Article: Hello, Goodbye, Ethan Small

[Sean Franken]

Ethan Small, the Brewers top pitching prospect, made his Major League debut on Monday. As quickly as he arrived, he was gone. The arrival of a top prospect is huge, not only for the team but for the fans.

 

 

One of the great things about Major League Baseball is the arrival to The Show of a team’s top prospect. There’s no instant gratification like in the NFL or NBA. In those sports, a top draft pick joins the team right away, with some making an impact from Day One.

Baseball is different. The vast majority of the time, even the top draft picks need to work their way up through a team’s Minor League system. There is no instant gratification. In this day and age, fans have access to more information on a team’s prospects than ever before. They can follow a prospect’s progress through each step of his minor-league journey. When a top prospect finally gets the call up to the big club, it’s like Christmas Day, not only for them but for fans as well.

All eyes are on the new call-up. Expectations are high. Will he get a hit in his first at-bat? Will he dominate Major League hitters like he did minor league hitters?

As a kid, I remember the call-up of Joey Meyer. Even in those days, with a lack of 24/7 access, tales of his power were legendary. Brewers fans of a certain age know the story. He didn’t live up to the lofty expectations. There was also Gary Sheffield, another top prospect who I was excited about as a kid. It turns out he was one of the biggest heels in Brewers’ history - a Ted DiBiase or Rick Rude level heel. Brewers fans also had the highly anticipated debuts of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. I’d say both of those guys turned out okay.

This brings me back to Ethan Small, who has had great success in the minors. I witnessed him pitching for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and he certainly seemed like the real deal. He was called up since The Crew needed an arm for their Memorial Day doubleheader against the Cubs. Fans were excited, he looked good in his first couple of innings, struggled later and was sent back down to Nashville following the game. 

But we haven’t seen the last of Small. He’ll be back. Expectations will be high, as they will be for Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick. When these guys get their crack at The Show, Brewers fans will be giddy with anticipation. We should be. It is part of the joy of baseball. 

Which Brewers prospects have you been most excited to see debut? Leave your thoughts in the COMMENTS below. 

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[Frisbee Slider]

I remember staying up late to watch Ben Hendrickson’s debut against the Dodgers in 2004.

5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Took the loss.

3 RBI from Paul Lo Duca was too much to overcome.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN200406020.shtml

 

[Frisbee Slider]

I remember staying up late to watch Ben Hendrickson’s debut against the Dodgers in 2004.

5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Took the loss.

3 RBI from Paul Lo Duca was too much to overcome.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN200406020.shtml

 

[Jim French Stepstool]

I recall being pretty excited about Jeff D'Amico. It was made more intriguing since he came directly from double-A.

Going back a little further, I had high anticipation for the debut of a guy who had "professional hitter" written all over him--Randy Ready.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I recall being pretty excited about Jeff D'Amico. It was made more intriguing since he came directly from double-A.

Going back a little further, I had high anticipation for the debut of a guy who had "professional hitter" written all over him--Randy Ready.