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My First Start
I was really excited about starting. It felt like my Major League debut about a year ago . My legs were heavy and it felt like I had never thrown a baseball–no matter how much I tried to tell myself it was just the same as coming in from the bullpen.
Going into the game, the coaches, reporters and everyone else played it down and acted like I was just filling in a spot because I was the most stretched out as far as the bullpen goes, but I looked at it as something special. It was my first start in the Major Leagues and, just like my first call up, I had all the same emotion, especially looking back on how far I had come . Even though people from where I’m from (Sydney, Australia) would have no clue it was happening! Except of course, the few family members (mum, dad and sister) who all have the great subscription to MLB.com
I cruised through the first 3 innings, giving up just one hit, then the wheels fell off in the 4th. I gave up a hit, then a walk, then a double and just like that the bases were loaded with none out. I went from looking at my pitch count thinking I’m gonna stretch my measly 60 pitches into 5 innings, to getting knocked out in the 4th inning!
All in all, I was happy and learned more in that 4th inning than I had all season. Luckily, I earned myself another start Sunday, this time with 80 pitches to work with!
40 Comments
My TV is out so I had to listen on the radio, but when I heard Dave (Niehaus) say that through your first 36 pitches only six were balls I thought to myself “Holy crap that is insane”. It seems like you got a little tired there in the 4th, which is understandable given you had what, a week to prepare for the start? I am confidant that you will be able to continue the success you had for the first three innings farther in this upcoming start, and hopefully you can secure yourself a spot in the rotation with the likelihood of Jarrod (Washburn) being traded in the coming weeks. Good luck, and pitch your heart out!
Ryan. I think those pitch counts mess up a pitchers head. Instead the manager should just say you’ll go until your effectiveness is gone or we think you are getting tired. You may get pulled even though you still pitching well if we see your changing your mechanics due to fatigue.
That imo is much better then a pitcher thinking oh no I need a perfect pitch a few times here and there or I’m not going to make it to the next inning. They should have stretched you out long ago but that’s another story.
Here’s to Sunday! As a Mariner fan living far from Seattle I only saw the box score (I canceled my MLB subscription in protest of our inept front office and won’t re-up until Chuck and Howie are gone)and thought you did your job and gave the team a chance to win while you were out there. Not many bright spots this season but you and a few others have been consistent and not deserving of any fingers being pointed your way.
Best of luck Sunday and let’s hope next season RRS goes into the Spring Training with a spot in the rotation that is yours to lose.
Ryan:
You look like a starter and have all year.All the best.
I was thrilled to see you starting! You were indeed cookin’ through three… it was fun to watch (and I’ll admit, it was the first game I’ve watched in a month!). Best of luck with your 80 pitches on Sunday.
Congratulations, Ryan! As an M’s fan, it was a pleasure to watch your first major league start (and to be the first to comment on your blog). As a surfer in the PNW, it’s a trip to see you pitching in MLB! I wish you the best of good fortune!
Firstly: Congratulations! Its truly outstanding to see someone from a country that is not baseball-centric make it to the big show and succeed. As a baseball fan, that’s a big deal to me.
Also I think it is great that you have taken to blogging about your experiences! I’m a huge M’s fan and follow the team largely through blogs (which I find more informative than most local media). Your posting your thoughts online is just one more reason to follow the team this way, so thanks!
Great job the other night. Best of luck to you on Sunday, I’d love to see you earn a permanent spot in our rotation soon.
Good to hear directly from the man himself. Excellent accounting of your first start. Even though you didn’t get the win, the team did, and if you learned something powerful when you got into trouble, I would say that makes your first start totally successful. With 80 pitches next start, you can look to the win rather than just getting through as many innings as possible and I bet you’re more relaxed and have a great outing.
It was a splendid start. Exactly the kind of thing this team needed at exactly the time it needed it.
Keep it up. I haven’t given up on this season yet. Keep fighting and good things will happen.
Congrats, Ryan! You’re a very bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Mariners season. FWIW, My advice for your next start? Just enjoy the experience and it’ll be “no worries, mate!”
Hey Ryan,
Best of luck with your next start mate. You’ve been a model of consistency all year, and deserved a shot. There are a few of us aussies following the M’s besides your family..lol.
Go get ‘em.
Hey Ryan, Congrats on not only your first start, but your season to date. You do have some fans down here in your home town, and we are following your every move. Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing you play there at Safeco oneday soon.
Congrats Ryan, I saw you down in Az for Spring Training and was very impressed with your work ethic and good baseball sense. I enjoyed watching you when you pitched and I hope that next year, if not sooner, you will be in the starting rotation. In Az, you were really nice no matter how many times I asked you for an autograph. Keep playing great baseball !!!!!!
A player’s blog! How exciting. I look forward to reading more. Most of the baseball related things have already been commented on, so let me just leave a note most bloggers (being of the male sort) wouldn’t think to leave: you are a good looking guy. Put up a better picture. =p
Congrats on getting your first start. Lots of us were hoping it would happen sooner and under better circumstances. Nice outing for the first one; now you don’t have that pressure anymore. Looking forward to seeing you pitch a lot in the future.
I also follow the Mariners largely through blogs and TV (since I don’t live in Washington), so it’s great to get your point of view here.
Best of luck.
Happy to see you starting. There’s a lot of optimism in the M’s fan world about you…hope to see you starting throughout the second half and earning a spot in the rotation next year.
PS - i think my favorite moment of the season so far is still you striking out Garret Anderson way back when…that was awesome!
Ryan,
You are one of the few bright spots in watching the M’s this year. I’ll definitely be following this blog so keep up the good work and good luck this Sunday!
-Erik
Salem, Oregon
I’m glad you were given the opportunity to start on Tuesday. The command you had was amazing! Don’t worry about getting roughed up a bit, just keep throwing that changeup and you’ll be just fine. Good luck on Sunday and GO M’s!
Good on ya, Ryan, for a solid start on Tuesday in a tough spot. You and some of the other guys in the ‘pen have been a real refreshing spot in an otherwise disappointing season. I’m glad you’re getting another crack at it, and with a higher pitch count to really get into a groove.
Keep wearing those awesome glasses and go get ‘em Sunday, Ryan!
Hi Ryan, I think you nailed your 1st crack at starting…you’d make your parents incredibly proud. Especially that you made it against all odds from Australia and that you stay down to earth. Stay with the belief that you have always had in yourself. Good luck on Sunday, go the Mariners!!!
Howdy from down under mate!
Good to see some Aussies having a real crack in the bigs this year. And we have two New South Welshman in it between you and Balf at the Rays!
We have been following you this year right from spring training, and have been really impressed - you are doing Oz proud.
Hopefully you can keep up your good form against the Tigers this year into your second start, we will be cheering you on.
Cheers
Thanks for writing about your experience. I look forward to more from you. You did a nice job in your first start. Yeah, the wheels came off in the 4th, but Sunday’s start will build off that beginning. Good luck. Keep you spirits up and realize you’ll be a big part of a better team in the future.
Hey Ryan, nice job! I remember last year I yelled at you in the bullpen “Hey Ryan! Why aren’t you starting?” during one of those horrible Horacio Ramirez outings. And you just shrugged your shoulders.
I can’t imagine how great it must feel to start. Coming out of the bullpen is important, but good starters are a lot harder to come by, and I think you’re one of them.
Good luck with your next start.
G’day Ryan!
I’ll just say that I was immediately impressed with your breaking ball last year when you used it to fan David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez…we’ve been pulling for you and R.A. Dickey all year over at our little hole in the wall blog…anyone watching this team knows you two are far better than the folks we’ve been using at the bottom of the rotation to date.
Good luck on Sunday…I’ll be watching!
Ryan,
Great start the other day. Looking forward to watching Sunday! Have fun and don’t worry about numbers. Go out and kick some a$$!!
G’day!
I am happy to say I was there for your first Major League start. For those first 3 innings, you looked liek a “fair dinkum” (true) ace! CONGRATS!!
You have been impressive all season as well and could find your niche as a starter in the near future
Good luck this Sunday-I’m planning to be there!!
Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi! (I’m learning… went to Australia early this year, would love to live there)
~Another Smith
I think you were awesome Tuesday. I watch just hoping to see you pitch. I can’t wait to see what you do on Sunday, plus you’re not hard on the eyes either. I got a shirt with your name on it. I’ll be at a game on July 19th. I hope to see you pitch in person then.
Thou art done a good job
Great work on Sunday, you should have gotten a win. You’ve got a long future ahead of you in MLB. What did you think of Burkie coming in?
Glad you changed your picture. Lots of us bloggers are sheilas (OK, I worked in my entire knowledge of Australian).
You were awesome yesterday. Amazing 15 innings. You guys rock.
Hi Ryan, Read your blogs.Gets your feelings out. Great pitching. You have worked hard for everything and deserve to have a couple of starts.
Great to see you starting Ryan.
I have been keeping a close eye on your progress since meeting you in January at Sydney Uni.
Keep up the great pitching, as Nathan said we are watching closely over here in Sydney.
[...] Ryan actually blogged about his experience and it was fantastic to hear his own thoughts about it: My First Start | Prolebrity And he just posted a new blog about his 2nd start. He
Great job Ryan, I’m from Oz and as you know have limited coverage of MLB but when I get the chance I check out all the Ozzies progress. At the moment you are leading the way, I have seen you pitch on TV a couple of times and you are fantastic. Keep up the good work.
Ryan - Great that you’re taking such advantage of this opportunity and it’s fun to get your insight as a first-time starter. I’ve been following your career for a couple of years now and had no doubt that you’re going to excel as you have.
P.S. How much can you shoulder press?
Hey Ryan, Congrats mate on the start…. Just watched the archived game on mlb.tv, well done buddy. I still remember the game back home in newie for the tigers and we had a 9 run lead going into the 9th and you had to go work….. lol…. and the wheels fell off…
Keep up the good work champ… Going awesome.
Hi Ryan,
Don’t know if you still remember talking to a small group of Aussies last year in the Aus School Boys team. Well I certainly do. Everything you talked to us about that day and how if you work hard it pays off. You might not think many people back in Australia know who you are but you would be surprised. ‘The Pitch’ posted by the ABF every week gives great updates on all happenings in the US. This August I start college in Texas and hope to get drafted after its all finished. Hope all goes well in your next start.
Hey Ryan,
I was so excited to hear about your first start!Congrats! I saw you pitch for Tacoma during the last week of Spring Training and wanted to say hi but didn’t get the chance. I know there are a lot of Timber Rattler fans in Appleton rooting for you! Good luck with the second half, hopefully we’ll be seeing you starting for the Mariners for a long time.
Take care,
Meg
Ryano,
Kev O’Brien from your old local team in Aus. Just found your blog and was reading the first one about you saying no-one from home except your family would know about your first start. Rest assured a lot more than that knew about it and are following you. Thanks to MLB.tv I aint missed a pitch you’ve thrown this year. Am really enjoying the success you’re having.
Question for you. I remember years ago holding a tee-ball clinic and seeing this big left handed u/10 kid continually mashing home runs. I made the bold prediction that kid would play 1st grade for us 1 day. The fact you’re now pitching in the majors explains why I’m not a scout I suppose. Anyway, hitting. Is it something you miss as a pitcher in the American League. Would you like to get a chance to swing a bat more? I guess if you answer yes does that mean you wouldn’t argue with a trade to the national league 1 day? Probably shouldn’t answer that as the Seattle fans mightn’t like your answer.
2nd question re your pitches. I remember you having a great change up (sat me down with it a couple of times). Is good to see you still throw that but you also seem to have a much nastier curve ball than years ago. What’s you favourite pitch to throw?
Regards,
Kev O’B.