St. Charles East grad Reynolds on Cloud 9 with Rockies
It has been a whirlwind stretch the past couple of weeks for Matt Reynolds.
But I have a feeling it's one the 25-year-old will forever remember.
Two weeks ago, Reynolds was preparing to pitch in front of friends and family for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox as the Triple-A baseball team was in the midst of a road trip in Nashville.
Less than 24 hours later, the 2003 St. Charles East graduate received the news he had been waiting for.
"Our game was cancelled that (Wednesday) night," said Reynolds, "and my manager (Stu Cole) checked to make sure he had my phone number and that I had my suit jacket and tie.
"A half-hour later, he called to tell me that I just gotten called up to the big leagues and I was flying out the next day."
Reynolds soon headed to Los Angeles, where his new team - the Colorado Rockies - was wrapping up a three-game series with the Dodgers.
"That's when the excitement started to hit me," said Reynolds. "I started calling my parents and friends with the news. It was a little crazy."
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound left-handed reliever didn't have much time to collect his thoughts upon his arrival at Dodger Stadium.
"I got to L.A. about 1 p.m. (West Coast time) and took a cab right to the ballpark," Reynolds recalled. "I picked up my gear and went through my normal pregame routine."
After warming up in the bullpen during the sixth inning, Reynolds was summoned into the game with one out in the eighth to face the heart of the Dodgers' lineup - James Loney and Casey Blake.
"It was probably good to be thrown right into the fire," said Reynolds, who admittedly felt a few goose bumps during his major-league debut.
"When I was warming up in the bullpen, I felt fine. But when I started running out to the mound at Dodger Stadium with the big crowd on hand, I was looking up in awe."
Reynolds retired the only two batters he faced, fanning Blake for his first career strikeout during the Rockies' 2-0 loss.
The Rockies' 20th-round pick of the 2007 first-year player draft also appeared in the Rockies' next two games, working scoreless relief against Arizona on Aug. 20 and 21.
Last Wednesday, Reynolds struck out three and gave up his first hit (to Atlanta rookie Jason Heyward) during a memorable 12-10 comeback win over the Braves in Denver.
With his team trailing 10-1, Reynolds entered the game in the fourth after Manuel Corpas departed with an elbow injury. Because of an already depleted bullpen, Reynolds wound up pitching three innings.
"It was an absolutely incredible game to be a part of," said the former Austin Peay State standout. "The last time I threw 3 innings was last year in high A."
Reynolds even took his first at-bat, walking on four pitches and eventually scoring a run during the Rockies' rally.
"It felt a little uncomfortable stepping to the plate because I haven't hit since junior college six years ago," Reynolds said.
On Sunday, Reynolds made his fifth appearance in 11 days, entering with two runners aboard and one out in the sixth with the Rockies leading the Dodgers 8-2.
After walking Brad Ausmus to load the bases, Reynolds fired a first-pitch strike to Manny Ramirez, who argued the call and wound up getting ejected by plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.
The hard-throwing southpaw then induced an inning-ending double-play ball from pinch hitter Reed Johnson. Colorado went on to win 10-5.
Heading into this week's action, Reynolds had tossed 61/3 scoreless innings as the Rockies are battling several teams for the National League wild-card berth.
"It is starting to sink in," said Reynolds, who throws four pitches - a 90-plus mph fastball, split-fingered fastball, slider and changeup. "I've definitely calmed down a little.
"Going to the ballpark is so enjoyable. The guys on this team are great. I'm just trying to do things to help the team win every night."
Reynolds' rise to the Rockies included two-plus years in Class A ball (Pasco, Wash; Asheville, NC; Modesto, Calif.), and part of a season in AA with the Tulsa Drillers before moving up to the Triple-A level in Colorado Springs this spring.
"It has not been an easy process - more like a grind," Reynolds admitted. "I've played baseball for a long time and I've worked hard trying to perfect my craft. I've spent a lot of hours on baseball fields and I've played with so many people over the years.
"Every step you take higher there are fewer and fewer guys you played with still playing."
Reynolds' parents, Sam and Eula, are planning on a Labor Day trip to San Diego to watch their son play for the first time at the major-league level.
"It has been pretty exciting to say the least," Sam said via e-mail. "I purchased the MLB package in the early spring so I'm able to watch all the games and replays on the internet.
"We couldn't be more happy and proud."
Reynolds, who played high school ball with the Saints for coach Len Asquini, is living out a boyhood dream.
"I realize how fortunate I am being in the right position at the right time," he said. "I'm playing with the best 750 baseball players in the world. But you never know what's going to happen, so you have to take advantage of this opportunity.
"Ultimately, it's going to come down to how I perform."