Melanated Mound Marauder and legendary Black Ace “Bullet” Bob Gibson was such a terror that MLB lowered the mound 10 inches after his historic 1968 season to return an advantage back to the hitters.
Jack Flaherty is crossing multiple things off the bucket list in Game 1.
Tuesday, Dave Roberts announced Flaherty would start Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees. Flaherty, an L.A. native, is stoked.
“There’s no bigger stage than this,” Flaherty told MLB.com Wednesday. “It’s what we all wanted as kids, the position we want to be in. I have no words for it.”
The nod is something redeeming for Flaherty, as he’s seen the highs and lows of his career come in the past two seasons.
Starting with the Cardinals in 2023, Flaherty boasted a 4.20 ERA until being traded to the Orioles, where his numbers fell to a 6.75 ERA — Prompting him to move on in free agency and sign with the Tigers, where he regained his dominating stuff.
In 18 starts, Flaherty outplayed his contract and was subsequently traded to the Dodgers in July. Now that he’s back at home, he’s kept up with his numbers and went 6-2 in the regular season.
Flaherty is 1-2 in the postseason, but Roberts said Flaherty’s got to start.
“We don’t have a different alternative,” Roberts said at World Series Media day. “That’s how we set up the rotation, that’s what it’s going to be.”
Big Game 1
Los Angeles still has Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler, but it seems Roberts wants to keep everything uniform.
The competition isn’t getting easier for Flaherty either. The star-studded Yankees are going to be swinging the bat. Giancarlo Stanton has already cranked out five home runs in the postseason, while Aaron Judge led the team in regular season home runs at 58 and Juan Soto followed with 41.
Flaherty said he must focus on each individual pitch to have success.
“You got to go out there and execute your pitches,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty will not only be able to get the job done against a home crowd, but family, too. Flaherty isn’t sure if there will be tickets to give out, though.
“Everybody knows not to ask me for tickets,” Flaherty joked.
He continued by adding he will take care of family. Though not blood, someone Flaherty may consider family is Braves World Series Champion pitcher Max Fried. Flaherty’s unsure if Fried will attend the game, but said he received a good luck text.
Flaherty watched Fried pitch on the big stage, but now it’s his turn.
There’s so many accomplishments Flaherty can point to come Friday. He’s a local starting in the World Series, he had to resurge in 2024 and’s starting in the World Series and finally: He’s a Black pitcher starting in the World Series.
After an impressive performance in his MLB debut going four innings, allowing one run and striking out seven, #KumarRocker prepares for his first star in front of the Texas Rangers’ home crowd. Rocker, 24, worked his way to the majors in his comeback season from Tommy John surgery. Rocker turned in seven dominant starts at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. In his five starts for Double-A Frisco, Rocker pitched to a 0.46 ERA with 29 strikeouts and three walks in 19 2/3 innings. He then made a pair of starts for Triple-A Round Rock, and over that brief span Rocker boasted a 1.80 ERA with 18 strikeouts and only one walk in 10 innings.
Kumar Rocker pitched four innings of three-hit ball, surrendering one run and striking out seven Seattle Mariners batters in first career start.
The Cincinnati Reds have a bright future. With the likes of stud outfielder Elly De La Cruz, the arrival and subsequent breakout of Rece Hinds and of course future staff ace Hunter Greene, things look very promising on the banks of the Ohio River.
The team has had just one playoff appearance in the last ten seasons and one World Series appearance since 1990 (which they surprisingly upset the Oakland Athletics).
That influx of talent also includes this year’s top draft pick and No.2 overall pick Chase Burns, the unquestioned ace of the Wake Forest pitching staff finished his 2024 season as the ACC Pitcher of the Year.
He along with the aforementioned Greene are expected to form a 1-2 MLBbro punch in the rotation on par with any across the league.
That’s the exact reason why team brass is taking its time with Burns.
The #Reds drafted a Wake Forest right-hander in the first round for the second straight year.
Chase Burns will continue to follow in Rhett Lowder's path and pitch in instructional league games before making his professional debut in 2025: https://t.co/KV0TTy9jr0 pic.twitter.com/vhmQBFgmv1
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 11, 2024
Instead of optioning Burns to join one of its minor league teams, he’ll instead stay in Glendale, Arizona at the team’s complex with a timeline of having him ready to pitch in instructional league games come the fall. It’s a similar plan the team used with 2023 first-round pick and starting pitcher Rhett Lowder, who also attended Wake Forest.
Reds player personnel director Jeremy Ferrell explained why the team decided to use this approach with Burns as well
“Multiple factors played into the decision. But given the time he had off at the end of the Wake Forest season and wanting to set him up for 2025, the plan will be for him to pitch competitively in instructional league and then go into a normal offseason routine to prepare for next year.”
Smart move by the Reds with Burns not having pitched since June, this is an easy way to reacclimate him to competitive high level baseball.
Will the future Burns bright?
The @Reds have signed No. 2 overall pick Chase Burns and look forward to him making an impact in the rotation for years to come. pic.twitter.com/czdtBgo4MP
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) July 19, 2024
In his final season of collegiate baseball, the hard throwing 21-year-old was pretty dynamic. He finished with a gaudy (10-1) record, while boasting a nice 2.70 ERA. He also added 191 strikeouts (tops in college baseball) in 100 total innings pitched for the Demon Deacons in 2024.
The Reds thought so highly of Burns they paid him the highest bonus ever for a draft pick. The $9.25 million signing bonus surpasses the $9.2 milllon former LSU Tigers standout and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes signed in 2023 as the No.1 overall pick.
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