May 4: Homestand Ends, Great Debuts, Real Deal Update…

The Red Wings second homestand of the season ends tonight with a 7:05 first pitch vs. the Durham Bulls.  The Wings had won three straight on the homestand prior to last night’s 10-2 loss to the Bulls.

Durham’s starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was a big part of the story last night.  He retired 21 of the 25 Red Wings hitters he faced (7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO) and certainly didn’t let Matt Tolbert’s leadoff HR in the first inning affect him.  Hellickson is regarded as Tampa Bay’s top pitching prospect and was definitely the most impressive pitcher the Wings have seen so far this season. 

There is a chance the Wings will face three of the top five or six pitching prospects in the game this month alone.  Aroldis Chapman, whom the Reds signed from Cuba, is a flame throwing lefty with Louisville.  The Bats will be at Frontier Field May 14-17.  Right after that series, Syracuse will be at Frontier Field.  Stephen Strasburg could be on the hill for the Chiefs in one of those games May 18-21.  Strasburg could be the best pitching prospect in the last 20 or 30 years.  So, if you love to see great pitchers, you might want to head out to Frontier Field sometime on the next homestand.

Say…how about the MLB debut of Wilson Ramos?  The promoted Red Wings catcher went 4 for 5 in his debut for the Twins in place of the banged up Joe Mauer.  He was the first Twin to get four hits in his big league debut since Kirby Puckett in 1984, and the first big leaguer to do it…period…since the Rockies Derrick Gibson in 1998.  Hopefully, Wilson’s career will be more Puckett-like than Gibson-like.  Kirby, of course went on to a Hall of Fame career while Gibson played in only 16 more Major League games.

Ramos encore was pretty good, too.  He rapped out three hits in his second game.  That supposedly makes him only the eighth player in history with three or more hits in his first two big league games.  That list includes two Hall of Famers…Joe Dimaggio and Enos Slaughter.

The last Red Wings player to go the bigs and get three hits in his MLB debut was Jose Morales in 2007.  Although I am not 100% possible, I think Jose might be the only Red Wings player to ever go up and do that.  Ramos, though, has one upped him.

Ramos’ debut got me wondering about great pitching debuts.  The last pitcher to debut with a complete game shutout in the Majors was Andy Van Hekken of Detroit who blanked the Indians in his 2002 debut.  The last Red Wings pitcher to go up and toss a shutout in his first MLB game is Tom Phoebus according to Baseball-Reference.com.  The 5’8″ Phoebus white-washed California in his 1966 MLB debut for Baltimore. (Keep in mind, Ben Mcdonald tossed a shutout in his 1st big league start not his 1st MLB appearance.)

Eric Rasmussen, who finished his career as a Red Wings reliever in 1986-1987 is currently the Twins Minor League Pitching Coordinator.  (In fact, he is town right now working with Red Wings pitchers).  He is one of two pitchers to accomplish something that is likely never to be duplicated.  He tossed a shutout in his first game in both the National League and the American League.  In 1975, in his MLB debut, “Razz” shutout San Diego while pitching for the Cardinals.  Later, in 1983 he shutout Boston for Kansas City in his AL debut…one of only three wins he would pick up in the Junior Circuit.  In this day and age of pitch counts, it isn’t likely anyone will do that again.

Since I know you are wondering, I believe the only pitcher to throw shutouts in each of his first two Major League starts is Dave “Boo” Ferriss with the Boston Red Sox in 1945. Ferriss would later serve as the head baseball coach for years at Delta State University in Mississippi where one of his prized pupils was former Wings pitching coach Stu Cliburn.  If you’ve got a second, check out this amazing story connecting Boo Ferriss, Stu Cliburn and best selling author John Grisham. 

Finally, a couple of people (Red Wings bus drivers Bob and Harold) have inquired about the whereabouts of former Red Wings pitcher J.D. Durbin.  Well, “the Real Deal”—as fans referred to him—is going to be pitching in Korea this summer.  Good luck to J.D!

Hope to see you at the game tonight…and make sure to listen on 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3 Rochester’s Sports Talk.  Or online at www.whtk.com.

Go Wings!

-Josh