Pete Kozma’s excellent Cardinals debut

As many St. Louis Cardinals fans know, shortstop Pete Kozma made his major league debut Wednesday night, having entered the home game against Houston in the bottom of the fifth inning.

In the field, the 2007 first-round draft pick played at a brand new position, second base. That didn’t bother him with the bat, as Kozma collected an RBI double and walked in his only two plate appearances.

Offensive expectations were low as Kozma joined the Cardinals with a .220 batting average in his first 38 Triple-A games and a career .241 mark over five minor league seasons. The reason the right-handed hitter received the call to St. Louis was because he was the only middle infielder on the organization’s 40-man roster available when Nick Punto was placed on the disabled list.

Though he will likely return to Memphis soon, for one night at least, Kozma delighted everyone – other than Houston and Cincinnati fans, that is.

Granted his two plate appearances in a first MLB game is unique, with most players receiving more or fewer (one). Still, Kozma is only the tenth player in the Tony La Russa years in St. Louis to reach base twice in his first game despite the number of plate appearances.

Further, he is only the second Cardinal since 1924 to have two plate appearances in his first game and reach base both times. The other was another middle infielder, Jarrett Hoffpauir, in 2009. The only two others to have at least two PAs and not make an out were Ernie White in 1940 and Vince Shields in 1924. The last to double in his debut was John Gall in 2005.

Courtesy of researcher Tom Orf, following is the full list of the 50 Cardinals prior to Kozma that reached base twice in their first MLB game.

Four Cardinals had three hits in their MLB debut, most recently Terry Pendleton in 1984. The others include Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter in 1938.

St. Louis Cardinals, reached base at least twice in MLB debut, 1920 to present

# Player Debut date Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BOP Pos
1 Jarrett Hoffpauir 7/3/2009 CIN W 7-4 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 PH 2B
2 Colby Rasmus 4/7/2009 PIT W 9-3 5 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 RF
3 John Gall 7/26/2005 SDP W 4-2 4 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 LF
4 Yadier Molina 6/3/2004 PIT W 4-2 4 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 C
5 Hector Luna 4/8/2004 MIL L 5-11 4 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 2B
6 Bo Hart 6/19/2003 MIL W 8-4 4 3 1 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2B
7 Chris Richard 7/17/2000 MIN W 8-3 5 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 LF
8 Eli Marrero 9/3/1997 CHW W 4-2 4 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 C
9 Dmitri Young 8/29/1996 FLA L 9-10 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 1B
10 Brian Jordan 4/8/1992 NYM W 15-7 5 5 0 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 RF
11 Ray Lankford 8/21/1990 ATL L 2-7 4 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 CF
12 Luis Alicea 4/23/1988 NYM L 9-12 5 4 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2B
13 Rod Booker 4/29/1987 SDP W 10-6 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 2B
14 John Morris 8/5/1986 PHI W 7-4 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 RF
15 Vince Coleman 4/18/1985 MON L 1-7 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 CF
16 Terry Pendleton 7/18/1984 SFG W 8-4 6 5 1 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3B
17 Tom Nieto 5/10/1984 SDP W 7-0 4 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 C
18 John Martin 8/27/1980 HOU W 10-2 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
19 Keith Hernandez 8/30/1974 SFG L 2-8 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 1B
20 Ken Reitz 9/5/1972 MON W 5-3 4 3 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 3B
21 Jim Bibby 1972-09-04 (2) MON W 8-7 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 9 P
22 Ted Simmons 9/21/1968 LAD L 0-3 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 C
23 Dave Ricketts 9/25/1963 CHC W 5-2 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 C
24 Julian Javier 5/28/1960 SFG L 0-8 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2B
25 Marshall Bridges 6/17/1959 PHI W 10-4 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
26 Bobby Smith 4/16/1957 CIN W 13-4 5 5 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 CF
27 Don Blasingame 9/20/1955 CHC W 2-0 4 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2B
28 Larry Jackson 1955-04-17 (2) CHC W 14-1 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
29 Bill Virdon 4/12/1955 CHC L 4-14 4 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 CF
30 Joe Cunningham 6/30/1954 CIN W 11-3 5 5 2 2 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1B
31 Ray Jablonski 4/14/1953 MLN L 2-3 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3B
32 Jackie Collum 9/21/1951 CHC W 6-0 4 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
33 Steve Bilko 9/22/1949 BRO L 6-19 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1B
34 Dick Sisler 4/16/1946 PIT L 4-6 4 3 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1B
35 Stan Musial 1941-09-17 (2) BSN W 3-2 4 4 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 RF
36 Walker Cooper 1940-09-25 (2) CIN W 4-3 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 C
37 Ernie White 5/9/1940 PHI W 8-4 4 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 P
38 Creepy Crespi 1938-09-14 (1) PHI W 12-9 5 5 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 SS
39 Enos Slaughter 4/19/1938 PIT L 3-4 5 5 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 RF
40 Herb Bremer 1937-09-16 (2) PHI W 8-1 4 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 C
41 Lou Scoffic 4/16/1936 CHC L 3-5 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 RF
42 Mike Ryba 1935-09-22 (1) CIN W 14-4 4 3 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
43 Joe Benes 5/9/1931 PIT W 4-2 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 SS
44 Al Grabowski 1929-09-11 (1) BSN W 11-4 4 4 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
45 Charlie Gelbert 4/16/1929 CIN W 5-2 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 SS
46 Fred Frankhouse 1927-09-07 (1) CHC W 6-2 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
47 Ernie Orsatti 9/4/1927 CHC W 2-1 4 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 CF
48 Vince Shields 1924-09-20 (2) BSN W 5-2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 P
49 Jimmy Hudgens 9/14/1923 PHI W 3-2 4 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1B
50 Epp Sell 1922-09-01 (2) PIT W 11-6 3 3 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 P

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.