Aroldis Chapman makes spring training debut for Reds..
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on March 9, 2010
Aroldis Chapman did not disappoint in his spring training debut Monday, as the 22-year old Cuban defectee threw two scorless innings during the Cincinnati Reds’ 14-6 win over Kansas City.
Chapman wowed scouts in attendace in Goodyear, AZ as he hit 100 mph on the radar gun three different times during his first major league appearence.
Afterwards he was impressed with his debut, even though he was unaware of how hard he was throwing the ball.
“I wasn’t trying to throw that hard. It was good to face someone other than my own teammates. I felt better than I did in the last game. I start slow and as the game goes on, I throw harder.”
His performance impressed Reds manager Dusty Baker, who will give Chapman a chance to win a spot in Cincinnati’s starting rotation.
“It’s just a matter of him finding the plate. He was close to the plate today even when he was missing. Most of the time when he missed, it was down. That’s a very good sign that he’s getting more and more into the rhythm of things.”
