It took Zach Remillard 5665 innings, 2411 at-bats, and 694 games in the minor leagues before getting the call-up from Triple-A Charlotte. It was worth the wait.
Lower back inflammation that sent Yoan Moncada to the 10-day injured list prompted the call that Remillard had been waiting for his whole life—a chance to play in the big leagues.
The 29-year-old was selected in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB draft out of Coastal Carolina University, so he wasn’t exactly a highly touted prospect when he entered the pro ranks.
When he arrived in Seattle, he wasn’t expecting to play. Pedro Grifol’s lineup card had him on the bench to start the game. But a third-inning shoulder injury to Tim Anderson quickly changed that. Grifol was forced to move Elvis Andrus over to third and Remillard to second base for his MLB debut.
Before he took the field, he got an unexpected piece of advice from Joe Kelly that helped calm his nerves.
“Before I went out there, Joe Kelly’s like, ‘There’s two options — either you do good, or you do bad.’ And he just kept it simple,” Remillard told NBC Sports Chicago. “And for some reason, that calmed me down. We’re just out here playing the game we love.”
By the end of Saturday’s game, he had recorded the game-tying RBI in the ninth inning, the game-winning RBI in the 11th inning, and fielding the final out of the game. He was rewarded with a bucket of ice water dunked over him and a sunflower seed shower for his efforts courtesy of Jake Burger, Elvis Andrus, Andrew Vaughn, and Mike Clevinger.
“It’s never felt so good,” Remillard told the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast.
Remillard is just the seventh player in White Sox history and the first since 1988 to have three-plus hits in his MLB debut. He is also the first White Sox player to reach base four times since Johnny Callison in 1958, according to stat guru Chris Kamka. He finished 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
If that isn’t enough, he is also the first player in the Modern Era (post-1901) to have both a game-tying and game-winning hit in the ninth inning or later of his MLB debut.
“What a day. What a memorable day,” Remillard said after the game. “I got my family here. It’s a dream come true. I prepared for this day for a long time. Just to get an opportunity to help the team in any way and execute.”
Pedro Grifol called the come-from-behind victory the best win of the season, while Remillard’s teammates were in awe of the rookie’s debut.
“That’s probably one of the better debuts I’ve ever seen, if not the best,” Andrew Benintendi said.
After the game, the White Sox trashed the visitor’s locker room at T-Mpbile Park. Silly string littered the ground, somebody pulled a clothing prank, and beers were poured all over the victorious clubhouse.
“I don’t think you can fully put into words where this journey started 27 years ago, playing baseball, and what your dream is–is exactly what happened today,” Remilard told MLB.com. “The amount of gratitude I have and how exciting it is to have my family here… it’s a moment I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
