ARLINGTON, Texas — The 'show.'
What an incredible nickname for Major League Baseball. The lights, the fans, the eyeballs, the pressure - it all makes sense when you're slugging through the minor leagues and finally get that call to sit at the table with the big boys.
You can ask Texas Rangers pitcher Alex Speas all about that feeling.
On Wednesday, he experienced it in full when he was called up to Arlington from the Rangers' AAA farm team in Round Rock.
"It was an unreal experience," Speas said in an interview with WFAA. "Just picking up the phone and calling my parents to let them know - and knowing all the sacrifices they've put into it to get me to this point. It's a phone call you never forget."
Speas played a crucial role in the Rangers' victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, entering the game in the seventh inning as Texas led 1-0, and the Rays had a runner on first base.
Speas, a hard-throwing right-hander, struck out Rays star Wander Franco on a 92 mph cutter. Then, catcher Jonah Heim threw out Tampa's Manuel Margot, who was trying to steal second base.
Speas returned in the eighth inning, with Texas leading 2-0. He struck out two more All-Stars in Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena and got Isaac Paredes to fly out to second base.
The Rangers extended their lead to 5-0 and finished off the Rays in the ninth. But Speas got Texas through a late-game, high-leverage situation, a scenario the Rangers have struggled with mightily in 2023.
You couldn't ask for a better MLB debut.
Speas told WFAA he's got his eyes forward, but is relishing the moment -- his family not missing it, many of them in the stands.
"It was such a locked-in moment, and just understanding that being put in that situation means the team trusts you," Speas said. "It was just a grateful moment to thank my parents for getting me this far."
And 'getting this far' wasn't an easy ride.
Speas was a second-round draft pick by the Rangers in 2016, but he battled injuries, including Tommy John surgery, and the 2020 minor-league season was canceled due to the pandemic. After struggling in Frisco in 2021, he stepped away from the game after being burnt out.
"Going into the minors, you realize you're an 18-year-old kid around some guys who have been there for six or seven years. It's tough getting acclimated to," Speas said. "I wasn't very good at understanding that my time would come when it's the right time."
But Speas said he found solace and reignited his love for the game last year, coaching little league ball in South Carolina.
"I coached 9, 11, 15-year-old players and even some high school kids," Speas said. "Seeing that joy on those kids faces when they play - that's why we play this game. That happiness I saw gave me the energy I needed again to get back into the game."
Speas' 2023 journey would be impressive enough: He started the season in Double-A Frisco, pitching to a sparkling 0.64 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 28.1 innings of relief. He got the promotion to Triple-A Round Rock and pitched just 7.2 innings before getting the call to the big leagues on Wednesday.
Now, Speas said he's focused on being more than just a feel-good story. The Rangers need great pitching as they make a stellar splash in the back half of the season.
"Coming back into baseball after a year off isn't easy," Speas said. "I know the biggest thing I can do right now is leave everything I got every time I get the call out there."