Nick Frasso had a memorable MLB debut — entering in the 11th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 4th at Coors Field.
“Absolutely probably the most difficult position you can be in (for) your Major League debut,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game. “I tried to avoid it as long as I could, but I thought he handled it well. I thought he handled it like a man and stood up tall and threw strikes, so good for him for getting that first one out of the way.”
Frasso ended up pitching just
the one final inning, as he gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits. The unearned run came on a wild pitch to score Ben Williamson, and the earned run came when Junior Caminero singled to score Yandy Díaz, who doubled two batters earlier.
“It was crazy,” Frasso said of his biggest takeaway.
“The stadium’s bigger, there’s more fans. It feels bigger, but at the end of the day, it’s the game I’ve been playing my whole life and just remembering that. Don’t think the moment’s too big, and just go out there and compete.”
But before he could make it to Coors Field, he had to make a few stops along the way. Frasso was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers alongside OF Landyn Vidourek for Seth Halvorsen just a few weeks prior.
“It’s been a little crazy, for sure, just because I got traded on an off day,” he said. “I had to hop on a flight just a few hours later to over to Albuquerque for the game on Tuesday. But I was able to meet with all those guys — good group — and then kind of a similar deal with coming up here on an off day. I got called, hopped on a flight that night, got over here, met everyone, and kind of went from there.”
Frasso recalled being in his Airbnb when he got the call.
“We’d just gotten back from El Paso,” he said. “It was a Monday off day, so I was just hanging out and relaxing on the off day.”
And his first phone call, of course, was to his parents — Vince and Sandra — who were “definitely excited.”
“I had to take a moment to group myself and then find a flight,” he recalled. “I was on crunch time, so I had to get moving. I think I packed, then called my parents and let them know.”
Frasso has also made sure to seek out advice from other players and the coaching staff.
“A lot of the older guys, and pretty much everyone, have been super welcoming and just helped me,” he said. “Obviously, it was kind of a tough spot for the first game to go out like that, but they’re all super supportive and cool. Some of them shared their debuts and this and that, so it’s cool to hear from those guys. It definitely makes me feel comfortable and good.”
And Schaeffer gave him advice, as well, that’s stuck with him.
“In terms of the debut, you’ve just got to enjoy it,” Frasso said. “You get one of them, so make sure to enjoy it.”
But he also remembered what he’s here to do.
“At the same time, we’re here to win baseball games and compete,” Frasso said. So that’s something that’s kind of tough not to get caught up in during your first game in the big leagues. But at the same time, you’re here to do a job and compete. And Schaeffer let me know, ‘Hey, you’re here to help us out.’”
Since the precarious debut, Frasso has made two more appearances — tossing a flawless eighth against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. On Monday, he wasn’t quite as lucky, giving up three hits and two runs in the 9-0 loss.
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