Notable Debut – Society for American Baseball Research

September 21, 1861: Harry Wright plays his first base ball game as a professional

October 7, 1867: Candy Cummings debuts the curve

July 23, 1870: The first ‘Chicago’ game

April 6, 1871: Boston Red Stockings take the field for the first time

August 8, 1877: Brown Stockings’ Mike Dorgan becomes first major leaguer to adopt a catcher’s mask

John "Bud" Fowler, SABR's 2020 Overlooked 19th Century Legend who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2022 (NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME LIBRARY)

May 17, 1878: Bud Fowler becomes the first Black player in Organized Baseball

June 2, 1879: Lee Richmond’s no-hit debut

June 21, 1879: The cameo of William Edward White

September 29, 1880: Metropolitan club opens new Polo Grounds with a win

May 2, 1882: The Beer and Whiskey League: Day One

May 1, 1883: Mickey Welch wins first game in New York Giants franchise history

May 1, 1884: Fleet Walker’s major-league debut

October 23-25, 1884: The first “World Series”

July 3, 1877: Louisville’s Charley Snyder becomes first major leaguer to wear a catcher’s mask

August 14, 1888: Tim Keefe finally loses and “Casey at the Bat” premieres

April 19, 1890: Debut of the Players League

August 6, 1890: Farm boy Cy Young arrives in major leagues

August 26, 1891: John McGraw beats back butterflies to ignite game-winning rally in debut

September 7, 1891: Washington’s Kid Carsey becomes major leagues’ youngest umpire, later pinch-hits in game

October 4, 1891: Theodore Breitenstein of St. Louis Browns throws no-hitter in his first major-league start

June 27, 1893: Chicago welcomes Brooklyn to World’s Fair and new ballpark

Rube Waddell (Trading Card DB)

September 8, 1897: A battery is born: Waddell, Schrecongost cross paths for first time in major-league debuts

September 17, 1898: Chicago’s Bill Phyle shuts out Washington in historic debut as first Native American pitcher

April 24, 1901: White Stockings thump Cleveland as American League turns from minor to major