Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Mizzou Baseball in the Majors: Tepesch Mode


♦ 6-2 - Tepesch Preys on Rays in Calming Debut (Lone Star Ball)
Nick Tepesch was heralded as a guy who wouldn't be fazed when presented with the challenge of jumping to the Big Leagues after spending only half a season above High-A ball. So far, so smooth

Nick Tepesch: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 career start, 1 career victory.

For this one game, the Rangers were without a No. 5 starter once again. Instead, they had a guy who pitched like a TORP [Top Of Rotation Pitcher]. Fantastic debut by the tepid Tepesch.
♦ Forum > NICK TEPESCH, Ladies and Gents! (Baseball Time in Arlington)
Aceathon: "Tepesch's approach is literally "b**** I'm a robot, I don't even give a F***"

♦ Texas Rangers Nick Tepesch shows poise in Major League debut (Dallas News)
The biggest inning, however, was the second.

Tepesch, 24, faced the jitters, nerves or whatever else you want to call it in the second inning and came through it stronger and more dominant. After a crisp first inning, Tepesch walked the bases full in the second. It brought pitching coach Mike Maddux to the mound for a conversation. Tepesch gathered himself and struck out No. 9 hitter Kelly Johnson on three pitches to end the inning...

♦ Tepesch's debut is a memorable one (ESPN)
Tepesch was able to enjoy this moment with his parents, whom he talked to after the game. He was humble in his postgame news conference. It took a reporter to tell him it's OK to smile to get him to actually break out one. It was a proud smile.

Tepesch then went back to being all business. He's a guy with a purpose. He doesn't want to join the list of Rangers who made a triumphant debut and then disappeared.

"This is what I've been working for since I've been playing this game," Tepesch said. "There's still a lot of hard work left to go."...

♦ Nick Tepesch's debut with Rangers a masterpiece that few can rival (SportsDayDFW)
Over the last five years, the Rangers have transitioned from a bunch of muscled-up sluggers to a more balanced organization and have watched much-anticipated debuts by Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Yu Darvish.

Or, in other words, the core of the 2013 rotation. Think about that for a minute.

Then ponder this: None of them — none — had as impressive a debut as Nick Tepesch did Tuesday night in a 6-1 win over Tampa Bay. Tepesch, who entered spring training as an invited guest rather than a realistic contender, took a two-hitter to the eighth inning and ended up allowing just four hits in 71/3 innings.

Harrison went seven strong in his major league debut. Holland pitched 21/3 innings of relief. Darvish skittered through 52/3 last year. None of them went to the eighth. In fact, only four times in Texas history had a starter pitched more than seven innings in his debut, and not since Kevin Kennedy’s ill-advised pushing of John Dettmer to the ninth in a 1994 game. Dettmer ended up a loser and appeared in just 11 more games in his career.

What happens with Tepesch will be a work in progress, but on Tuesday he did the kinds of things that much more experienced pitchers do...

♦ Poised Tepesch shines in big-league debut (Fox Sports Southwest)
The Tepesch start impressed his veteran teammates.

"He was poised," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "It seemed like as the game went, he actually got better. He got some of the nervous energy out and he settled in and pitched a great game for us. Big league debuts can usually go one of two ways, either really well or really bad. Once he got out the second and third inning you could see him relax."...
♦ Nick Tepesch’s Triumphant Debut… photos by Kelly Gavin (MLBlogs.com)
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