Former Dirtbag Shane Carle Makes MLB Debut with Colorado Rockies
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Former Dirtbags pitcher Shane Carle got the call to the majors on Friday, as the Colorado Rockies brought him up from Triple-A to join the big league club in San Francisco. Carle is the 47th Long Beach State player to earn a spot on a Major League Baseball roster, and the first since Branden Pinder made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 2015.
The 25-year-old Carle pitched for Long Beach State during the 2013 season, posting a 4-9 record in 15 starts with a 3.57 ERA. He threw a team-best 93.1 innings that season with two complete games, including a shutout against UC Riverside on May 17, when he recorded a career-best 13 strikeouts. Carle posted 75 strikeouts against 30 walks during his lone season at Long Beach State.
“It’s very exciting when those guys get their first opportunity in the big leagues,” said Dirtbags head coach Troy Buckley, who coached Carle while he was with the Dirtbags. “It’s not one of those paths that has been one level after another, he’s really had to work for it. I’m elated for him, he’s a really quiet competitor, he really cares about doing things right, so it’s nice to see him continue to fight through all the grind. And to make it to the big leagues, man, that’s a fantastic accomplishment.”
The Rockies called up Carle to replace starting pitcher Jon Gray, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a broken foot. Carle made his MLB debut on Friday night, pitching the eighth inning of an 8-2 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. He actually retired four batters in his inning of work thanks to a wild pitch on a strikeout of Conor Gillaspie, but it was an otherwise clean inning from Carle in his debut.
Carle was drafted in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was traded to the Rockies organization in 2014. He played all of last season with the Albuquerque Isotopes—Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate—and started this season there as well. He has a career 3.98 ERA in the minor leagues with a 24-25 record. Of his 97 minor league appearances, 73 were starts, but he has made two relief appearances for Albuquerque so far in 2017.
Coincidentally, outfielder Shane Peterson was also called up on Friday by the Tampa Bay Rays, serving as the team’s designated hitter for their game in Boston. Peterson hit a two-run home run in his first at bat for Tampa Bay, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs in his debut with his new team. Peterson made his big league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2013 and played 93 games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015.
With Carle and Peterson getting the call, LBSU can now boast 12 former players in the big leagues this season. That is more than any other college or university, a distinction Long Beach State has held every season since 2010.
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