Most players debuting in the same game
Posted by Andy on April 7, 2010
Covering the years for which we have box scores (1920-1939, 1952-present) here are the games featuring the most different players making their major league debuts.
First, for pitchers:
Most making their debut for one team in the same game:
| Rk | Gcar | Tm | Opp | Date | #Matching ▾ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DET | MIN | 2003-04-02 | 4 | ||
| 2 | MIN | TOR | 1999-04-07 | 3 | ||
| 3 | SEA | BOS | 1990-09-08 | 3 | ||
| 4 | MIL | KCR | 1979-08-29 | 3 | ||
| 5 | LAD | HOU | 1973-09-02 | 3 | ||
| 6 | HOU | NYM | 1963-09-27 | 3 | ||
| 7 | WSH | NYY | 1955-04-13 | 3 | ||
| 8 | CLE | CHW | 1954-04-17 | 3 | ||
| 9 | SLB | DET | 1929-04-21 | 3 | ||
| 10 | PHA | CLE | 1921-09-15 (1) | 3 |
Wow, four pitchers making their debut for the same team in one game!
Notice that 9 out of 10 of these games came in either April or September, by far the months with the most new player debuts.
And now the most making their debut for either team in the same game:
| Rk | Gcar | Tm | Opp | Date | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DET | MIN | 2003-04-02 | 4 | ||
| 2 | DET | TBD | 2002-04-04 | 3 | ||
| 3 | MIN | TOR | 1999-04-07 | 3 | ||
| 4 | LAD | FLA | 1995-04-25 | 3 | ||
| 5 | SEA | BOS | 1990-09-08 | 3 | ||
| 6 | DET | BOS | 1988-04-07 | 3 | ||
| 7 | MIL | KCR | 1979-08-29 | 3 | ||
| 8 | LAD | HOU | 1973-09-02 | 3 | ||
| 9 | HOU | NYM | 1963-09-27 | 3 | ||
| 10 | CHC | STL | 1955-04-17 (2) | 3 | ||
| 11 | WSH | NYY | 1955-04-13 | 3 | ||
| 12 | CLE | CHW | 1954-04-17 | 3 | ||
| 13 | BOS | PHA | 1954-04-13 | 3 | ||
| 14 | BOS | WSH | 1952-04-17 | 3 | ||
| 15 | SLB | DET | 1939-04-25 | 3 | ||
| 16 | SLB | DET | 1929-04-21 | 3 | ||
| 17 | PHA | CLE | 1921-09-15 (1) | 3 | ||
| 18 | PHI | WSN | 2010-04-05 | 2 |
Interestingly, that 2003 Tigers game holds the record even for both teams combined. I carried the list down to one of the many, many games in which 2 pitchers debuted, the Phillies-Nats game from Monday, which saw the first career appearances by David Herndon and Jesse English. Looking at the minor league numbers for those guys, I'm not sure why either made the big league team this year.
Now for batters, first for one team in the same game:
| Rk | Gcar | Tm | Opp | Date | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHW | DET | 1934-04-17 | 6 | ||
| 2 | PHA | BOS | 1954-04-13 | 5 |
Whoa, 6. That's a lot. Keep in mind that some of the "batters" are actually pitchers. The most recent time 4 batters debuted for one team was in 2001 for the Giants.
Now here is combined for both teams in the same game:
| Rk | Gcar | Tm | Opp | Date | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAL | WSH | 1955-04-11 | 7 | ||
| 2 | BOS | PHA | 1954-04-13 | 7 | ||
| 3 | PIT | PHI | 1954-04-13 | 6 | ||
| 4 | CHW | DET | 1934-04-17 | 6 | ||
| 5 | PHA | BOS | 1925-04-14 | 6 | ||
| 6 | NYM | COL | 1995-04-26 | 5 | ||
| 7 | FLA | LAD | 1995-04-25 | 5 | ||
| 8 | HOU | PHI | 1962-04-13 | 5 | ||
| 9 | SFG | LAD | 1958-04-15 | 5 | ||
| 10 | STL | CHC | 1954-04-13 | 5 | ||
| 11 | DET | CLE | 1929-04-16 | 5 |
Every single one of these games came in April, as would be expected. I looked at those 1995 games and was surprised to see that they were in late April, but then I remembered that the season started late due to the lockout. Those two games (#6 and #7 on the list above) were indeed the first games of the year for those teams.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
I thought the 9/27/63 Mets-Astros game, when the Astros started their all-rookie lineup, would dominate your list, but it didn't. Five Astros (Morgan, Pointer, Vaughan, Grote, and White) had debuted earlier in September. The only Astros position player to debut on 9/27 was Sonny Jackson.
April 7th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Eventually that 1912 (or thereabouts) Tigers game where scrubs filled in for the striking players will be available, and could set a new high.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
David Herndon is a Rule 5 draft pick that the Phillies have to keep or offer back to the Angels. With a decent spring combined with injuries to others in their bullpen, he made the team. He probably would not have been brought into this game if the score had not been so lopsided.
Jesse English pitched in the Giants farm system last year, so I thought that maybe he was a Rule 5 pick, too. But I just re-read a Baseball America item I had seen earlier this week that listed the Rule 5 picks that made the teams that drafted them, and he's not mentioned. So it must have been some other transaction, perhaps minor league free agency or just being released, period.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Also, in 1995, teams were allowed to keep an additional player or two (I forgot whether it was one or two players) between opening day and May 15, due to the shortened spring training period for non-replacement players. This could have accounted for the higher number of players debuting in those two games.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Eventually that 1912 (or thereabouts) Tigers game where scrubs filled in for the striking players will be available, and could set a new high.
It will. Nine players debuted in that May 18, 1912 game. Only one (Billy Maharg) ever played in another major-league game, and for Maharg, it was only a single game for the 1916 Phillies.