It’s MLB opening week, a time when – among other things – a lot of prospects are getting their first taste of life in the big leagues. One or two may even experience the ultimate thrill, hitting a home run in their first major league at bat.
Throughout history 120 big leaguers, dating back to 1895, have had that thrill. In fact, three did so just last season: Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson on July 27, the Dodgers’ Kelbert Ruiz on Aug. 17, and Detroit’s Sergio Alcantara on Sept. 6.
For the record, the first known MLB player to have homered in his debut at bat was a fellow named Joe Harrington. An infielder for the Boston Beaneaters, Harrington would last only two seasons, batting just .217 with three home runs. The first of those three came in his debut on Sept. 10, 1895. Facing the St. Louis Browns at Boston’s South End Grounds, Harrington homered off Browns rookie Bill Kissinger in a game Boston eventually won 7-4.
But perhaps strangely, only one future Hall of Famer has done so. Considering that there are 331 figures enshrined in the Hall, that’s a strikingly singular accomplishment.
Even more striking is the identity of the immortal in question. In fact, it says here that if I gave you a list of the 331 plus 330 guesses, you still might not identify the one who did.
But just for the fun of it, let’s play a game of 10 questions with the goal of uncovering the identity of that singular and most unlikely player.