Stephenson gets life-changing bullpen call

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- Calls to the bullpen normally happen for a reliever to get warmed up. That's not the type of call that came to the visitors' bullpen on Thursday before that night's game in St. Louis.

Catcher Tyler Stephenson was in the bullpen catching for starting pitcher Andrew Abbott when some big news came.

“The bullpen phone rings and they said, ‘Hey, she’s getting induced. You’ve got to go.’ I was like, ‘Here we go,'" Stephenson said.

Stephenson's wife Carlyn was about to have their first baby back in South Carolina.

"Our plan was to get induced [Monday], because I was going to leave after St. Louis," Stephenson explained on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. "I was kind of hoping it would be during the game at some point just to feel that adrenaline rush. Sure enough, I’m in the bullpen."

Less than 10 minutes before the national anthem was going to play, Stephenson ran across the field back to the Reds’ dugout and told teammates it was time to go become a first-time father. Teammates high-fived and a quick impromptu celebration began that was caught on television cameras.

“I feel like that whole experience made it even better," Stephenson said. “It meant a lot. It’s something that I look forward to when she’s old enough to be able to show her that. Everybody was great."

On Friday, daughter Savannah Frankie Stephenson was born.

"I made it in time and everything was good," Stephenson said. “We’re just happy that everybody is healthy. I’m glad I got to be there.”

Stephenson would go on the paternity list on Friday. As for Thursday, the Reds had to scramble and adjust their lineup accordingly, so backup Luke Maile stepped in to catch the game.

“I had to go do everything real quick and change everything within three, four minutes and before the umpires got out there," Reds bench coach Freddie Benavides said. "But it was exciting for him. First-time father. I told him he was going to have some dad strength today. Hopefully he can go deep the next couple of days.”

Stephenson was still beaming about the first time he was able to hold his daughter.

“A lot of emotions," he said. "You can’t explain it until everybody goes through it. I didn't know what to expect, I was nervous. Then when she first came out, there were a lot of emotions, definitely some tears mixed in there. Baby girl, she has a special place in my heart now.”