June 4, 200916 yr http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...rtnerId=rss_cws Dream comes true for Whisler Pitcher makes Major League debut with White Sox By Scott Merkin / MLB.com 06/03/09 9:35 PM ET CHICAGO -- The five-year wait and 133 Minor League appearances (124 starts) certainly were worth the ultimate payoff for Wes Whisler, who made his Major League debut for the White Sox in Tuesday's loss with one scoreless inning pitched. "Coming in and everything, you dream about that growing up," said Whisler, who struck out two in the ninth inning against the A's. "For a dream come true, it was great. "You face that first batter, and a lot of emotions are going on and you are trying to control it. But after that hitter, you are just trying to settle in and not do too much. You go through that situation time and time again in your mind, but it's always different when you get out there." About the only negative from the night for Whisler was issuing a free pass to Adam Kennedy to open the inning. The southpaw knows he needs to be sharp against left-handed hitters such as Kennedy in order to extend his Major League time as a reliever. But Whisler quickly settled down, striking out Matt Holliday and Bobby Crosby, after retiring Jack Cust on a fly ball to center. Whisler cruised unscathed through the heart of the Oakland order. Prior to this relief outing, Whisler had spent parts of three seasons with Class A Winston-Salem (2004-06), parts of two seasons with Double-A Birmingham (2006-07) and the last two seasons as a starter for Triple-A Charlotte. Whisler converted from a pitcher/hitter combination when he was drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. With that position change in mind, Whisler never lost hope that someday Tuesday's dream would be fulfilled. "I've always been a positive thinker," Whisler said. "I had always been a hitter, and then I made the conversion. So it was all new to me. Learning to pitch was a whole different thing. It's been a process, but a fun one, and I've enjoyed it. "Basically, I've learned just how to train my body and myself. I've learned about the thought process of a pitcher and how you pitch and not just be a thrower." Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
June 4, 200916 yr People may argue his long term potential (and rightfully so), but for the time being he has absolutely earned his shot in the bigs. Good for him.
June 4, 200916 yr Author QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 4, 2009 -> 11:10 AM) For those that watched him, how did he look. What was his velocity, etc? He looks amped up and nervous. He had trouble finding the zone, especially against the first couple hitters. Velo was 91-92 on the top end, but he had nice movement. Solid is how I would score it. We'll see more in his next outings.
June 4, 200916 yr QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 4, 2009 -> 11:26 AM) That is a dream come true. The chance to play with Gordon Beckham. Lucky guy. Even Ozzie called Bacon dreamy. But of course, we all love bacon.
June 4, 200916 yr It’s not unprecedented for a pitcher to improve his peripherals when he gets to the Major Leagues. Hopefully, this will be the case with Whistler.
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