'Kind of a blur': Phillies recall big league firsts

Ten Phillies made big league debuts last year. None are likely to forget their season of firsts, especially because nobody could have family or friends in the stands to watch them play.

Do ballparks filled with cardboard cutouts instead of fans make those first games, home runs and wins more memorable? Maybe, maybe not. Out of curiosity, earlier this month in Clearwater, Fla., we checked the memories of several Phillies veterans.

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What do they remember about their first game, first home run or first win?

Didi Gregorius
First game (Reds): Sept. 5, 2012, vs. Phillies in Cincinnati (0-for-4)

“I faced Doc [Roy Halladay]. I was talking to Dusty [Baker before the game]. He was the manager at the time. He said, ‘You’re facing Doc. The first thing I want you to do is swing at the first pitch and hit a line drive to left field.’ That’s what he said. I was like, ‘OK.’ So I get up there, first pitch, sinker away, and I hit a line drive to left field. Juan Pierre makes a diving play in the gap. Almost had it, but almost doesn’t count in this game.”

J.T. Realmuto
First home run (Marlins): May 18, 2015, vs. D-backs in Miami (Two-run HR in 7th inning vs. Rubby De La Rosa)

“I have the ball at my house. I don’t know where it’s at. My wife makes fun of me because any award I have is stuffed away in a closet in our laundry room. I just don’t want people walking in my house and seeing a shrine of myself. I don’t want that. Because I’d be like, ‘Oh, this guy really likes himself.’ Some of my stuff I gave to my dad or my grandpa. They put it in their house. Anything that’s at my house, it’s put away in a closet. Yeah, I’m not going to put my Gold Glove on my fireplace, so everybody sees it. You know, it's just not for me.”

Andrew McCutchen
First game (Pirates): June 4, 2009, vs. Mets in Pittsburgh (2-for-4, one RBI, one walk, one SB, three runs)

“I had no expectations. I got the phone call the day before in Triple-A. The game was canceled. It was a rainout. I fell asleep, took a nap. I woke up in the middle of the nap. My phone was on silent. But I saw it. I just happened to open my eyes and it was the Triple-A manager. ‘Hey, you've been called to the big leagues. You’ve got a flight. They have a day game. The games is at 12:35 p.m. You have a flight leaving Indianapolis at 5:30 a.m. You're laying over in Chicago, and then you'll be in Pittsburgh. You should get there with at least hopefully a couple hours before the game.’ So I’m running through all this in my head and I'm like, ‘I'm not going to fall asleep tonight. I'm too excited.’ I didn't sleep. I barely got an hour. Everything leading up to the game was a blur. I don't remember much. I don't remember really talking to anyone because everyone was kind of getting themselves ready. I got there an hour and a half before the game. I really felt like I got there, met a couple dudes, met the manager. ‘Hey, you're leading off, playing center field. Just letting you know that. Congratulations, and have a good game.’ Cool. Sounds good.”

Rhys Hoskins
First game: Aug. 10, 2017, vs. Mets at Citizens Bank Park (0-for-2 with one walk)

“I remember being on deck and thinking to myself, ‘Man, I’m not as nervous as I thought I was going to be.’ And then obviously it completely changed as soon as I dug in. Oh, man. I was facing [Jacob] deGrom. I remember I got a line drive in left [field] in the first inning to end it, which is one of the toughest plays for an outfielder. Kind of a blur. Dad, my sister and [future wife] Jayme were there. We were able to get them on the first flight out [from California]. I found out the night before, got them on the first flight out and they made it by game time.”

Bryce Harper
First homer (Nationals): May 14, 2012, vs. Padres in Washington (solo shot to center field in 3rd inning vs. Tim Stauffer)

“At home on the berm. I was pretty pumped. My first big league homer, my first standing ovation. That was pretty cool. That was one thing when I got there: I was so thankful to have a fanbase that really wanted me. I was thankful for my first standing ‘O’ in my home stadium. Just really cool to share that after the game with my parents and my family who were at the game.”

Zack Wheeler
First game, first win (Mets): June 18, 2013, at Atlanta (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 7 K)

“It was against the Braves in my hometown. My first strikeout was [Jason] Heyward. I worked out with him plenty of offseasons leading up to that and the offseason afterward. So during the offseason, I got him to sign the ball.”

Héctor Neris
First game, first win: Aug. 5, 2014, vs. Astros at Citizens Bank Park (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K)

“It was just me and Cesar Jimenez in the bullpen in 14th inning. The phone rang. We looked at the same time. I said, ‘You’re going in.’ I was a young guy. I had never pitched in the big leagues before. I didn’t think I was going to pitch. Cesar said, ‘Be ready, you’re going in.’ ‘You’re crazy.’ ‘Yes, it’s you.’ When I heard my name, I was like, wow. My first pitch in the bullpen, I threw hard. The catcher said, ‘You’re ready.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, but I’m nervous.’ My pitching coach in Triple-A told me, ‘When you go to the big leagues, don’t think because the catcher is the big league guy, that he knows more than you about what to throw. Pitch your game. Use your strengths and believe in yourself.’ So when Chooch [Carlos Ruiz] calls a first-pitch fastball, I said no. I shook. Chooch, looked at me. He called a slider. I said no. He called changeup, I said no. He called fastball in, I said yes. I threw it. I threw fastball, splitter, splitter. I ended up striking out [Jake Marisnick]. I got a fly ball and a ground ball. Nine pitches. I went to the dugout. Everybody was happy. In the 15th inning, [Grady Sizemore] was on second base, [Ryan] Howard hit him in. We won the game. I was so happy. But then when the game was finished, I was enjoying my moment and I got called to the office. I thought [manager Ryne Sandberg] might want to congratulate me. But when I got there, I saw everybody in there. I was like, something bad is happening here. They sent me back to Triple-A.”

Brandon Kintzler
First win (Brewers): April 18, 2011, vs. Phillies at Citizens Bank Park (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K)

“Roy Halladay was actually on the ticket. He didn’t pitch that day, but he was on the ticket. I pitched two innings the day before in D.C. We went into extra innings on Monday Night Baseball. I was scared [to death], absolutely scared [to death]. I had two scoreless and got the win. It was awesome. I was young and I had only seven innings in my career at the time. The Phillies were huge, and it was on ESPN. Takashi Saito, he’s from Mizuno. He had a gold glove made and engraved it with my first win. I still have the ball and I have a ticket because Halladay was on it. I wish I would’ve gotten it signed.”

Andrew Knapp
First homer: April 29, 2017, vs. Dodgers in Los Angeles (solo shot to right-center in 8th inning vs. Chris Hatcher)

“I couldn't believe it went out. Splitter, two strikes. It was a pretty cool one. Cody Bellinger hit his first homer in the same game that I hit my first homer. I think he's got like 100-and-something now.”

Jean Segura
First homer (Brewers): April 5, 2013, vs. D-backs in Milwaukee (solo shot to center field in 4th inning vs. Wade Miley)

“I remember running the bases as hard as I can. I was so happy to hit a homer, especially my first one. To straight center. I think I was hitting second in the lineup. I started the season really, really good, so they moved me to the second hole. I faced Miley, and I took him deep.”