Detroit Tigers rookie Brett Callahan dug his palms into the flat surface of his locker, voice cracking, eyes wide as he answered questions with cameras and reporters overwhelming his space.
Callahan didn’t look comfortable under camera lights. But under the lights of a big-league stadium (as dim as they were in the afternoon game), he looked as secure as a big-league veteran.
Callahan started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a triple in his MLB debut on Sunday, Aug. 16, a game that ended in a 7-5 Tigers loss to the Chicago White Sox. The loss finished off a three-game sweep from the first-place White Sox, a critical stretch that could have seen the Tigers take first place in the American League Central.
But if you’re looking for a distraction from a disappointing weekend of baseball, Callahan provided that with his sparkling debut.
With one out, two runners on and no score in the bottom of the second inning, Callahan smacked a hanging curveball from White Sox starter Sean Burke down the right field line for a triple, becoming the first Tiger in 114 years to hit a triple in his first major league at-bat (during one of the strangest games in Tigers history, to boot). The hit sent the home crowd into delirium, with Callahan diving into third base helmet-free to complete the frenzied 270-foot journey.
“I was thinking, ‘don’t trip,'” he said after the game. “I tripped a couple weeks ago and my legs were feeling shaky running around … that was honestly my first thought.”
The 24-year-old from Delaware got his first standing ovation soon after his first hit, but said he didn’t immediately see video of the loud reaction from his family sitting in the crowd.
“I’m a little worried [about the video],” he said after the game, “but I’m so happy that the Tigers went out of their way to get them all here so that they could be a part of this. I know my dad had some problems getting here and I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it, so I’m glad that he ended up being here.”
The Tigers called up Callahan from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday morning, hoping the lefty would provide some pop against a string of right-handed pitcher, with Callahan rewarding manager A.J. Hinch’s decision to immediately start him in left field.
“Really cool first day for him,” Hinch said. “The head-first slide, the helmet flying off, the sheer enjoyment and excitement, I thought it was really cool to see.”
Callahan was the sixth Tigers rookie to reach base in his first-career plate appearance this season, joining the likes of Kevin McGonigle (double), Max Clark (walk) and Eduardo Valencia (home run) among notable rookie debuts. He also added to the list of rookies who provided key offensive production during the weekend series, albeit in a losing effort in all three games.
Callahan’s opportunity comes as the Tigers face a litany of outfield injuries, with Riley Greene, James Outman, Matt Vierling, Kerry Carpenter, Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows all unavailable to play. And with Greene (strained hamstring) and Outman (concussion) likely to become available before the end of August, Callahan’s first trip to the big leagues might finish earlier than he would like.
But he also has an opportunity to show off his power (a career-high 13 home runs in the minors this season) and speed (29 stolen bases, third among all Tigers minor-leaguers this season) while he’s up in Detroit. And if he produces moments like he did in his first plate appearance, it will give the Tigers front office a lot to think about when it’s time to make roster moves.
After he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, Callahan noted he was missing an important milestone in his ascension to the big leagues – his first defensive out.
“There’s a still a lot of boxes left unchecked. There’s still a lot of things to do out on that field,” he said. “I definitely did want to get that fly ball just get it into the mitt, [to] know I could still do it here. But it’ll happen.”
The way he looked in his debut, it could happen sooner than he ever expected.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brett Callahan’s triple latest electric debut from Tigers rookies
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
