sox 04-16-1941 25
34 Oscar Judd 1941 Boston Red Sox 04-16-1941 33
28 Dick Newsome 1941 Boston Red Sox 04-25-1941 31
- Stan Goletz 1941 Chicago White Sox 09-09-1941 23
42 Chet Hajduk 1941 Chicago White Sox 04-16-1941 22
- Jake Jones 1941 Chicago White Sox 09-20-1941 20
49 Dave Philley 1941 Chicago White Sox 09-06-1941 21
18 Jack Conway 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1941 23
33 Hank Edwards 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-10-1941 22
40 Red Embree 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-10-1941 24
11 Vern Freiburger 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-06-1941 17
7 Buck Frierson 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1941 24
36 Steve Gromek 1941 Cleveland Indians 08-18-1941 21
9 Jim Hegan 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1941 21
45 Red Howell 1941 Cleveland Indians 04-24-1941 32
38 Bob Lemon 1941 Cleveland Indians 09-09-1941 20
- Earl Cook 1941 Detroit Tigers 09-12-1941 32
- Hoot Evers 1941 Detroit Tigers 09-16-1941 20
28 Moe Franklin 1941 Detroit Tigers 08-12-1941 27
24 Ned Harris 1941 Detroit Tigers 04-20-1941 24
24 Hal Manders 1941 Detroit Tigers 08-12-1941 24
27 Les Mueller 1941 Detroit Tigers 08-15-1941 22
- Bob Patrick 1941 Detroit Tigers 09-20-1941 23
7 Boyd Perry 1941 Detroit Tigers 05-23-1941 27
- Virgil Trucks 1941 Detroit Tigers 09-27-1941 24
24 Dick Wakefield 1941 Detroit Tigers 06-26-1941 20
25 Hal White 1941 Detroit Tigers 04-22-1941 22
30 Norm Branch 1941 New York Yankees 05-05-1941 26
16 Johnny Lindell 1941 New York Yankees 04-18-1941 24
18 Steve Peek 1941 New York Yankees 04-16-1941 26
14 Jerry Priddy 1941 New York Yankees 04-17-1941 21
10 Phil Rizzuto 1941 New York Yankees 04-14-1941 24
17 Charley Stanceu 1941 New York Yankees 04-16-1941 25
34 Johnny Sturm 1941 New York Yankees 04-14-1941 25
29 George Washburn 1941 New York Yankees 05-04-1941 26
23 Fred Caligiuri 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-03-1941 22
34 Tom Ferrick 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 04-19-1941 26
42 Dick Fowler 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-13-1941 20
18 Lum Harris 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 04-19-1941 26
15 Rankin Johnson 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 04-17-1941 24
33 John Leovich 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 05-01-1941 22
19, 32 Felix Mackiewicz 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-07-1941 23
35 Ray Poole 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-09-1941 21
- Don Richmond 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-16-1941 21
17 Tex Shirley 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-06-1941 23
3 Pete Suder 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 04-15-1941 24
24 Pat Tobin 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 08-21-1941 25
30 Roger Wolff 1941 Philadelphia Athletics 09-20-1941 30
26 Hooks Iott 1941 St. Louis Browns 09-06-1941 21
6 Vern Stephens 1941 St. Louis Browns 09-13-1941 20
10 Chuck Stevens 1941 St. Louis Browns 09-16-1941 23
- Harry Dean 1941 Washington Senators 04-16-1941 25
- Hillis Layne 1941 Washington Senators 09-16-1941 23
- Ronnie Miller 1941 Washington Senators 09-10-1941 23
- Dick Mulligan 1941 Washington Senators 09-24-1941 23
- Roberto Ortiz 1941 Washington Senators 09-06-1941 26
1941 American League Debuts


 

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1941 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.

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.
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