Monroe Pitcher's Big League Comeback Goes Through Bridgeport

When Bluefish manager Willie Upshaw's team is clinging to a narrow lead in the ninth inning, he calls the bullpen to see if his closer Jeff Fulchino, 33, of Monroe is warmed up and ready to go. As of last Friday, Fulchino had shut down opposing batters to preserve the win in all three of his save opportunities. In fact, Bluefish P.R. Dir. Paul Herrmann said the reliever had yet to give up even one hit.

Fulchino is far from satisfied. Known as "The Pride of Hollis, New Hampshire" where he grew up and became first local baseball player to make it to the Major Leagues, he has played for the Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros over a period from 2006 to 2011.

Fulchino spent all of 2012 rehabbing from a torn labrum in his shoulder after it was surgically repaired last May. His fastball, once clocked between 93 and 96 mph, is now 88 to 92 mph — but the righthander's arm continues to get stronger.

"I definitely have made a lot of progress from where I came from to now," Fulchino said during an interview in the home dugout of Bluefish Stadium last Friday afternoon."Hopefully, it will come back. Nothing's a guarantee. So far it's just a matter of how I feel. Time will tell if I get my velocity back."

Fulchino's best season came in 2009, when he was the set-up man for the Astros. Mixing up his split-finger fastball and slider, Fulchino posted a record of 6 wins and 4 losses with a 3.40 earned run average. In 82 innings, Fulchino struck out 71 batters.

"In 2009 a lot of things came together," Fulchino recalled. "I had an opportunity with Kansas City in 2008, but in 2009 everything came together on the field. I had a really good season."

Over the course of the next two seasons, the string of injuries began. First he had to have surgery on his right elbow in 2010, "and in 2011, at the end of the season, my shoulder started bothering me," Fulchino said.

Watching Tee Ball

Though Fulchino was born in Titusville, Fla., and grew up in New Hampshire, his wife Kerry has roots in Connecticut. She grew up in Madison and her sister, Erin, lives in Monroe.

"When I was traveling a lot, Kerry stayed home," Fulchino said. "It was easier for her to stay home with family and have help with our kids."

The Fulchinos' have two children, Connor, 5, and Claire, 2.

After his surgery in May of 2012, Fulchino said he spent the entire year rehabbing.

"It was the first time I spent summertime at home," he said. "It was a blessing. It was nice to be at home. It was nice to spend time with my son and daughter."

Connor is being exposed to baseball at an early age, playing for a tee ball team in Monroe.

"At Houston he got to be in the clubhouse all the time," Fulchino said, adding with a smile, "Now he wants Dad at all his tee ball games."

Fulchino said he'd watched all of Connor's games and had planned to go to another that Saturday.

In Monroe, Fulchino said he has become friends with other parents at his son's preschool school over last summer and through Connor's participation in youth sports.

"We both enjoy living there," he said, adding of the weather, "I wish it was a lot warmer."

'I Just Hit Derek Jeter'

Most baseball fans dream of pulling on their favorite team's cap and taking the field in front of a sold out stadium.

"That's something you never forget," Fulchino said of his own debut.

In 2006, Fulchino was a pitcher for the Marlins when he took the mound in a game against the Orioles in Baltimore. It took a little time for him to find the strike zone.

"I walked Kevin Millar," Fulchino said. "The first out was when Ramon Hernandez hit a line drive right at me. It nearly knocked my head off."

His "first jaw-dropping, awe moment" was when Fulchino pitched at the old Yankee Stadium in one of his first outings in the big leagues.

"I pitched to Derek Jeter, hit him and thought, 'I just hit Derek Jeter,'" Fulchino recalled. "And the crowd let me have it!"

ESPN's 'Not Top 10'

A freak play in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in 2009 put Fulchino on the wrong end of ESPN's sports highlights — it made the popular "Not Top 10" plays segment.

Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs hit a comebacker to the mound ...

"It took a funny bounce and hit me, somehow breaking a button on my shirt," Fulchino recalled. "It went in my shirt and I was trying to get it out."

The umpire awarded a dead ball base hit to Fukudome.

"We all had a good laugh and it made ESPN's 'Not Top 10'," Fulchino said with a smile. "We left the park and were flying charter and all of the TVs were playing it. All the guys in the back of the plane gave me a hard time about it. As if it wasn't bad enough at the stadium."

No Regrets

As Fulchino concentrates on proving he's healthy by retiring batters and returning to form, his agent continues to reach out to Major League teams in an effort to get a contract for his client.

"I had interest, but teams were afraid of the medical reports," Fulchino said. "I still think I can pitch at that level. Here's an opportunity to do that."

The pitcher expressed gratitude toward the Bridgeport Bluefish for giving him the opportunity to play.

"Coming off an injury, it's more difficult to find a job," Fulchino said. "I wanted to play and put in time for rehab, so it made Bridgeport a no brainer. It's ideal for guys like me. This is the only place I was gonna play. Willie Upshaw gave me a chance to be a closer this year."

During his rehab, Fulchino is taking online courses to finish his degree at UConn. "I had left as a junior," he said. "I have 12 credits left to finish."

If Fulchino's dream of making it back to the Majors isn't realized, he said he'll deal with it then — but right now his total focus is on baseball.

As he sat in the Bluefish dugout on a sunny Friday afternoon, Fulchino looked across the empty baseball field. "I don't want to live with regret," he said. "I want to make sure I did everything I can to come back and, if I don't, I'll know I gave it my best shot."