Once again, it\u2019s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable\u2019s eye.\u00a0 (I\u2019m particularly fond of unexpected performances or statistical coincidences.) These won\u2019t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention.\u00a0 This week, we focus on what The Roundtable sees as MLB\u2019s best-ever debut.<\/p>\n

Lots to consider here (let\u2019s alternate pitchers and position players);<\/p>\n

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• Charles \u201cBumpus\u201d Jones<\/strong> who tossed a no-hitter for the Reds in his first-ever MLB appearance (October 15, 1892).<\/li>\n
• Left fielder Fred Clarke <\/strong>of the 1884 Louisville Colonels, who had the only nine-inning, five -hit MLB debut game. (Clarke stroked four singles and a triple).<\/li>\n
• The Dodgers’ Karl Spooner<\/strong> and Astros’ J.R. Richard <\/strong>\u00a0each fanned MLB-debut record 15 batters in their first appearance. Spooner in a September 22, 1954, 3-0 win over the rival Giants. Richard\u00a0 tied the record on September 4, 1971, in a 5-3 win over the Giants. (So, the Giants are the only team to ever fan 15 times against a pitcher making his MLB debut \u2013 and they did it twice.)<\/em><\/li>\n
• Cubs’ SS Starlin Castro<\/strong> who \u2013 on May 7, 2010 MLB debut \u2013 drove in am MLB-debut record six runs in a Cubs 14-7 win over the Reds.<\/li>\n
• Yankee pitcher Russ Van Atta<\/strong> who not only pitched a five-hit shutout his MLB debut game, but also had four singles in four at bats, as the Yankees topped topped the Senators 16-0 (April 25, 1933).<\/li>\n
• Giants’ 1B Willie McCovey,<\/strong> who wet four- for-four with two triples in his July 30, 1959 debut \u2013 a 7-2 win over the Phillies (three runs scored, two RBI).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  And I could go on.\u00a0 (For a 2021 post on my top-25 MLB debuts , click here<\/a> ). My choice, this Tuesday,\u00a0 for the top MLB debut, however, is Jason Jennings, RHP, Colorado Rockies.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

  <\/a>Jennings, a 22-year-old right-hander (who batted left \u2013 you\u2019ll see the significance in a bit), was called up by the Rockies in late August after going 9-8, 4.42 in 26 starts at Double-A and Triple A.\u00a0 Jennings\u00a0 made his MLB debut on August 23 against the Mets in New York.\u00a0 He proceeded to throw a nine-inning, complete-game shutout \u2013 five hits, four walks, eight strikeouts. At that point, he had thrown three complete games and one shutout in 68 minor-league starts (three seasons).<\/p>\n

  As a bonus, Jennings also went three-for-five at the plate, with a\u00a0home run, one run scored and two RBI \u2013 becoming the first\u00a0MLB player to pitch a shutout and hit a home run in his first MLB appearance.\u00a0 Jenning\u2019s day included a pop out to third base in the first inning; a single to left in the third; a ground out to first in the fifth; an RBI single to right-center in the seventh; and a homer to right in the top of the ninth. (The Rockies won the contest 10-0).<\/p>\n

  Collegiate Star<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

  Jason Jennings was a first-round draft pick (Rockies, 16th overall) in 1999 (out of Baylor University). In his three years at Baylor (1997-99), he was a three-time All American and, in 1999, won both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. \u00a0He posted a three-year pitching record of 27-11, 3.56 and a .344 batting average with 39 home runs in 172 games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

  Jennings went 4-1, 4.58 in seven 2001 starts; hitting .267 (four-for-fifteen). He followed up by winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2002, with a 16-8, 4.52 record for the Rox \u2013 and a .306-0-11 batting line (in 68 plate appearances). That proved to be his best season, as he appeared to succumb to command and injury issues and went 42-65, 5.06 over his final seven MLB seasons. He retired as an active player after the 2012 season, when he went 10-2, 3.58 for the (Independent) American Association Grand Prairie Ground Hogs. His final MLB line (2001-2009 \u2026 Rockies, Astros, Rangers) was 62-74, 4.95. As a hitter, he went 68-for-329 (.207), with two home runs and 26 RBI.<\/p>\n

  NEXT WEEK: The Roundtable’s choice for worst MLB debut \u2013 Hint: It was a two-player tie and represented the only MLB appearance for each player.<\/p>\n

  Primary Resources:\u00a0<\/em> Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com<\/p>\n

  THERE IS STILL TIME TO VOTE IN BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE’S\u00a0 READER\/FAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BALLOTING<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

  For a post on this year’s candidates, as well as The Roundtable’s predictions and preferences, click here<\/a>. To skip the post and go directly to the fan ballot, click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Once again, it\u2019s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable\u2019s eye.\u00a0 (I\u2019m particularly fond of unexpected performances or statistical coincidences.) These won\u2019t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention.\u00a0 This week, we focus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n