OAKLAND — Finally.
Jesús Luzardo, the A’s No. 1 pitching prospect, after two years of bad breaks, will get the nod Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.
Even though Luzardo’s highly-anticipated start comes amid a pandemic-delayed MLB season, it’s not likely to be punched into the record book, and Athletics’ history, with an asterisk.
First impressions are remembered.
But before we get to the long-awaited moment finally at hand, it’s worth casting an eye backward to see how those who came before him fared in this situation.
Sonny Gray
The setup: Age 23, on Aug. 10, 2013, at the Toronto Blue Jays
The line: 6 innings, 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
The takeaway: The A’s biggest pitching prospect of the early 2010s’ first big league start in Toronto started with a thump courtesy of Jose Bautista’s two-run blast in the first inning. Two unearned runs are the more unsightly blemishes on his start, and were of no fault of his own. It wouldn’t prevent him from taking the ‘L’ in the hard-luck 5-4 defeat. Gray’s second big league start would produce some cleaner numbers: eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum.
Barry Zito
The setup: Age 22, on July 22, 2000, Anaheim Angels
Line: 5 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts.
A slightly erratic, yet somehow effective in his first big league start, Zito spun the Angels for six strikeouts — including memorable sequence that saw him strike out Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson in succession after loading the bases with no outs. Zito walked six and hit a batter, but the Southern California native with a sweet curveball showed composure, though, allowing just one of those runners to score in a debut that came barely a year after he was the No. 9 overall pick in the MLB draft. The A’s offense opened it up after Zito’s 103rd and final pitch in the fifth, though, coming away with a 10-3 win and giving Zito his first of 165 careers Ws.
Mark Mulder
The setup: Age 22, April 18, 2000, at Cleveland Indians
Line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
The second of the Big Three up was the A’s towering left-handed prospect, promoted less than two years after being the second overall pick in the MLB draft and with just 24 minor league games under his belt. Manny Ramirez greeted Mulder four batters into his big league debut with a two-run home run. But, big RBIs from Miguel Tejada and Ryan Christenson in the sixth nudged Mulder to his first big league win in an A’s 8-5 victory.
Tim Hudson
The setup: Age 23, June 8, 1999, at San Diego
Line: 5 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Hudson, the smallest of the Big Three in stature and hype, had the loudest debut. Facing the reigning National League champions, the former sixth-round draft pick out of Auburn not only struck out 11 batters in five innings but also got his first major league hit, a single to left (after drawing a walk his first time up). Hudson came away with the no decision and the A’s wound up losing, 5-3.
Todd Van Poppel
The setup: Age 19, Sept. 11, 1991, Chicago White Sox.
The line: 4.2 innings, 7 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
The A’s 1990 first-round pick out of Arlington, Texas, made his debut just a year into his professional career in one of the most anticipated arrivals in franchise history. Van Poppel’s first big league start was the high school phenom’s only start in 1991. He struck out five of the first six batters he faced, including Frank Thomas. But the White Sox rocked him in a four-run fourth that included a 43-year-old Carlton Fisk home run. The A’s wound up winning, 5-4, though Van Poppel came away with a no decision.
Bob Welch
The setup: Age 31, April 5, 1988, Seattle Mariners
The line: 7 innings, 0 earned runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts.
After 10 years in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, the late Bob Welch transitioned to the Oakland rotation without a hitch. Against the Mariners in his first start, Welch threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts. The World Series-bound A’s came away with a 6-0 win in their second game of the season.
Dave Stewart
The setup: Age 29, June 1, 1986, New York Yankees
The line: 5 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Smoke made his first big league start with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, age 24. But the journeyman’s first start with the A’s came four years and two teams later. Stewart gave up one run after future teammate Rickey Henderson doubled and stole third, scoring on a Willie Randolph single. But, the A’s lost, 7-1, and Stewart earned a no decision.
Catfish Hunter
The setup: Age 19, June 20, 1965, at Detroit Tigers
The line: 2 innings, 3 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 0 strikeouts
The Kansas City Athletics’ 19-year-old pitcher wasn’t quite the Hall of Fame starter he’d become. In Hunter’s first big league start, he gave up back-to-back home runs to Willie Horton and Norm Cash in the second inning, the A’s lost 12-8 and Hunter took his first loss. Hunter also took the loss in his — and the franchise’s — Oakland debut, a 3-1 Opening Day setback at Baltimore. But less than a month later, in just the 11th A’s game ever played at the Coliseum, Hunter pitched a perfect game against the Twins.
Vida Blue
The setup: Age 19, July 20, 1969, at California Angels
The Line: 5.1 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned runs, 1 walks, 1 strikeout
Aurelio Rodriguez, the second batter of the game, greeted Blue — barely two years out of high school and fresh from A-ball — with a towering home run. Jim Spencer would hit another off him to lead off the third. The A’s lost 7-3, but two years later “True” Blue would start the All-Star game and win the AL Cy Young and MVP awards.
Dennis Eckersley
The setup: Age 32, May 6, 1987, at Boston Red Sox
The line: 6.1 innings, 9 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts.
Before Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan turned Eckersley into one of the most dominant closers in baseball history, the career-long starter pestered them into two starts. The first came at Fenway Park, his home for six seasons, including a 20-win season in 1978. Three weeks later, at Yankee Stadium, he gave up 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings and never started again.
Ken Holtzman
The setup: Age 26, April 15, 1972, Minnesota Twins
The line: 8 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts.
A longtime Chicago Cub who had two no-hitters to his credit, Holtzman arrived to the Swingin’ A’s with a bang. He tossed eight innings and gave up a home run in the first inning to Danny Thompson. The A’s won 4-3, and Holtzman got his first of 19 wins en route to the first of the A’s three straight World Series titles.
