TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES US BACK TO APRIL 16, 1929\ DETROIT, MICHIGAN – What a way to start a career. On this date in 1929 Cleveland Indians outfielder Earl Averill hit a home run in his first major league at bat. He hit an 0-2 pitch off Detroit’s Earl Whitehill to help the Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 5 to 4 in 11 innings.
That first at-bat turned out to be an indicator of a stellar career for Averill; 18 home runs, 96 RBIs that first year. He ended up with 238 career homes, was a 6-time all-star, and was elected into The Hall of Fame.
As spectacular as it is to hit a home run in your first major league at-bat, it has not been a great omen for most players. According to Baseball-Almanac, 120 rookies got the ultimate hit in their first at-bat (30 of them on the first pitch), but 20 never hit another major league home run. For example, the first American League player to hit a home run in his first at bat, Luke Stuart of the St. Louis Browns, not only never hit another, he only had two more major league at bats.
The first-at-bat-home-run-hitter with the most career home runs is Gary Gaetti who retired with 360. Second is Jermaine Dye who hit 325 HR’s in his career. But only 6% of the players who hit home runs in their first at-bat hit more than 200 for their careers.
Contributing Source:
First at-bat HRs
