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Smaller textRebuilt reliever impressive in camp
Jack Taschner
AP file
Rob Biertempfel is the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Pirates beat writer. He can be reached at 412-320-7811, via e-mail or on Twitter.
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Reliever Jack Taschner has pitched in 202 games in the majors over the past five seasons. He's won more games than he has lost and racked up more strikeouts than walks.
For a middle reliever, it's a decent track record. But Taschner, 31, wants more.
"My career numbers are very average," Taschner said. "I always felt like I had more in there. I think my stuff is -- not that I'm a closer or anything -- but it's definitely better than a career 5.00 (ERA)."
Taschner pitched well in 24 outings for the Philadelphia Phillies last season - a 1-1 record and a 4.91 ERA - but he was not added to their playoff roster. He became a free agent in November and signed with the Pirates on Dec. 23.
The day after the season ended, the left-hander returned home to Wisconsin, called his former college coach and got back on a mound. By the end of January, Taschner had radically altered his pitching mechanics.
The results have so impressive that, even though Taschner is in camp as a non-roster player, he figures to be one of four relievers battling for the Pirates' final two bullpen jobs.
"He's pitched very well," Pirates manager John Russell said of Taschner, who has a 1.29 ERA in seven innings this spring, allowing 5 hits and 4 walks and striking out 12.
Taschner, who played center field in high school, started pitching as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. "When you can't hit the breaking ball, you ain't gonna make it too far," Taschner said. "I came to that realization early. The thing is, I've always been receptive to what people have told me."
In this case, it was the advice of an Anaheim Angels scout. As a high school senior in 1995, Taschner was drafted in the 37th round by Anaheim. The scout envisioned Taschner fully grown and predicted he'd make a fine pitcher -- never mind that the only throws Taschner had made were from the outfield.
"I realized maybe it was the right path," Taschner said. "If you get the right coaches, they put their ego aside and enjoy helping you."
Taschner signed with UW-Oshkosh instead of the Angels and asked coach Tom Lechnir to teach him how to pitch. Four years later, Taschner went 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA and led the Division III school to its third straight conference title.
In 1999, he was drafted in the second round by San Francisco, and he finally made the major leagues in 2005 with the Giants.
After spending all of 2007 and '08 in the majors, the Giants made a trade one week before breaking camp last spring, sending Taschner to Philadelphia in exchange for former Pirates catcher Ronny Paulino. But when the Phillies sent him down to Triple-A last summer, Taschner figured he'd better try something different after the season.
Working again with Lechnir, Taschner scrapped his high, overhead delivery and switched to a three-quarters style and also moved to the left side of the rubber. The new mechanics give Taschner better movement on his pitches and dramatically improved his command.
"I always felt my command was hit or miss," Taschner said, "and that's just not the way to be successful in baseball."
