Providing my byline by your deadline
Davidson shakes off bad shooting...
HU notes: Pope enjoys a block...
Strong effort by Real not enough...
Stony Brook women stun defending...
Three Brooke Point graduates...
Real Salt Lake: Turnabout is...
Kemp living the dream as Baysox...
College starters are opting for...
Prince George’s County’s...
JMU national title drive added...
Colonial Forge graduate on the...
Where are they now? Chanelle...
Stafford High graduate plays big...
Darnell brothers a double-threat
Local grads part of history at...
Colonial Forge graduate linked...
ODU football has strong Stafford...
Slebonick, Cavs face Virginia...
Local athlete, volleyball team...
Below aims for spot in Detroit...
Utah's Lyon relishes role as MLB...
Lowrie, Casto focus on goals at...
Park Ridge native Bourjos called...
Guthrie off to Europe after...
MLB: Cedar City native Mitch...
Orioles' Guthrie will have new...
Orioles' pitcher makes Ellicott...
Utahn John Buck making mark in...
Medford grad flying high with...
AHS grad Guthrie looks sharp in...
Guthrie enjoying breakout season
A-Rod's 1st pitch: Homer off...
Ashland native, Orioles' pitcher...
Mineola's Moore Settles In As...
Guthrie comes down with virus,...
Extra rest doesn't help Guthrie
Ex-UD ace has talent to stick...
Strasburg lives up to the hype
Gar-Field's Jeff Baker ready to...
Menhart named Nationals new...
Baseball: Iowan helped guide...
Taylor Hill aims to get back to...
Hazelbaker comes through in a...
MLB: Norwalk's Joel Hanrahan...
Slippery Rock product is a hit...
Bend's Brad Purdom is regarded...
Ex-West Salem star credits his...
Trevor May bounces back big in...
A long way to the Major Leagues
August continues to work toward...
Hudson has no regrets at first...
Former Mount Mercy baseball star...
BYU baseball: Ex-Coug Walton on...
Good start, then a lackluster...
North Marion's Casto back in...
Former South Salem star back up...
Terps Wear Down Mocs, Roll to...
Farrell & Putney Transition To...
Herndon grad embraces role with...
UAlbany snaps its losing streak
Wright has the right perspective
Alex Jensen now learning the...
Shuler, Maynor combine to lead...
Patriots suffer stunning defeat
A long, happy journey for Kenlaw
College baskketball 2015-16 blog
Thomas leads Mason past Towson
Down by 20, Drexel rallies at...
Barton's basketball career comes...
National team hasn't changed...
Lidonde hopes for final flourish...
Hayes "comfortable" playing...
Croskey and Robinson making...
By David Driver
Used with permission
Florida Today
July 4, 2013
WASHINGTON — Taylor Jordan sat in front of his locker in the spacious Washington Nationals clubhouse, wearing white baseball pants, a red shirt and a Nationals hat.
He was checking his phone messages nearly three hours before game time Tuesday, sitting in the cubicle beside major league veteran and fellow pitcher Ross Detwiler and key reserve Steve Lombardozzi.
The right-hander was a long way from his Merritt Island roots, both in terms of geography and baseball environment.
While not invited to major league camp in spring training, Jordan began the season at high Single-A Potomac, went 7-0 with a 0.83 ERA in nine games (eight starts) for Double-A Harrisburg and then on Saturday made his major league debut, starting on the road against the New York Mets for Washington.
“I overdid my goal by a lot,” said Jordan, 24, a former standout at Brevard Community College who also played at Indian River CC. “I was hoping to get a September call-up. I ended up getting here before the All-Star break. It is way over what I thought would happen this year.”
The magical ride is slated to continue today, when Jordan will make his first home start, facing the last-place Milwaukee Brewers in the nation’s capital in an 11:05 a.m. start.
But after that, it may be back to the minors for Jordan. Washington manager Davey Johnson said Tuesday that veteran right-hander Dan Haren is on track to come off the DL and start July 8 or 9.
“I made it here doing the stuff I am doing,” said Jordan, who is staying at a hotel for now. “I am not going to slack off. If I stay, I stay.”
Jordan allowed three runs (just one earned) in 41⁄3 innings while getting the loss against the Mets.
Washington centerfielder Denard Span, who grew up in Tampa, said Jordan came up and introduced himself before Saturday’s game. But it was not that Jordan was star-gazing — he was hungry.
“We pointed him in the direction of the cafeteria,” said Span, with a smile.
On the mound Jordan did not appear to be fazed by his Big Apple surroundings.
“He looked calm. I could not tell he was making his first start,” Span said. “He was not even in big league spring training. He has a lot of promise.”
Jordan became the third pitcher promoted from Double-A Harrisburg — and skipping Triple-A Syracuse — to the Nationals this season. Nathan Karns made three starts for Washington before being sent down to Harrisburg, while reliever Ian Krol has an ERA of 1.42 after his 11th big league outing Tuesday in a 4-0 loss to the Brewers.
“He uses his changeup very well,” Krol said.
Jordan began this season as the No. 17 prospect in the Washington system, according to MLB.com. He was drafted in the ninth round in 2009.
“I got (the debut) out of the way. My nerves are out the door now. I am starting to get comfortable here now,” he said.
Jordan said pitching in New York did not faze him. “It is all new to me. It doesn’t matter if it was away or home,” said Jordan, who left 20 tickets for family and friends, including his parents, at the Saturday game.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander said veteran Washington first baseman Adam LaRoche told him he may have been tipping his pitches against the Mets.
“It is good advice for me since I am starting. Hitters are going to see me a lot,” he said. “I am going to test it out (today).”
And he will do it featuring a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider and circle change.
“You have to work both sides of the plate. If you mix it up, they don’t know what is coming,” he said of big league hitters.
Johnson said on the Nationals’ radio network that Jordan asked him for a game ball prior to facing the Mets. The skipper got a laugh out of that and told Jordan to go ask pitching coach Steve McCatty.
Jordan said it is a dream come true to make the majors with the team that trains in Viera, not far from his home.
“It is definitely a lot easier to go to spring training. I just have to drive there. I just go back to my house” after workouts, he said.