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Genoa High School graduate Chris Bassitt is quickly learning what professional sports is all about.
“The biggest part so far is getting my body used to the routine,” Bassitt said. “We are lifting and running every day, and they want you to throw every single day. I've been sore pretty much this whole entire time. Against Kingsport, I actually felt like I had caught up to the routine.”
Bassitt, 22, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox on June 7 and was assigned to the Bristol (Va.) White Sox of the Appalachian League.
Bristol opened the season June 21 against the visiting Greeneville Astros, but Bassitt did not pitch. His first outing came June 22 in the White Sox's 4-3 win over the Astros. He took the mound in the eighth inning and pitched one inning, giving up one hit with one strikeout.
“I wasn't going into our first game expecting to throw,” said Bassitt, who was drafted out of the University of Akron. “They told us to expect to throw later in the week. They're pretty much taking it slower than usual.”
Bassitt gave up an infield single to the first professional hitter he faced, Greeneville's Jose Monzon.
“My first thought was, throw a strike the first pitch,” Bassitt said. “I was praying I didn't throw it into the stands. I was nervous. Anyone who says their first pro pitch they're not nervous, they're not human. It was just getting my feet wet, mostly, and getting used to this level and the way you have to perform every single day.
“I was more upset than anything about the hit, the fact it happened quite often at Akron, to give up lazy base hits in the infield. Swinging bunts, pretty much. I had enough innings at Akron that little base hits turned into runs. I was like, 'not that again.' I had to buckle down and not give up a run, just work it out any way possible and try to get a groundout real quick. I worked my way out of it. That's what pitchers have to do. When things like that happen you just have to work out of it.”
Bassitt got Jordan Scott to pop out to first base in foul territory, but Monzon later went to second base on Bassitt's throwing error on a pickoff throw to first.
“I didn't do a lot of pick-offs at Akron,” Bassitt said. “I was just trying to hold the runner on. I don't know if nerves got to me or a lack of focus. I just sailed it over his head.”
Bassitt got out of the inning by striking out Joshua Magee and getting Alex Todd to line out to right field.
“I did so-so,” Bassitt said of his first pro outing. “Everyone's happy as long as you put zeros up, no matter how you do it. At the same time, I expect more than what happened.”
Bassitt's second outing came June 25 in Bristol's 10-3 road loss to the Kingsport (Tenn.) Mets. Bassitt went 1.1 innings and gave up one run (earned) on four hits, with one strikeout. He has a 3.86 ERA after two games.
“I felt a lot better (against Kingsport),” Bassitt said. “Then I got up there and just got lit up, hit after hit. It's all about learning how to pitch at this level. It's completely different than in college. Back then, I could pretty much tell the batters what was coming and they couldn't hit it. It's pretty much learning and understanding the game a lot more.
“You can't just throw just fastballs and be able to throw hard. Anyone can hit fastballs in the mid-90s, or whatever I was throwing. You have to hit locations. It's going to be learning process for me for the most part.”
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