1980 National League Baseball Debuts / Rookies by Baseball Almanac

1980 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 1980
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
22	Gary Cooper	1980 Atlanta Braves	08-25-1980	23
19	Terry Harper	1980 Atlanta Braves	09-12-1980	25
47	Rafael Ramirez	1980 Atlanta Braves	08-04-1980	22
17	Jesus Figueroa	1980 Chicago Cubs	04-22-1980	23
16	Bill Hayes	1980 Chicago Cubs	09-30-1980	22
30	Carlos Lezcano	1980 Chicago Cubs	04-10-1980	24
34	Randy Martz	1980 Chicago Cubs	09-06-1980	24
46	Lee Smith	1980 Chicago Cubs	09-01-1980	22
23	Jim Tracy	1980 Chicago Cubs	07-20-1980	24
38	Bruce Berenyi	1980 Cincinnati Reds	07-05-1980	25
48	Geoff Combe	1980 Cincinnati Reds	09-02-1980	24
56	Paul Householder	1980 Cincinnati Reds	08-26-1980	21
43	Jay Howell	1980 Cincinnati Reds	08-10-1980	24
57	Eddie Milner	1980 Cincinnati Reds	09-02-1980	25
49	Joe Price	1980 Cincinnati Reds	06-14-1980	23
22	Scott Loucks	1980 Houston Astros	09-01-1980	23
45	Dave Smith	1980 Houston Astros	04-11-1980	25
57	Steve Howe	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	04-11-1980	22
17	Bobby Mitchell	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	09-01-1980	25
45	Jack Perconte	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	09-13-1980	26
14	Mike Scioscia	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	04-20-1980	21
34	Fernando Valenzuela	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	09-15-1980	19
1	Gary Weiss	1980 Los Angeles Dodgers	09-13-1980	24
53	Charlie Lea	1980 Montreal Expos	06-12-1980	23
54	Brad Mills	1980 Montreal Expos	06-08-1980	23
24	Bob Pate	1980 Montreal Expos	06-02-1980	26
47	Steve Ratzer	1980 Montreal Expos	10-05-1980	27
58	Tim Wallach	1980 Montreal Expos	09-06-1980	22
28	Wally Backman	1980 New York Mets	09-02-1980	20
39	Hubie Brooks	1980 New York Mets	09-04-1980	23
17	Scott Holman	1980 New York Mets	09-20-1980	22
59	Ed Lynch	1980 New York Mets	08-31-1980	24
4	Jose Moreno	1980 New York Mets	05-24-1980	22
3, 61	Mario Ramirez	1980 New York Mets	04-25-1980	22
1	Mookie Wilson	1980 New York Mets	09-02-1980	24
16	Luis Aguayo	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	04-19-1980	21
50	Marty Bystrom	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-07-1980	22
43	Mark Davis	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-12-1980	19
30	Bob Dernier	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-07-1980	23
28	Orlando Isales	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-11-1980	20
22	Jay Loviglio	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-02-1980	24
17	Don McCormack	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	09-30-1980	25
34	Scott Munninghoff	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	04-13-1980	21
24	Ozzie Virgil	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	10-05-1980	23
29	George Vukovich	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	04-13-1980	23
41	Bob Walk	1980 Philadelphia Phillies	05-26-1980	23
49	Vance Law	1980 Pittsburgh Pirates	06-01-1980	23
6	Tony Pena	1980 Pittsburgh Pirates	09-01-1980	23
25	Pascual Perez	1980 Pittsburgh Pirates	05-07-1980	22
57	Rod Scurry	1980 Pittsburgh Pirates	04-17-1980	24
36	Mike Armstrong	1980 San Diego Padres	08-12-1980	26
43	Gary Lucas	1980 San Diego Padres	04-16-1980	25
4	Luis Salazar	1980 San Diego Padres	08-15-1980	24
42	George Stablein	1980 San Diego Padres	09-20-1980	22
7	Craig Stimac	1980 San Diego Padres	08-12-1980	25
34	Bill Bordley	1980 San Francisco Giants	06-30-1980	22
18	Chris Bourjos	1980 San Francisco Giants	08-31-1980	24
48	Fred Breining	1980 San Francisco Giants	09-04-1980	24
40	Alan Hargesheimer	1980 San Francisco Giants	07-14-1980	25
29	Rich Murray	1980 San Francisco Giants	06-07-1980	22
2	Joe Pettini	1980 San Francisco Giants	07-10-1980	25
28, 53	Mike Rowland	1980 San Francisco Giants	07-25-1980	27
50	Jeff Stember	1980 San Francisco Giants	08-05-1980	22
21	Guy Sularz	1980 San Francisco Giants	09-02-1980	24
7	Joe DeSa	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	09-06-1980	21
10	Leon Durham	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	05-27-1980	22
21	Tito Landrum	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	07-23-1980	25
43	Jeff Little	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	09-06-1980	25
50	John Littlefield	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	06-08-1980	26
33	John Martin	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	08-27-1980	24
47	Al Olmsted	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	09-12-1980	23
46	Andy Rincon	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	09-15-1980	21
12	Ty Waller	1980 St. Louis Cardinals	09-06-1980	23
#	Name (sort)	Team (sort)	Debut (sort)	Age (sort)
1980 National League Debuts

1980 A.L. Debuts

Find out which players bid farewell to their field's of dreams in the National League during the 1980 season as this group of players made their Major League debut!

Ray Jansen (four for five in his first game), Aubrey Epps (three for four in his first game) and Ed Irvin (two for three in his first game) all finished their career with lifetime batting averages which were greater than their career fielding percentages.

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.

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.