In his first major league at bat, Mariners’ center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. doubles off of Oakland’s Dave Stewart. The 19 year-old ‘Junior’, the son of an active major leaguer outfielder playing with the Reds, will establish himself as one of the game’s superstars before retiring in 2010.
1988 – Catcher Craig Biggio makes his major league debut in a 6-0 whitewash of San Francisco. He walks in the fourth and scores the game’s final run after stealing second. Houston does all its damage on just three hits, aided by six walks. Jim Deshaies and Larry Andersen combine to blank the Giants on seven hits. Biggio will get his first hit three days later against Dodger ace Orel Hershiser.
Pat Borders becomes the first player in American League history to drive in five runs in his major league debut when he collects two singles and a triple in the Blue Jays’ 11-4 victory over Kansas City at Royals Stadium. The 24 year-old rookie catcher joins Walter Mueller (1922 Pirates) and Joe Cunningham (1954 Cardinals), who both accomplished the feat in the Senior Circuit.
After having missed spring training and the first month of the season because of collusion, Montreal Expos outfielder Tim Raines debuts by going 4 for 5, including a 10th-inning grand slam, in an 11 – 7 win over the New York Mets.
On September 7, 1986, rookie Greg Maddux wins his first big league game, taming the Reds, 11-3, at Wrigley Field. Maddux, who will go on to win more than 300 games in his stellar career, pitches a complete game, allowing 11 hits and three earned runs.
Future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, pinch-hitting for southpaw Rob Murphy, makes his major league debut off Terry Mulholland at Riverfront Stadium. The 22 year-old Reds’ rookie fifth-inning groundout to short plates the first run in the team’s eventual 8-6 comeback victory over the Giants.
The eventual owner of Major League Baseball’s home run record started his career going 0-for-5 for the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 30, 1986. the Pirates fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-4, in 11 innings at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.
The A’s Jose Canseco strikes out in his first major league at-bat. During his 17 seasons in the major leagues, the slugger strikes out 1,942 times en route to hitting 462 home runs.
April 18, 1985 Vince Coleman goes 1 for 3 with two stolen bases in his big league debut. He finishes the year with 110 stolen bases and wins the Rookie of the Year Award and helps the Cardinals make the World Series.
May 19, 1984 At Busch Stadium Joining the club in St. Louis, Reds’ rookie Eric Davis makes his major league debut, grounding out to short as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of the Reds’ 9-1 loss to the Cardinals vs Joaquin Andujar. When Cincinnati forgets to pack an extra road uniform, the 22 year-old rookie…
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