1980 American League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1980 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 1980
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
52	Mike Boddicker	1980 Baltimore Orioles	10-04-1980	23
2	Bobby Bonner	1980 Baltimore Orioles	09-12-1980	24
41	Drungo Hazewood	1980 Baltimore Orioles	09-19-1980	21
9	Floyd Rayford	1980 Baltimore Orioles	04-17-1980	22
45	Luis Aponte	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-04-1980	27
28	Steve Crawford	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-02-1980	22
50	Rich Gedman	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-07-1980	20
18	Glenn Hoffman	1980 Boston Red Sox	04-12-1980	21
47	Bruce Hurst	1980 Boston Red Sox	04-12-1980	22
31	Keith Macwhorter	1980 Boston Red Sox	05-10-1980	24
51	Reid Nichols	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-16-1980	22
28	Bob Ojeda	1980 Boston Red Sox	07-13-1980	22
11, 26	Dave Stapleton	1980 Boston Red Sox	05-30-1980	26
12	Julio Valdez	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-02-1980	24
3	Chico Walker	1980 Boston Red Sox	09-02-1980	22
16	Stan Cliburn	1980 California Angels	05-06-1980	23
43	Jim Dorsey	1980 California Angels	09-02-1980	25
7, 14	Gil Kubski	1980 California Angels	09-02-1980	25
27	Alfredo Martinez	1980 California Angels	04-20-1980	23
36	Dan Whitmer	1980 California Angels	07-20-1980	24
3	Harold Baines	1980 Chicago White Sox	04-10-1980	21
29	Nardi Contreras	1980 Chicago White Sox	05-23-1980	28
7	Randy Johnson	1980 Chicago White Sox	07-05-1980	21
26	Fran Mullins	1980 Chicago White Sox	09-01-1980	23
6	Ricky Seilheimer	1980 Chicago White Sox	07-05-1980	19
48	Leo Sutherland	1980 Chicago White Sox	08-11-1980	22
34	Joe Charboneau	1980 Cleveland Indians	04-11-1980	24
10	Jerry Dybzinski	1980 Cleveland Indians	04-11-1980	24
28	Jerry Ujdur	1980 Detroit Tigers	08-17-1980	23
44	Roger Weaver	1980 Detroit Tigers	06-06-1980	25
17	Manny Castillo	1980 Kansas City Royals	09-01-1980	23
53	Onix Concepcion	1980 Kansas City Royals	08-30-1980	22
4	Bob Detherage	1980 Kansas City Royals	04-11-1980	25
50	Mike Jones	1980 Kansas City Royals	09-06-1980	21
52	Ken Phelps	1980 Kansas City Royals	09-20-1980	26
21	Jeff Twitty	1980 Kansas City Royals	07-05-1980	22
29	Mark Brouhard	1980 Milwaukee Brewers	04-12-1980	23
45	Rickey Keeton	1980 Milwaukee Brewers	05-27-1980	23
42	Dave LaPoint	1980 Milwaukee Brewers	09-10-1980	21
5	Ned Yost	1980 Milwaukee Brewers	04-12-1980	24
11	Sal Butera	1980 Minnesota Twins	04-10-1980	27
23	Doug Corbett	1980 Minnesota Twins	04-10-1980	27
12, 21	Lenny Faedo	1980 Minnesota Twins	09-06-1980	20
35	Mike Kinnunen	1980 Minnesota Twins	06-12-1980	22
20	Bob Veselic	1980 Minnesota Twins	09-18-1980	24
27, 28	Albert Williams	1980 Minnesota Twins	05-07-1980	26
61	Marshall Brant	1980 New York Yankees	10-01-1980	25
55	Roger Holt	1980 New York Yankees	10-04-1980	24
46	Joe Lefebvre	1980 New York Yankees	05-22-1980	24
53	Tim Lollar	1980 New York Yankees	06-28-1980	24
59	Dave Beard	1980 Oakland Athletics	07-16-1980	20
28	Rich Bordi	1980 Oakland Athletics	07-16-1980	21
52	Ernie Camacho	1980 Oakland Athletics	05-22-1980	25
45	Ray Cosey	1980 Oakland Athletics	04-14-1980	24
19, 56	Jeff Cox	1980 Oakland Athletics	07-01-1980	24
16	Mike Davis	1980 Oakland Athletics	04-10-1980	20
38	Jeff Jones	1980 Oakland Athletics	04-10-1980	23
29	Rick Lysander	1980 Oakland Athletics	04-12-1980	27
58	Mark Souza	1980 Oakland Athletics	04-22-1980	25
22	Kim Allen	1980 Seattle Mariners	09-02-1980	27
15	Dave Edler	1980 Seattle Mariners	09-04-1980	24
26	Reggie Walton	1980 Seattle Mariners	06-13-1980	27
29	John Butcher	1980 Texas Rangers	09-08-1980	23
12	Odie Davis	1980 Texas Rangers	09-03-1980	25
30	Mike Hart	1980 Texas Rangers	06-12-1980	28
43	Don Kainer	1980 Texas Rangers	09-06-1980	25
2	Mike Richardt	1980 Texas Rangers	08-30-1980	22
49	Paul Hodgson	1980 Toronto Blue Jays	08-31-1980	20
6	Pat Kelly	1980 Toronto Blue Jays	05-28-1980	24
48	Luis Leal	1980 Toronto Blue Jays	05-25-1980	23
15	Lloyd Moseby	1980 Toronto Blue Jays	05-24-1980	20
21	Ken Schrom	1980 Toronto Blue Jays	08-08-1980	25
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1980 American League Debuts

1980 N.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the American League during the 1980 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.

When Christy Mathewson made his Major League debut the newspaper wrote, "The untried semi-professional possessed great speed and plenty of confidence in himself, but could not control his curves."

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.