This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.
CHICAGO — When Jameson Taillon retrieves his telephone following one in every of his begins, the Cubs pitcher can often rely on one particular textual content message among the many awaiting notifications. He is aware of his dad, Michael, will most likely have just a few ideas on the outing.
“Sometimes I take the advice,” Taillon stated. “Sometimes I just kind of smile and say, ‘That’s his version of really caring.’”
The notes from his father and others in his help system — from his fiancée, household and buddies — have been a useful psychological increase for Taillon on this attempting season.
The massive righty signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Cubs within the offseason, and his first two months with the staff included a stint on the injured checklist and an 8.10 ERA via seven begins. On May 20, Taillon surrendered eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in Philadelphia in an early-season low level.
“You could see him searching on the mound from his body language,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stated.
“That’s kind of just one of those rock-bottom moments,” Taillon stated. “New organization. New team. I want to live up to expectations. And then I came out of that game and I was like, ‘Well, shoot, it can’t get any worse than this.’”
Things have been trending up for the reason that disastrous outing in opposition to the Phillies. In Taillon’s final three outings, particularly, the right-hander has logged a 4.24 ERA in 17 innings, together with his first high quality begin of the season on Tuesday in opposition to the Pirates, who made him the No. 2 total choose within the 2010 MLB Draft.
“I feel like we’ve seen a lot more confident guy,” Hoyer stated. “Hopefully he can just keep going and building off of that. I still think he’s on the ascent. That’s a good thing for us.”
What suggestions has Taillon’s dad supplied?
“It depends,” Taillon stated with a smile. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Hey, don’t forget you have a nasty curveball, you should throw it.’ Or sometimes it’s like, ‘Man, your fastball looked great tonight.’”
Taillon’s subsequent begin might fall on Father’s Day in opposition to the Orioles. The pitcher raved about how his mother would put within the miles driving him and his siblings to all their occasions. As for his dad, Taillon stated he did all he might to study the sport earlier than letting instructors and coaches take over.
“He grew up in Canada, big hockey guy, didn’t know much about baseball,” Taillon stated. “But as I started falling in love with it, he really started learning about it. He was reading books, watching videos, doing whatever he could to help me.”
Taillon stated he’s appreciative of all of the work Chicago’s catchers and pitching coaches have put in behind the scenes to assist him begin trending in the suitable course once more. The pitcher additionally sees all of the messages from his private circle — his dad included — and desires to point out his thanks by persevering with to carry out nicely for the Cubs.
“I have a lot of people in my corner,” Taillon stated. “I’m not motivated by proving people wrong. I’m more motivated by proving people right that believe in me.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com