Karinchak gets his postseason shot

By Kyle Adams
Posted 9/30/20

After getting called up to the big leagues last September, James Karinchak has been looking to prove himself as a solid major league relief pitcher.

Early in the year, the coronavirus put some …

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Karinchak gets his postseason shot

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After getting called up to the big leagues last September, James Karinchak has been looking to prove himself as a solid major league relief pitcher.

Early in the year, the coronavirus put some question marks on whether he would be able to do that this season. With 2020’s sixty game campaign completed and the Indians headed to the playoffs, Karinchak put together a rookie season to be proud of.

While he was held within the confines of American and National League Central opponents during the regular season, his first taste of the MLB postseason will be against the New York Yankees.

“I was a Yankee fan growing up,” Karinchak said. “I’m excited. I think we have a great team and I’m ready to go out and win this thing.”

Cleveland won eight of their final ten games of the regular season, clinching the fourth seed in the playoffs on the final day of the season.

“As a team we came together in the last two weeks and I’m excited to see what we can do in the playoffs,” Karinchak added. “Hopefully we can win a World Series. I want a ring.”

The Valley Central graduate was right in the middle of it on the final day of the season, picking up his first MLB win in the game against the Pirates.

“My season was alright. I wouldn’t say that it was great, but my last outing was definitely my best outing and I’m hoping to build off that,” he said.

Overall, the right-handed power arm threw 27 innings over 27 appearances for a 2.67 ERA. He struck out 53 batters and walked 16.

In that final game on September 27 against the Pirates, he struck out the side in order.

He finished with a 1-2 record, one save, eight holds and three blown saves. After coming into the shortened season with limited spring training reps and uncertainty across the entire league, this strange rookie year should be seen as a successful one.

“When I get into trouble it’s usually because of walks. I just have to attack the zone. When I do that, I usually get my results,” he said.

Even though the season was only sixty games, the past few months have been quite eventful for the former VC and Bryant University pitcher.

During his 2020 debut on July 25, he managed to become only the third pitcher to encounter MLB’s extra-inning pinch runner rule. A sac-bunt and a sac-fly would hand him his first big league loss, without allowing a hit or an earned run.

The right-hander won’t have to worry about that during the playoffs though.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m happy or thrilled about it being taken away, but it’s more like real baseball,” Karinchak said of not having the extra-inning runner rule in place for the playoffs. “We had to abide by it for the regular season, but I like when I can start an inning fresh with the bases clear.”

The Walden native has also drawn attention for his walk-in song (Wild Thing) and number change (#99), including a tweet from Charlie Sheen, comparing his character of Ricky Vaughn in Major League to Karinchak.

“I wanted to change it in Spring Training. I was number nine at Lake County and I wanted to be number 99 there, but they didn’t make numbers that high,” he said of switching his number to 99. “I wanted that number here with the Tribe and I got it.”

Some have said that he is a real-life version of Wild Thing, but for Karinchak, he’s always been that way. Now he has the number and walk-in music to match.

As a player who grew up with coaches who constantly preached about limiting distractions, the moments that stand out most to Karinchak are the ones that happened on the field. One of those moments came in a game against Detroit, when he faced a childhood icon, Miguel Cabrera.

“Chasing Miggy is probably the coolest thing that happened this season, since I watched him win the Triple Crown in high school,” Karinchak said.

Through the grind of a big league season, even a shorter one, there are bound to be obstacles. Some are out of your control and some Karinchak creates for himself.

He would be the first to tell you that his 5.33 BB/9 is too high, although his 17.66 K/9 is an impressive mark to set as he begins his career.

Those external factors played a significant role this season, including COVID protocols and a drastic amount of injuries, with the most noticeable change being that fans weren’t allowed into the ballparks.

“Maybe the first couple of exhibition games were strange, but we adapted to it,” Karinchak explained. “I guess I would say that I’m used to it now and we’re just playing baseball.”

While the former Viking expected to be watching Shane Bieber dominate the Yankees on Tuesday night, some of his former teammates might be put in a difficult position should it come down to rooting for the Yankees or rooting for their friend.

“I’m a huge Yankee fan,” said Kevin Crawford, a teammate of Karinchak in 2012 and 2013 at VC. “Now that I live in the city, if the games were open to fans I’d realistically be going to anywhere from 15 to 20 games.”

Given the scenario of the Yankees facing Karinchak with the game on the line, Crawford had to take a moment to think about who he’d be rooting for.

“At the end of the day, I want the Yankees to win, but if James is in the game and in a position to win them the game for them, I’m going to be rooting for him,” Crawford said.

“Hopefully he’ll do well, strike his three guys out and get out of his inning. When he comes out of the game I’m right back on that Yankees side.”

Crawford and Karinchak go all the way back to Little League, as the pair faced off during matchups between Walden and Maybrook.

“He was always the best player on the field. He’s super competitive and that’s what you want to see out of him. He’s a winner. He wants to win and he’s a great team player,” Crawford said, who pitched at SUNY Orange and SUNY Polytechnic after graduating from VC.

“James is a great kid, nobody works harder and nobody deserves it more and I want to see him do well.”