Rookie Rick Porcello takes the mound this afternoon in Toronto for his first major league start.
Jays lefty Ricky Romero is also scheduled to make his MLB debut. According to the Free Press, "Since 1901, there have been 18 games in which both starting pitchers were pitching in the majors for the first time. One of those 18 games involved the Tigers' Denny McLain. Not only did he go all the way to win his debut in 1963, but he homered off his fellow debuting starter, the White Sox's Fritz Ackley."
For what it's worth, Porcello attended Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey and I attended Seton Hall University. He's from Morristown, NJ, and I lived in nearby Mendham, NJ, for for years.
from the Free Press:
ReplyDeleteApril 9, 2009
Porcello eager to make his debut today
Rookie hurler awestruck by season-opening ceremony
BY JOHN LOWE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
TORONTO -- Tigers bullpen coach Jeff Jones broke into a big smile as he talked this week about right-hander Rick Porcello.
"I love the kid," Jones said. "I think he's going to have a great career.
"He's a good kid. He's got his feet firmly on the ground. He knows what he wants. He's very humble about the whole situation."
Porcello will make his major league debut this afternoon when he starts against the Blue Jays.
"There's nothing about him I don't like," Jones said. "I like the way he goes about his business. I like the way he conducts himself. I haven't found a thing about him I don't like yet."
At that, Jones laughed, impressed by how he impressed he is by Porcello.
Porcello, 20, won't be alone in the first-time nerves today. His opponent, 24-year-old left-hander Ricky Romero, will be making his major league debut for Toronto.
Porcello had the thrill Monday of standing with the rest of the Tigers on the first-base line during Opening Day introductions.
"He was freaking out," said pitcher Zach Miner, who stood next to Porcello during the introductions. "It's really cool to see somebody get their first chance.
"The way he was reacting is the reason we all started playing when we were kids -- that unbridled joy of being out there and playing a game.
"He wasn't thinking about how much money he's making or how famous he is. He's made it to the big leagues and he's realized his dream. That is amazingly cool."
What one thing about today is Porcello most looking forward to?
"I'm looking forward to toeing that rubber for the first time and throwing that first pitch," he said. "It's something I've dreamed about my entire life, just like everybody else in their major league debut. So that first pitch for me is going to be pretty memorable. I hope it's a strike."
Let's not fre too much about his first start. It's just one game...
ReplyDeleteFor a rookie making his first MLB start he did OK. Only walked one and struck out 3 or 4, I think. Gotta love that control, even if the Jays took him deep a few times.
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