If anyone want to know anything about rookies who hit a homerun in their first at bat I probably know the answer, such as there are 114 who have accomplished the feat and 44 who have homered in tier last at bat.

i know this because I have tried seven times to complete and send a thread on the subject to the board. This morning I completed, and after trying to do it six prior time, i thought this one had turned out petty darned good. i was proofing it, and I have no idea what I did to lose it.

My wife told me that after screwing it up seven time there was a reason I wasn't supposed to do that particular one so i best leave it alone.

So I just now because of my extensive research on Baseball Almanac, wikipedia.org, google, baseball-reference.com, The Fireside Book of Baseball and thesaurus/dictionary I have if I may say so become rather knowledgeable on the subject through every possible means I can fault myself.

So anyone with question or wianting to discuss this subject please let's do so.

I seem to remember Mike Napoli hitting a home run in his first at bat as an Angel. Off of Justin Verlander, no less.

While I could remember his homer during that at bat, until I just looked it up I couldn't remember who we were playing at the time, much less who was pitching.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_with_a_home_run_in_their_first_major_league_at_bat

And Jim Edmonds was the last to do it in his last at bat...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_with_a_home_run_in_their_final_major_league_at_bat

You will note on the list that Ted Williams and Mickey Cochrane are two Hall of Famers who went out with a homerun in their last at bat. Williams hit the Orioles Jack Fisher's fastball over the fence and solemnly circled the bases ignoring the Boston fans with whom he had constantly feuded and went to the dugout with out tipping his hat.

Mickey Cochrane homerun was a bit different to say the least. He showered in the 3rd inning off the Yankees Bump Hadley to tie the game 1-1. It was only the 3rd homer of the for the veteran Cochrane. The Tigers were all happy for Cochrane, and met him at the dugout steps.

However, Hadley was angered by the homer and told catcher Bill Dickey that Cochrane was eating dirt the next time up. Where Cochrane came up again the count went full, so it was odd that Hadley's fastball went up and in on Cochrane and caught him on the right temple cracking his skull in three places.

He was in a coma for ten days and although he recovered he never played another game.

Hadley said after the game, "The ball just sailed. I don't know what happened."

Other Angels on the list; Dave Machemer, June 21 1978 off Twins Geoff Zahn.

Pitcher Don Rose, May 24, 1972 off Oakland A's Diego Sequi.

Mike Napoli, May 6, 2006 of Justin Verlander

From my memory.

Don Rose. Traded with Nolan Ryan.

Dave MacNamare. (Spelling) Hail to the Chippewas. This was perhaps my favorite Enberg call of all time. What an AB.

Mike Napoli.

Correct.

The Don Rose HR was on TV, I was watching that with my Dad. I remember that very well.

I was picking a girl up for a date on the Dave M home run. I stayed in the car just to listen to that AB. It was a very long AB and ended up with Dave M just tucking a HR inside the line.

Napoli was a day game and I was listening to the game at the office.

Since Dave M and Enberg went to the same college, Enberg shouted out "Hail to the Chipewass". It remains one of my all time favorite ccalls.

Here's a nugget.

Cuno Barragan..born Fulcana Anthony Baragana. He was a catcher who spent his brief career with the Cubs from 1961 -63, playing in 69 games with 1 hr 14 RBI and a .202 batting average. The authors of the book "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubblegum Book" place his TOPPS baseball card in the book and beside it wrote, "Who the hel-l is Cuno Barragan? And why are they saying those terrible things about him?

Someone forgot that most of us dream of having one at bat in the big league, and if it was a homerun it would be ............

Interesting.

I'm glad I've heard of at least a few of them. ;)

Sure he didn't. :(

That was beyond nasty.

I'm not familiar with either of those other players, but I sure got fond of Napoli during his very first at bat. :)

There are numerous ex-Angels who hit a career ending homerun, but only two Angels players have hit a final at bat homer...

Rufino Linares was a DH when he homered off Rich Surhoff of Texas on October 6, 1985.

Bobby Rose hit a pinch hit home run off the Yankees Steve Howe on May 19,1992.

Pitcher Dave Eiland was a rare bird, he gave up a homerun on his first pitch to the Brewers Paul Molitor on April 10, 1992. He hit a first pitch homer off Bob Ojeda homerun on August 3, 1988.

I have seen it done many times. The adrenaline rush kicks in.

Kaz Matsui did it to lead off the game on opening day in his rookie year and did it to lead off the game on opening day in his 2nd year. Other than those 2 AB's he was lackluster. The Wilpon son Jeff lost credibility bringing him over from Japan to start at SS and move Jose Reyes to 2nd base. I saw Mike Jacobs do it & he hit quite a few after his late season callup. I saw Mike Fitzgerald & Benny Ayala do it. I saw Marcus Thames do it and he was deaf.

Two on my 2010 fantasy team did it Jayson Heyward & I picked up JPA on Toronto figuring that he would do it. He did hit 2 home runs on his 1st 2 AB's.

Here's one that's from Baseball Almanac, Paul Gillespie, a catcher with with the Cubs during WWII, and John Miller, who had two short stints with the Yankees and Dodgers, both hit homeruns in their first major league at bat and in their last major league at bat.

In Miller's case they were his only two homers. After he left the majors he headed for Japan and played for the Chunichi Dragons.

I just read that Kaz Matsui hit home runs in his 1st AB's in 2004, 2005, & 2006. According to the Elias Sports Bureau he is the only player to hit a home run in his 1st AB in his 3 years. In 2006 it was an inside the park homer.

That must be Dave "no man is an Eiland" so named by Chris Berman. :)