Every player's MLB debut is memorable, but not every debut is truly unforgettable.
Aaron Civale's first major-league appearance June 22 with the Indians is one nobody will soon forget, especially family members who traveled to Cleveland from Hawaii, Oklahoma and, of course, New England. The East Windsor, Conn., native and Northeastern University product was brilliant in his MLB debut, blanking the Detroit Tigers over six shutout innings and allowing just two hits.
“(I’ve) got about 15-20 people in the stands who’ve come from pretty far away to come out here, so it’s a pretty special day,” Civale told reporters after the game.
Civale is one of two players with New England connections to make his major-league debut this month only to be optioned back to Triple A shortly afterward. Three days before Civale's call-up, Sean Poppen, a Harvard alumnus, made his debut with the Minnesota Twins, tossing four innings in a relief outing against the Red Sox. Both Civale and Poppen returned to the minors after their one-game big-league stints.
