May 23, 2009
NEW YORK, New York - Former Cardinal slugger John Mayberry, Jr. had a sensational Major League debut for the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon, connecting on a three-run home run for his first career hit and later adding a double at the new Yankee Stadium.
Recalled from triple-A Friday night, Mayberry, Jr. started today in right field for the defending World Series champions against left-hander Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees. With the game tied 1-1 in the fifth, Mayberry, Jr. unloaded on a 1-1 Pettitte fastball and deposited it over the left field wall for a three-run homer that gave Philadelphia a 4-1 lead.
Mayberry, Jr. added an opposite-field double in the seventh to finish his first Major League game 2-for-3. Unfortunately, the host Yankees rallied for three in the ninth and won, 5-4.
In an interesting bit of trivia, Mayberry's father, John Mayberry, Sr., hit the 255th and final home run of his 15-year Major League career at the old Yankee Stadium, on Aug. 8, 1982.
Mayberry, Jr. was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection (2004 and '05) as a first baseman during a three-year Stanford career that spanned from 2003-05. A Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2003, he finished his collegiate career with a .312 average, 28 home runs and 148 RBI in 172 games.