Kevin Whelan’s Wild Debut
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 11, 2011
Last night, Kevin Whelan became just the 12th "pitcher" since 1919 to throw two-thirds of an inning or less in his major league debut while walking four or more batters in the process. Here's the list of those to do it -
| Rk | Gcar | Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | App,Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | Pit | Str | GSc | IR | IS | BF | AB | 2B | 3B | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GDP | SB | CS | PO | BK | WP | WPA | RE24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kevin Whelan | 2011-06-10 | NYY | CLE | W 11-7 | 8-8 | 0.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | -0.002 | -1.267 | .020 | |
| 2 | 1 | Miguel Asencio | 2002-04-06 | KCR | CHW | L 0-14 | 8-7 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | inf | -0.001 | -2.850 | .006 | |
| 3 | 1 | Manny Alexander | 1996-04-19 | BAL | TEX | L 7-26 | 8-8f | 0.2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67.50 | 0.000 | -6.290 | .000 | |
| 4 | 1 | Larry Harlow | 1978-06-26 | BAL | TOR | L 10-24 | 5-5 | 0.2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67.50 | 0.000 | -4.744 | .000 | |||
| 5 | 1 | Ed Keegan | 1959-08-24 | PHI | LAD | L 2-8 | GS-1 ,L | 0.1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 108.00 | -0.325 | -4.074 | 1.380 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Ribs Raney | 1949-09-18 (1) | SLB | PHA | L 5-7 | 0.1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162.00 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | 1 | Karl Drews | 1946-09-08 (2) | NYY | WSH | L 8-9 | 0.2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81.00 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 1 | Frank Wurm | 1944-09-04 (2) | BRO | BSN | W 6-4 | 0.1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.00 | ||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 1 | Joe Nuxhall | 1944-06-10 | CIN | STL | L 0-18 | 0.2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67.50 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 1 | Fred Hutchinson | 1939-05-02 | DET | NYY | L 2-22 | 0.2 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.00 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 1 | Jennings Poindexter | 1936-09-15 | BOS | CLE | L 2-13 | 0.1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.00 | ||||||||||||||||
| 12 | 1 | Al Milnar | 1936-04-30 | CLE | NYY | L 1-8 | 0.2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.00 |
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I say "pitcher" because not everyone on this list is really a pitcher. See: Alexander and Harlow.
June 11th, 2011 at 9:22 am
As far as Nuxhall went, he still didn't do bad for a fifteen-year-old high school sophomore.
June 11th, 2011 at 9:40 am
As a frequent attendant of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre games, somehow I'm not surprised.
June 11th, 2011 at 9:40 am
Doesn't bode well for Mr. Whelan. The 2 best pitchers on the list, Nuxhall & Hutchinson were teenagers. His closest comp in age was Drews who, in spite of 1 good season a half a decade after his debut, was remarkably lucky to get that many chances because he was otherwise truly a lousy pitcher. Milnar had his last decent year when he was Whelan's age. The only other guys who had any sort of major league careers were both non-pitchers.
June 11th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Note the date on the Hutchinson game. This is the game in which Gehrig removed himself from the lineup.
June 11th, 2011 at 10:35 am
Asencio didn't even throw one strike??
How is that even possible...
June 11th, 2011 at 11:24 am
@5
He was infused with the spirit of Rick Vaughn and heard Harry Doyle broadcasting in his mind.
June 11th, 2011 at 11:52 am
@5, Chuck -- Your note on Asencio throwing no strikes made me wonder ... Has anyone ever come into a game and done nothing but give intentional walks, while facing at least 2 batters?
Turns out, that has happened twice since 1919:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196105170.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN197307220.shtml
In the first of those games, Moe Drabowsky relieved Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 11th against LA, after Frank Howard's leadoff triple. Drabo intentionally walked Norm Larker and Charlie Neal to create a force at every base and bring up Norm Sherry. Bob Aspromonte pinch-hit, and Drabowsky was replaced by Seth Morehead. Aspromonte struck out, and Bob Lillis pinch-hit for starting pitcher Stan Williams. Morehead walked Lillis to force in the winning run.
Walking with the bases loaded was a sort of specialty for Lillis, a light-hitting SS with a .270 career OBP. In 48 known PAs with the sacks drunk, Lillis drew 5 walks and fanned but once.
BTW, Lillis's stroll made a winner of Stan Williams, who went 11 innings on 4 hits and 11 Ks but issued 12 walks. It was the 5th time in searchable history that a starter won while giving at least 12 passes. Jack Fisher did it in 9 innings later that summer, and it hasn't been done since.
June 11th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@2, Alan -- Yes, it looks as though Whelan's good control at SWB this year (6 BB in 27 IP) is an aberration. His career minor-league walk rate is 5.2 BB/9.