Jeff Karstens (Transcript)
Robby Incmikoski: So, first thing I want to ask is your Major League debut. Can you just start by telling me about scouting that day? What was it like with your pitcher-catcher meeting? Posada was your catcher that day, who had a damn good career, lifelong Yankee. What do you remember from just maybe leaving the hotel, going there, and prepping—knowing that Ichiro is going to be the first guy you face? What do you remember from that day?
Jeff Karstens: What I vividly remember is getting the scouting report and them having boxes of what guys hit against fastballs and what they hit against off-speed, and... the entire nine quadrants for the fastball were all red. And not just light red—they were just red. I was like, “Where are your outs with this guy?”
Robby Incmikoski: I can’t see your...
Jeff Karstens: And even the off-speed stuff, I was like, “How do you get this guy out?” Luckily, maybe it was the luck of him never having seen me live in an at-bat before, but being able to get him out in the first at-bat, I was like, “My god, this is amazing.” But yeah, I remember seeing the scouting report, just getting to the field, and having this anxiety of just wanting the game to start. Not nervous about much—just, “I want to be out there. I want it to be 7 o’clock already, not three.”
Jeff Karstens: And then getting ready... I remember we were going to have a coaches’ meeting with Posada, and it’s Posada, Joe Kerrigan, and Ron Guidry. Guidry was the pitching coach, and he’s not really saying much. Kerrigan’s kind of running the meeting. And Posada’s talking, but not really listening to me. In the first inning, I’m like, “Hey, I’m fastball-slider-changeup. If I throw a curveball, it’s very rare—maybe one out of a hundred pitches.” And next thing I know, first or second inning—curveball. And I’m so scared. I’m obviously not going to shake him off. You don’t do that to a big-league guy. Whatever they tell you to do, you just do it. So I was like, “All right, here we f***ing go. Here’s my curveball.” And it sucked. It wasn’t very good early on. But yeah...
Jeff Karstens: It was just one of those things where everything’s kind of happening so fast. I believe it was the third or fourth inning—second baseman, maybe Jose Lopez, who hit pretty well and was always high up in average with them—
Robby Incmikoski: Yep. You talking about the first inning?
Jeff Karstens: He got an RBI single, I think, or something. I remember getting the ball back and I kind of threw up in my mouth. No—no, I think it was the third inning.
Robby Incmikoski: No, because Snelling hit a homer.
Jeff Karstens: I thought maybe it was later.
Robby Incmikoski: Your debut wasn’t bad. It was five and two-thirds—almost a quality start.
Jeff Karstens: Did I give up three home runs that day?
Robby Incmikoski: Three. You... in the first inning: Ichiro flew out to left, Snelling walked, Beltre homered.
Jeff Karstens: Yeah. Yeah.
Robby Incmikoski: And then Sexson hit a homer, and...
Jeff Karstens: And then Sexson hit another one.
Robby Incmikoski: Then Raul hit a homer and—
Jeff Karstens: Maybe Lopez got a single or...
Robby Incmikoski: Sexson hit two homers, and...
Jeff Karstens: Something. And...
Robby Incmikoski: Ibanez hit a homer. That wasn’t off you.
Jeff Karstens: Okay. Yeah.
Robby Incmikoski: Wait—no. Sexson RBI groundout off Jaret Wright. Then Aaron Sele replaced him and...
Robby Incmikoski: ...singled in a run off Ron Villone. Beltre hit two homers that game. That was a walk-off.
Jeff Karstens: Yes. RBIs.
Jeff Karstens: Yeah, I think Jose L—did Lopez get a hit that game?
Robby Incmikoski: Jose Lopez... let’s see.
Robby Incmikoski: Jose Lopez—you got him to ground out in the third, and fly out in the first.
Jeff Karstens: Maybe it was somebody else, then. Because I remember literally being on the back of the mound, throwing up in my mouth a little bit and...
Robby Incmikoski: He did single off you in the bottom of the sixth.
Jeff Karstens: Being like, “All right.”
Robby Incmikoski: You were next on the ladder that day.
Jeff Karstens: Okay. Holy s***.
Robby Incmikoski: And then—that would make sense. You threw a wild pitch to Ben Broussard, and then Mike Myers came in.
Jeff Karstens: I faced Ben Broussard. I just saw him the other night, and I didn’t even realize that we faced each other. We played against each other at the end of his career—or end of my Yankee career, because it was Triple-A with the Yankees before I got traded, and he was with them. I literally just saw him the other day. I didn’t know that I faced him in my Major League debut. I’ve got to text him.
Robby Incmikoski: Did you mid-batter and issue an intentional walk?
Jeff Karstens: That’s right.
Robby Incmikoski: Then Mike Myers left after one batter. That’s crazy—Mike Myers came in to intentionally walk somebody and...
Jeff Karstens: Yeah. I just saw Mike Myers too. Yeah...
Robby Incmikoski: He never got credit. That walk went under your...
Jeff Karstens: Yep—because he can only get the strikeout. Remember: everything negative happens to me. Everything positive is him.
Robby Incmikoski: And then Yuniesky Betancourt flew out against Jaret Wright. How about that? That’s crazy.
Jeff Karstens: Yeah, it was quite the game.
Robby Incmikoski: Go ahead.
Jeff Karstens: But yeah, I just really vividly remember facing Ichiro, giving up the home run to Beltre, being like, “F***, that was fast. That’s two nothing.” I remember most of my starts, but that day was such a blur. It’s really true—it just kind of all happens. But I remember trying to compete and get myself to a point where I put the team in a good spot. It wasn’t about dominating. It was just: do your job. That’s it. Just do your job. And your job isn’t to dominate. It’s to put the team in a good spot to win. That was literally the whole goal.
Robby Incmikoski:
So let’s go to another cool story—transitioning to the game against Randy Johnson. That was at PNC Park, right? Your complete game shutout?
Jeff Karstens:
That game was in Arizona. Against Randy.
Robby Incmikoski:
I don’t... with all due respect, sir, I think that’s not accurate. What year would that have been? I want to say ’08. Stand by... what? I stand corrected. Why would I question a guy who did it? F******—I apologize for questioning you.
Jeff Karstens:
Bro.
Robby Incmikoski:
I’ve got egg on my face, and I deserve it. In his house. How did I whiff on that one? I’m usually pretty good at remembering stuff. I apologize, sir. That is my fault.
Jeff Karstens:
No, you’re good.
Robby Incmikoski:
So you tossed a complete game. You gave up two hits and one walk. Faced 29 batters. You were three batters away from a perfect game. That’s insane—against arguably the greatest left-hander to ever pitch in the game.
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah. Yeah.
Robby Incmikoski:
If he's not the greatest, he’s at least top three to five lefties in baseball history. What’s it like to look back on that game now, as 42-year-old Jeff Karstens?
Jeff Karstens:
For me, that’s probably... I mean, making the playoffs in Pittsburgh—I didn’t really do much to get us there. My game in Seattle, my Major League debut—whatever. But that game, having played with Randy, having seen everything that he was as a pitcher and how intimidating he was... and I guess you could say I bet on baseball, which I maybe shouldn’t say...
Robby Incmikoski:
All right.
Jeff Karstens:
But a buddy of mine goes, “Bro, you’re facing Randy Johnson.” And I was like, “I know. Can you believe it?” He says, “I bet you $20 you don’t even foul a ball off.” I’m like, “Bro, 20 bucks? Of course I’ll foul a ball off.” I said, “You don’t think I’m going to try and bunt or something? They’ll give me the sac.”
And I remember getting ready for the game, and I think in the first six outs, four of them were fly balls to Jason Michaels in center field—about 400-foot fly balls. I’m thinking, “Dude, I’m not making it past the third inning today. This is not going to be good.”
Jeff Karstens:
So, third inning, I get my first at-bat. I remember seeing a pitch or whatever, and I just told myself, “All right, just try to put the ball in play. Don’t fing strike out. At least try to represent yourself. You always say you’re a good athlete—let’s see it.”
And yeah, I remember getting the hit and I was like, “Holy f.” I’m running down to first and I’m thinking, “I want that ball so bad,” but I’m not looking at him. I’m not looking at Randy Johnson. I’m looking straight at the first base coach.
Jeff Karstens:
They throw the ball in, and I’m like, “Holy s***, I just got a hit off Randy Johnson.”
So the game continues. I think it’s 1–0 and it’s the middle innings. Second at-bat, and I’m like, “F***, I’m 0-2.” Maybe it was 1-2. The goal was just to see five pitches. I told myself, “If you can see five pitches, who gives a f***? Strike out.”
And I just kept fouling pitches off. To the point where I was like, “What the f*** is going on?” It felt like he was releasing the ball right in front of me. He threw a pitch up and in that I took, and I was like, “Holy s***, that ball felt so close.” And it was 91–92 mph—harder than some guys throwing 97. Scherzer’s 97 didn’t feel like Johnson’s 92.
Robby Incmikoski:
Right. Okay.
Jeff Karstens:
It was just extension, I guess. So I strike out and walk back to the dugout with pride. I’m thinking, “Dude, 0-2, eight-pitch at-bat, nine pitches total—that’s a win in my book.”
So I’m feeling good. The game goes on. I get another at-bat—third one. First pitch slider. And I’m like, “First pitch slider from Randy Johnson? That’s respect. I’m a pitcher. You’d think he’d just throw a fastball.”
Robby Incmikoski:
This is your third at-bat?
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah. The second at-bat I struck out—eight pitches, 1-2 count. But third at-bat, first pitch slider, and I’m thinking, “Okay, that’s kind of weird, but whatever.”
Next thing I know—base hit to left field. And that’s when I’m like, “Holy f***.”
Not only do you have a shutout going against Randy—you have a perfect game going.
I’m on first base. Then there’s a ball hit down the right field line—maybe Freddy Sanchez or someone. He used to cue the ball. I got a horrible read, but I think I went first to third, and I think I scored one of the two runs that day.
Robby Incmikoski:
You did—in the eighth inning. Doug Mientkiewicz drove you in.
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah, I got to second on some kind of bloop, and he got me in. I remember getting to the dugout, and nobody’s really talking to me. And I’m like, “F*** you guys, I’m not that guy. I like talking during games.”
So yeah, I go back out for the eighth inning. Record outs one and two. Then Chris Young—he’s down 0-2, maybe 1-2—slider didn’t really slide, and he barrels it down the left field line. At that point, I was like, “F***, there goes the no-hitter.” So I shift the goal: let’s finish the shutout.
Jeff Karstens:
Next inning, I think I walked the leadoff guy. Catcher Raul Chavez comes out and says, “You want to finish this or not?” And I go, “Yes.” He says, “All right, let’s go.” I’m the younger guy, just trusting him—he’s been around longer.
I get a double-play ball, then get out of the game.
Robby Incmikoski:
Do you know who the walk was? A very prominent figure in the game today. He’s the head of the players association now.
Jeff Karstens:
Not Jim Thome...
Robby Incmikoski:
Tony Clark.
Jeff Karstens:
Really? Yeah. Former San Diego guy—Christian High School.
Robby Incmikoski:
So Aguayo walks, Tony Clark hits into a 1-6-3 double play. And then the two final outs—you remember who they were?
Jeff Karstens:
One was Orlando Hudson...
Robby Incmikoski:
Stephen Drew.
Jeff Karstens:
That’s right. He was good. Him and his brother JD were both good.
Robby Incmikoski:
So the last out was Orlando Hudson grounding out—first base to you. Do you remember the feeling stepping on first?
Jeff Karstens:
I remember getting the flip and giving that ball to my mom—she was at the game. It was just one of those “wow” moments. I don’t remember stepping on the bag physically. I remember the counts, who was hitting, the double play in the ninth—but not stepping on the bag.
After the game, my phone just blew up with texts. Everyone was watching the game at that point. I had just been traded from the Yankees to the Pirates. First start: win in Chicago. Second start: complete game shutout. People were like, “Who is this random person the Pirates traded for who’s pitching well?”
Jeff Karstens:
I remember Brian Bruney, a reliever for the Yankees, told me they pulled the game up at Yankee Stadium—they cut to it. Some guys stayed in to watch, some didn’t give a s***, but yeah. I thought it was funny. I think those stories are cool.
Robby Incmikoski:
All right. Last thing I want to talk about—D.C., 2010. Strasburg’s debut. I’m going to get that date right now. You went against Stephen Strasburg. That was June 8, 2010. I remember I was with the Twins at that time. I remember watching those first couple at-bats—just an insane amount of hype. That place was going nuts, right?
Jeff Karstens:
Tuesday, Wednesday game.
Robby Incmikoski:
And it was Tuesday. You are correct, sir.
You know how many people were at that game? 40,315. Sold out.
Jeff Karstens:
The reason I remember that is we flew in from Pittsburgh, the team got checked into the hotel, and Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, and I—maybe one other guy—went to Morton’s Steakhouse the night before. Everybody was kind of talking about this “Strasburg guy.” He’s been dealing, throws hard, nasty stuff.
Next day, I wake up—just like any other day, any other game. At least I thought so.
Jeff Karstens:
Middle-of-the-week Tuesday game—didn’t think it was going to be anything crazy. But I remember being on the bus, pulling up to the players’ lot, and you pass by the front of the stadium. I’m thinking, “Wow, there’s a lot of people in line to get into the stadium already.”
This felt different. Normally, you’ve got batting practice people out early, but these weren’t BP people—these were game fans.
So we get to the dugout, and you could tell it was just different. A lot of media. Everyone’s trying to find any kind of video we had on this guy.
I believe he mowed down his first couple hitters—it was high velo, nasty changeup, hammer breaking ball. Good luck. Nobody had seen him live, in 3D. Guys were taking horrible swings—not even trying to knock our guys—but his stuff was just that good.
Jeff Karstens:
Every fastball was electric. The fans were into every pitch. It was like a playoff game in the middle of the summer. You’re like, “What the hell?”
I mean—what did he strike out, 14 that day?
Robby Incmikoski:
He had 14 punchouts. No walks. Seven innings. Two runs. 94 pitches. That’s unbelievable.
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah. What’s more unbelievable is that if I hadn’t given up back-to-back home runs in the sixth, I might’ve spoiled his debut.
Robby Incmikoski:
You did.
Jeff Karstens:
We had the lead—Delwyn Young hit a little homer on a changeup. Barely got out, but it got out. We had the lead, 2–1.
Robby Incmikoski:
You did.
Jeff Karstens:
I think Willingham hit a homer off me early. Or no—it was Zimmerman and then Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham went back-to-back in the sixth.
Robby Incmikoski:
Who’d you say?
Jeff Karstens:
Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.
Robby Incmikoski:
Dunn first, Willingham second. Correct.
Jeff Karstens:
So we went from up 2–1 to down 4–2.
Robby Incmikoski:
4–2. Yes.
Jeff Karstens:
And the sad part is—anybody else hits that fly ball to right field, it’s just a regular fly ball. But Adam Dunn makes every ballpark small. He hit it, and I was like, “F***.”
I wanted to spoil the day. I wanted to be the guy that beat him.
He’ll remember me forever because I was his first big-league hit.
Robby Incmikoski:
Wait—who?
Jeff Karstens:
Strasburg.
Robby Incmikoski:
He grounded out in the third, then grounded out in the fifth. Let me check...
Yeah—weak grounder to third in the third inning, and another groundout in the fifth. So, no hit.
Jeff Karstens:
Okay—then I wasn’t his first hit. I retract that. We’ve both been wrong tonight, Robby.
Robby Incmikoski:
By the way, I had “PNC” in my notes for that Randy game. That’s why I was so convinced it was in Pittsburgh. I wrote it to myself—and I was wrong.
Anyway, go ahead.
Jeff Karstens:
I just remember the second home run I gave up, and I felt like I let myself down.
It sounds selfish—maybe I’m overthinking—but I wanted to represent San Diego. I’m from there.
I knew Strasburg was electric, but I wanted to be the guy who beat him. “Wait, he lost to a guy from San Diego?” That was the moment I wanted—and I ruined it.
Jeff Karstens:
So yeah, I was pretty salty. But the guy was electric. It was like something out of a movie—like The Rookie. You’re like, “Holy f***.”
Robby Incmikoski:
But by then, you’d been in the big leagues for a couple years. Were you more acclimated to being the guy on the other side of all that hype?
Jeff Karstens:
I don’t know. I think I was supposed to start the day before, but they called up Brad Lincoln and had me go the next day to line up with Strasburg. That way Lincoln wouldn’t have to debut against him.
Which, I mean—what a story.
Robby Incmikoski:
That’s wild. And again, I’ll ask you the same question I asked earlier. I know the Randy Johnson game is probably your favorite you ever pitched—but how cool is that Strasburg moment to look back on?
Jeff Karstens:
Pretty cool. It’d have been cooler to be on the winning side, but only one team can win.
Having never pitched in the playoffs, that was the closest I’d ever felt to a playoff atmosphere during a regular season game.
Robby Incmikoski:
And nothing really compares to the playoffs, but still. You were there for the 2013 Wild Card game, right?
Still, you only get to pitch the game in front of you. But was it hard not to get caught up in the hype?
Jeff Karstens:
Yes and no.
Robby Incmikoski:
Tampa Bay Rays got good that way—you suck long enough, you draft high, you build. You get Longoria, David Price—guys to build around.
Can you appreciate the hype of a regular season game like that? Were you more amped up?
Jeff Karstens:
Oh, I was more amped up for sure. Because of the hype around him.
He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, I think.
Robby Incmikoski:
Yeah. He was the biggest prospect since Bryce Harper. And they were only a year apart, right?
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah—Bryce was drafted in 2010, so Strasburg must’ve been 2009.
Robby Incmikoski:
That’s right. Strasburg was ’09. Cole Hamels came after. Strasburg had the most hype I’d seen in a long time.
Jeff Karstens:
At least in my time. Sure, there were phenoms—like Doc Gooden—but I wasn’t around then. I’ve only heard those stories.
But having lived through it—yeah, Strasburg’s debut was the most hype I’d ever seen for a regular season game. And it was really fun to be a part of.
Robby Incmikoski:
Neil Walker told me he was on deck. He batted second against Strasburg. Said he was watching that guy throw and thinking, “S***—are you f***ing kidding me? I’ve got to go face this guy now?”
Jeff Karstens:
Yeah...
Robby Incmikoski:
Did you hear the guys in the clubhouse talking about him?
Jeff Karstens:
Not much. There was video, but when guys came back into the dugout, they basically just said, “Good luck.” They looked kind of defeated—like, “This isn’t fun.”
Robby Incmikoski:
That’s amazing.
That’s really incredible.
Jeff Karstens:
Not too many guys can do that.
Robby Incmikoski:
That really is incredible.
I don’t think I have anything else for you, brother. I appreciate all your time. I’m going to stop the recording now.