Webb, 22, to get start in Phoenix
PHOENIX — For an organization that rode homegrown pitching to three World Series championships in five seasons, the Giants have struggled over the past decade to graduate starters to the majors.
Since Madison Bumgarner made his bigleague debut on Sept. 8, 2009, a month after his 20th birthday, the Giants have had just six pitchers debut as starters. Eric Surkamp was the youngest at 24. Surkamp and the other five — Andrew Suarez, Tyler Beede, Shaun Anderson, Mike Kickham and Conner Menez — either failed to stick or are just getting their feet wet.
Now comes the Great Young Hope.
On Saturday night, 22yearold Logan Webb will make his bigleague debut in a start against the Diamondbacks, capping a whirlwind jump since midJuly from an 80game steroid suspension, to the rookie Arizona League to low Class A, to DoubleA, to one start at TripleA and now the majors.
That’s how much the Giants believe in their 2014 fourthround draft pick out of Rocklin High in Placer County.
“It’s been crazy,” Webb said “The last four weeks, this is my fourth place I’ve been.”
When manager Bruce Bochy saw Webb in spring training he figured the righthander could be up this year, but that changed on May 1, when Webb was suspended 80 games for having a steroid called oral Turinabol in his system. Webb swore he had no idea how it got there and said in a statement, “I know in my heart that something someday will be put into this world to prove my innocence.”
Without offering more details Friday, Webb said his search for an answer continues.
Asked if he hopes to shake the stigma of the failed drug test, Webb said, “I’ll never shake it, honestly. It’s something I’ll have to deal with forever unless something comes out. Until that day, I’ve got to cope with it, deal with it and move on.
“I’ll definitely always have a chip on my shoulder. I think I always have, but it’s a little bigger now.”
During the suspension, Webb was allowed to work out and face hitters at the team complex in Scottsdale. Afterward, he made seven minorleague starts totaling seven earned runs in 361⁄3 innings, a 1.73 ERA, with eight walks and 38 strikeouts.
In his lone TripleA start Monday, he held Nashville to a run in seven innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.
“The thing you like about him is: He throws strikes,” Bochy said.
Webb said he was nervous pitching at the highest minorleague level in front of friends and family who made the short trip from Rocklin to Sacramento, but was calmed by a former Giant who was barely older than Webb is now when he debuted in 2000: Ryan Vogelsong.
“Vogy was down there and he talked to me the entire time,” Webb said. “He told me this is the same thing I’ve been doing my whole career and to keep my nerves calm. He could tell I was nervous when I walked into the ballpark.
“After I got the first out I was back to being normal.”
Webb will have a host of friends and family in Arizona for Saturday’s debut, including his parents, Erik and Christie, and his girlfriend, Sharidan Morales. He cited those three as the foundation of his support through his suspension.