MINNEAPOLIS - Rich Harden, touted as the A's next-big-thing pitcher since spring training, will make his major league debut today at Kansas City.
``I like challenges. It should be a lot of fun,'' Harden said Sunday. ``I've been really anxious for Monday to come.''
Harden, 21, has been on the fast track since he emerged as the A's top pitching prospect last season, going 12-6 with a 2.94 ERA at Class-A Visalia and Double-A Midland.
He opened this season by retiring all 39 batters he faced at Midland (17 by strikeout) and handled a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento seamlessly. Harden was 9-4 with a 3.15 ERA, striking out 91 and walking 35 in 88 2/3 innings with the River Cats.
The A's resisted calling up Harden earlier because he isn't as seasoned as Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder, who all played for major-college programs. But with the back of the rotation faltering and the A's in need of a spark, the call finally went to Harden and his 98 mph fastball.
``It's about time he got up here and gets his feet wet,'' Hudson said. ``Talk about him coming up here has been out there for a long time.''
Harden, a 17th-round pick in the 2000 draft, will be the youngest A's pitcher to make his big league debut since Steve Karsay in 1993. His debut is the organization's most anticipated since those of Mulder and Zito in 2000.
``It was something I didn't want to get caught up in,'' Harden said, referring to the speculation about his joining the rotation before he was officially called up Thursday. ``There were times I'd sit back and think about the possibility, but I tried to block it out of my head.''
Harden last pitched July 13 when he allowed one run, walked two and struck out three in one inning in the Futures Game as part of the All-Star weekend festivities. Harden has thrown on the side twice since being called up.
``It kind of brings a smile to my face. He's the next of kin,'' Zito said. ``He's got a good head on his shoulders. I think he can handle it.''
• Eric Byrnes snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a double in the fourth inning. Byrnes hit a hard grounder that Twins third baseman Chris Gomez couldn't backhand. After some deliberation by the official scorer, the play was ruled a hit instead of an error.
``I knew if I kept putting the ball in play, good things would happen,'' Byrnes said.
• First baseman Scott Hatteberg wasn't in the lineup after committing an error in each of the first three games of the series.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6349385.htm
``I like challenges. It should be a lot of fun,'' Harden said Sunday. ``I've been really anxious for Monday to come.''
Harden, 21, has been on the fast track since he emerged as the A's top pitching prospect last season, going 12-6 with a 2.94 ERA at Class-A Visalia and Double-A Midland.
He opened this season by retiring all 39 batters he faced at Midland (17 by strikeout) and handled a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento seamlessly. Harden was 9-4 with a 3.15 ERA, striking out 91 and walking 35 in 88 2/3 innings with the River Cats.
The A's resisted calling up Harden earlier because he isn't as seasoned as Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder, who all played for major-college programs. But with the back of the rotation faltering and the A's in need of a spark, the call finally went to Harden and his 98 mph fastball.
``It's about time he got up here and gets his feet wet,'' Hudson said. ``Talk about him coming up here has been out there for a long time.''
Harden, a 17th-round pick in the 2000 draft, will be the youngest A's pitcher to make his big league debut since Steve Karsay in 1993. His debut is the organization's most anticipated since those of Mulder and Zito in 2000.
``It was something I didn't want to get caught up in,'' Harden said, referring to the speculation about his joining the rotation before he was officially called up Thursday. ``There were times I'd sit back and think about the possibility, but I tried to block it out of my head.''
Harden last pitched July 13 when he allowed one run, walked two and struck out three in one inning in the Futures Game as part of the All-Star weekend festivities. Harden has thrown on the side twice since being called up.
``It kind of brings a smile to my face. He's the next of kin,'' Zito said. ``He's got a good head on his shoulders. I think he can handle it.''
• Eric Byrnes snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a double in the fourth inning. Byrnes hit a hard grounder that Twins third baseman Chris Gomez couldn't backhand. After some deliberation by the official scorer, the play was ruled a hit instead of an error.
``I knew if I kept putting the ball in play, good things would happen,'' Byrnes said.
• First baseman Scott Hatteberg wasn't in the lineup after committing an error in each of the first three games of the series.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6349385.htm
