STATEN ISLAND, NY- Like many new faces, David Phelps is getting adjusted to life in the big city. Thus far, the 21 year-old Hazelwood, Missouri native who the Yankees tabbed in the 14th round of this year’s Baseball Draft likes his new environment.

While it’s a lot more exposure than what he was used to playing for Notre Dame at South Bend, the 6-3, 180-pound righthander doesn’t seem to mind the added exposure.

“It’s nice to come out here. We have great fans. Do well for the team and pitch my game. It worked well. So it was good,” he noted after an impressive four scoreless frames of his Staten Island Yankee debut during the team’s 3-1 11 inning defeat to Hudson Valley Friday night at a packed Richmond County Bank Ball Park in St. George.

“My last outing in college was pretty rough. So it was good to come out and start everything,” he added pointing out that he was nervous before the draft.

Phelps showed good composure in his professional debut for the short season Yankee Single-A affiliate working four scoreless while permitting three hits, walking one and fanning four. Aside from pounding the strike zone with a fastball which reached the low 90’s and solid offspeed stuff, he also boasted a strong pickoff move keeping Renegade baserunners off balance. In fact, it was during his final inning of work that he helped his own cause by nailing Jason Corder at second for the second out of the fourth with Hudson Valley threatening.

“A couple of pitches before, I heard the coach talk about getting a bigger lead and when I lifted he was like, ‘Go!’ Then they fouled it off and it was 3-2,” he began to explain. “Then Addison [Maruszak], our shortstop gave me a little tip of the cap and I was like, ‘Okay. He’s going to be at the bag.’ So I kind of gave an inside move and he was there and we got him.”

Afterwards, the Baby Bomber starter concluded his first outing by striking out John Mollicone.

One thing which was also noticeable was Phelps’ communication with his infielders which could even be heard up in the press box telling teammate Braedyn Pruitt that he had time to throw out a Renegade across the diamond.

“As much as I can help Braedyn and the infielders. They might not be able to see the runner. As much as I can help them out, it helps make the game a little shorter.”

Asked if it was something he picked up in college, Phelps didn’t hesitate to answer:

“Our coach at school was really big about communication. We didn’t play with big crowds like this but the crowd’s loud. You got to talk. So help each other out.”  

As for playing in New York before a much bigger crowd, it doesn’t seem to faze a kid who got to follow the St. Louis Cardinals back home.

“It’s great. The fans are awesome. … The crowd’s amazing. It’s a great atmosphere to play in. You look out in that outfield and you see the town. It’s almost everything you could ask for.”

“Back home in St. Louis, the Cardinals always draw a good crowd. But at Notre Dame, we never got a huge crowd. It was maybe 200 or 300. It’s a little bit different. … Those guys cheer out here, the adrenaline starts going and you get that extra gear. Back home, it’s 50 degrees outside. It’s impossible to stay loose.” 

“I love it here.”