Reds break dubious 113-year-old record for rookie starts

Arthur Weinstein

Reds break dubious 113-year-old record for rookie starts image

Some baseball records are meant to be cherished. Think Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, or Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played.

Then there are the obscure records you didn't even know existed — like the record that the Reds broke Friday night. When right-hander Michael Lorenzen took the mound against the Cardinals, it marked the 42nd straight start for the Reds by a rookie pitcher. That breaks an MLB mark set in 1902 by the Cardinals.

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In addition to Lorenzen, the other Reds rookies who have started during the streak include Anthony DeSclafani (who will start Saturday), Raisel Iglesias, Keyvius Sampson, David Holmberg and John Lamb.

It's not exactly an achievement the Reds wanted, but injuries, trades — including the deadline deal that sent ace Johnny Cueto to the Royals — and the team's hapless state this season (the Reds are 58-81) set the stage for the rookie revolution on the mound.

"The main thing is they're gaining valuable experience and we're getting a chance to evaluate them in a very tough month against teams competing to win our division," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said, via MLB.com. "It's a true test of what we can hopefully see from these guys in the future. You try to develop these guys as much as you can in the minor leagues. At some point they have to come up here and get some exposure. For the most part, we've been very pleased."

Arthur Weinstein