After discussing the doldrums of allowing a touchdown worth of scoring, Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson finally could flash a smile in Sunday’s postgame interview.
Gibson was asked about Sonny Gray’s desire to get out there and pitch.
“I mean,” Gibson said with a growing grin, “from his bullpen (sessions) to just how he goes about his daily work, I kind of knew he was going to be asking for the ball as soon as he could.”
Sonny Gray is, um, passionate. He’s an old-school, unapologetically competitive pitcher. Sidelined by a hamstring injury this spring, the original plan was to have Gray pitch in the minors on Tuesday ... and then make his Cardinals debut after that. But Gray talked his way into getting the start in St. Louis on Tuesday.
I love it. He’s got this gumption. He’s what this organization needs after the humbling 2023 season. Sets a different tone around this place.
Yes, he’ll be on a limit of around 65 pitches against the Phillies at Busch Stadium. Yes, that means the Cardinals likely will have to use more relievers than usual in Tuesday’s game (though Matthew Liberatore was a starter in the spring and is built up to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen). But Gray’s statement resonates. He wants to win ballgames for the St. Louis Cardinals as soon as possible.
And though Gray didn’t say these words, it reminds me of NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson’s book title from 1997: “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!”
“(Gray) is as direct and honest of a human as you can ever encounter,” Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told reporters before Sunday’s 10-3 loss to Miami, in which Gibson allowed seven and the Cards fell to 5-5 on the season. “If he says he is 100% himself and ready to go, from my seat I trust that. ... His competitive demeanor and personality are contagious — you can’t have enough of it. We have a good amount of it at the moment. Adding him to it seems like it could get fun.”
Gray, of course, finished second in the American League Cy Young voting last year with a 2.79 ERA. On Sunday, Gray said there were “open and honest discussions” as he explained to the club his side of how he feels, while from the “coaching side, training side, front office side,” it was about making it work without “putting the bullpen in a bind” and asking: Does it work collectively for the team?
Ultimately, the Cardinals gave him the damn ball.
Now, right away, Gray will be going against one of baseball’s best — Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, who finished sixth last year in the National League Cy Young voting. This only adds to the thrill of the event. Gray yearns to duel. Here’s thinking he squeezes the most out of those 65 throws.
Sonny’s start bumps St. Louis starter Zack Thompson. The young lefty’s velocity has dropped lately. Something could be up. Thompson’s ERA is 6.97, so perhaps this is a win-win — it gives Gray a chance to get out there ASAP and gives Thompson some time to rest his arm and figure out what’s going on.
And yes, there have been situations before where a big-name Cardinals starter has talked his way into a St. Louis start over a rehab assignment. It backfired with Jack Flaherty in 2022. Adam Wainwright actually pitched well in a 2023 start before the bullpen blew it. Similar situations, but it’s still a case-by-case thing. Oh, and if Miles Mikolas can eat some innings Monday, as the team pays him to do, that freshens the bullpen for Tuesday. Oh, and the Cards are off Thursday to rest and reset.
But quite simply, your $75 million man wants to pitch — and says he’s healthy enough to pitch — so let him pitch.
Incidentally, speaking of Wainwright, he was at the ballpark Sunday. The pitcher turned country music artist actually sat in the stands for a Cardinals game (how weird was that image?). And then after the game, he greeted Gray and others in the clubhouse.
Gray said they became friendly when Sonny joined Cincinnati in 2019.
“(My respect for him) is very high. ... He’s a great guy,” Gray said.
But perhaps Gray’s favorite Cardinals pitcher is, well, the other Gibson.
A fan of baseball history, Gray occasionally pays homage with his outfits. On Sunday, he wore a blue hat with Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 on the front. Earlier in the homestand, he wore a red No. 45 to honor Bob Gibson, the greatest Cardinals pitcher of all time.
“Yeah, that’s neat for me — I’ve been a fan of Bob Gibson for a long time,” said Gray, who purposely chose No. 54 so it would be Gibson’s number flipped around. “You see his number all over the place.”
And then, standing in front of his locker, Gray pointed up. Sure enough, the Cardinals have each retired number on display. And above Gray’s locker and Lance Lynn’s locker is the famed No. 45.
No one will ever be Bob Gibson in this town again. The closest you can ask for is a pitcher who has similarities — be it his mentality or tenacity or longevity.
We haven’t see the gritty Gray pitch in games yet, but it sure seems like he has the first two going for him.
St. Louis Cardinals fans celebrate first home game of the 2024 season
Injured St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray looks out from the dugout at the action on the field during a game between the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray, left, walks off the field with trainer Adam Olsen after being removed during the second inning of a spring training game against the Washington Nationals on March 4 in West Palm Beach, Fla.