CINCINNATI — March 18 is a date that's hard to forget for anyone associated with the Reds. It was the night closer Aroldis Chapman has put behind him as remarkably well as he's put together a historical season.
Chapman suffered multiple fractures to his skull just above the left eye and nasal region that night after being struck with a line drive off the bat of Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez during a spring training game in Surprise, Ariz. A titanium plate was inserted on his skull to help the fractures heal.
Less than two months later, Chapman was back pitching in the major leagues. In some ways it's like the injury never happened. In other ways, it was the impetus for the dominant season Chapman has put together.
"To me, this is the best season I've had so far in the small time that I've been here in the big leagues," said Chapman in a one-on-one interview with FoxSportsOhio.com, through interpreter Tomas Vera. "With the situation I had, I was able to come back and, up to right now, I don't believe that I can ask for more."
The Reds' season has been a disappointment. A team that had been to the playoffs three of the past four seasons, winning 90-plus games each time, is guaranteed to finish with its worst record since 2008 when it went 74-88. It's been frustrating for everyone, said Chapman, but he has flourished when he's been called upon.
Chapman has converted 35 of 37 save chances after closing out a 5-3 win against Milwaukee on Thursday that knocked the Brewers out of postseason contention. He's struck out 51.8 percent (101 of 195) of the batters he's faced this season, and is averaging 100.3 mph on his fastball. Only one of the eight fastballs he threw Thursday hit triple digits. It was so noticeable and odd that manager Bryan Price and trainer Paul Lessard came out during the inning to check on him before letting him finish up.
A little shoulder stiffness kept him throwing in the 96-98 mph range.
"He's a tough guy," said infielder Kristopher Negron, who was present at the game in Arizona and was playing for Louisville when Chapman made two rehab assignment appearances. "When he rehabbed in Louisville, I think one of the first couple of batters hit a ball up the middle. He laughed it off and kept pitching. The way that he bounced back and had a great year this year is unbelievable. That takes a lot of strength."
Chapman had 38 saves each of the last two seasons when he was a National League All-Star. If not for the injury and time missed there is a good chance he would've become just the fifth reliever in Reds history to reach 40 saves, and the single-season record of 44 by Jeff Brantley in 1996 might have been in jeopardy. He was still selected to a third consecutive All-Star Game.
But Chapman hasn't been thinking about what could've been.
"I've had to keep my mind off it," said Chapman. "I always keep my mind positive. I've left everything behind me. I always want to forget about it since the injury. I always want to forget about the accident and I think that's what I did. I put everything in my mind that was positive and I think that's what helped me to get back, to have the year I've had. I fought against this and I put it behind me."
It's something he asked his teammates and coaching staff to also put in the past.
"I don't think about it, really since he's come back and probably since the All-Star break when he made the club," Price said. "Since then, and a lot of it at his urging, we've tried to move away from March 18 and get back to just every day being a regular day instead of being a miracle that he's on the field. You know what I mean? He's asked for that. Collectively we've tried to steer away from reflection of that day."
That doesn't mean Price, or anyone else with the Reds, has taken for granted the magnitude of the season Chapman has had. Price was Chapman's pitching coach for the past four seasons before being hired as manager this season.
"I've never marveled at him more than I have in 2014 because of the obstacles he's overcome and because I've never witnessed anything close to what I've witnessed this year with that type of velocity shown on an every-day basis. It's been special," said Price. "And not just the velocity, but the fact that he's thrown that slider and changeup. It's been a totally dominating performance with the exception of a couple three- or four-run ball games."
Chapman has allowed just 12 runs in 52 appearances this season. He's held opponents scoreless in 46 of the 52 games and has had at least one strikeout in 50 of the 52 appearances. His MLB record streak of having at least one strikeout in 49 consecutive appearances came to an end Aug. 15 in Colorado, but he has a new one of 13 straight working. He's struck out at least two batters in 36 appearances this season and 12 times he's struck out the side in an inning.
He has used his slider and changeup more this season (he's only throwing his fastball 68.6 percent of the time this season according to FanGraphs compared to 81.6 percent and 82.6 percent the last two seasons.)
"I think everyone has something and this is what I have," Chapman said. "I have the slider and I thank God that I've been able to come in and perfect the slider. That's made me a better pitcher. I just don't depend on my fastball."
"You think it's justified or fair to the hitters that Johnny (Cueto) throws every single pitch and then his fastball seems to be like a 100 miles per hour fastball?"
If Chapman pitches in Sunday's finale, the bullpen door will swing open, followed by a pause and then the immergence of the Reds' 6-4 lefty. Santana will begin to play over the loudspeakers as Chapman jogs to the mound with his long strides and the crowd rises to its feet in anticipation of what it is about to witness.
It's a moment Chapman relishes.
"I feel happy. I feel confident. I feel great that they (fans) believe in me. I feel all of my energy, I feel positive, I feel strong going in there," Chapman said. "It's good to know the fans appreciate what I do when they all get up and start talking and cheering. More cheering is better for me. I always want more. It feels great when they appreciate what I do. The adrenaline goes up and I actually feel a lot of good things at that moment."
