Shane Smith, a rookie pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, learned he would pitch in the All-Star Game after the sixth inning. He pitched in the eighth inning, striking out one batter. Smith noted the excitement and nerves of coming out of the bullpen for the All-Star Game compared to a regular season game. He also enjoyed the overall experience, including events like the red carpet and Home Run Derby, and especially appreciated getting to know other players better in the clubhouse through discussions about baseball and their experiences in the league.
I got hot in the sixth and I thought I was going to get in the sixth and they said no. Then I kind of cooled down for a little bit. And then they were like, 'You're out there, you've got an out. Go get an out.'
Definitely a different buzz to it, especially coming out of the bullpen. You warm up, it's kind of like a quick phone call, you get some butterflies and it's like, 'Hey, you're going to be in the game here in eight or 10 minutes.'
Pretty crazy. All of the other stuff with the red carpet and Home Run Derby was really cool. Just to try to sit around and enjoy the time with those guys.
Just eating lunch with the best players in the game was probably my favorite part. (Just) seeing them around and talking some pitching, talking about the state of the league and what that looks like for us.
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