Jason Lane: Relief Pitcher?

kaleidosky · Feb 19, 2012

Did we all miss this somehow? I didn't see a thread anywhere... I know he's not an Astro, but I don't think anyone in any other forum would really care.

http://www.pdpreps.com/news/article/28480/catching-up-jason-lane-hoping-to-pitch-in-mlb/

Catching Up: Jason Lane hoping to pitch in MLB
Mon. December 19, 2011 at 3:33 p.m. | By Howard Senzell

Jason Lane, who starred at El Molino High School and Santa Rosa JC before spending seven years as a major league outfielder, is going to spring training in 2012 as a pitcher with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Graton native signed as a free agent with the National League West champs on Dec. 9 and will report to spring training in mid-February.

Why would big league team sign a 35-year-old outfielder to a pitching contract?

Kevin Towers, the Diamondbacks general manager, has a good memory. He remembered Lane was a successful pitcher at the University of Southern California before being drafted as a position player by the Houston Astros in 1999.

In fact, when USC won the College World Series in 1998, the left-handed Lane was the winning pitcher in the title game against Arizona State. When he wasn’t on the mound, his bat was still in the line-up. He hit .517 in the CWS and also blasted a ninth-inning grand slam in the title-clinching game.

The Astros, however, decided they wanted his bat in the lineup every day and told him to forget about pitching. Lane was called up to the big leagues in 2002. Since Houston had an All-Star first baseman in Jeff Bagwell, Lane was moved to the outfield.

He stayed with the Astros for seven seasons before being traded to San Diego. During his big league stint, he hit 61 home runs and batted .241.

His most productive year was 2005 when he belted 26 home runs. That season, Houston made it to the World Series and Lane had four homers in the playoffs.

While Lane hadn’t been in a big league uniform since 2007, he has continued to play professional ball. He has spent time in the farm systems of the Yankees, Red Sox, Marlins and Toronto.

This past season, he was with Las Vegas, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League, when the seeds for a return to the majors as a pitcher were sown.

“We were playing in Reno about the middle of the season,” Lane recalled. “We were losing by 10 runs and the manager (Marty Brown) wanted to rest his bullpen. He asked me if I wanted to pitch and I said yes. That was the first time I threw that season (including that game, Lane went on to pitch 13 innings for Las Vegas, striking out 12, walking two).”

That night, Towers was in the stands scouting. He’d been the general manager for San Diego in 2007 when Lane was traded to the Padres. Before acquiring Lane, Towers remembered he’d pitched for USC.

“The radar gun showed me throwing 92 miles per hour that night and I was throwing strikes,” Lane said. “Kevin came back to the park the next day and asked if I’d be interested in converting to a pitcher. He said he liked my delivery and thought it was worth pursuing.

“Being left-handed, he thought I could help the team as a reliever.”

Lane said he felt he could pitch at the major league level and definitely was interested. Towers called when the free agent signing period began and a deal was quickly struck.

The contract included an invite to spring training as a non-roster player. Lane will compete for a spot on the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff. If he doesn’t make the opening day roster, he will start the season in the minor leagues as a reliever/designated hitter.

He’s been working on his pitching while spending the off-season in Santa Rosa and also has kept busy giving private batting instruction. His parents (Pam and Glen) still reside in Graton, his twin brother, Jon, lives in Santa Rosa and his girlfriend, Caroline Wyatt lives in Sebastopol.

The past week, the Diamondbacks sent their field coordinator, Jeff Pico, to instruct Lane in a bullpen session at Santa Rosa JC.

“He gave me a few pointers and we mapped out a training schedule to get me ready for spring training,” Lane said. “My arm doesn’t have the wear-and-tear of a 35-year-old pitcher because I haven’t thrown regularly in 13 years. My arm is fresh.

“Right now, I’m throwing a fastball, change-up and curve. People in the organization believe I’m capable of adding a few miles-per-hour to my fastball, so this is an exciting time for me.

“Also, because of my experience as a hitter at the major league level, I have a better knowledge on how to go after a batter’s weakness.”

From now on, Lane will play multiple roles wherever he winds up. When he’s not pitching, he can play in the field, pinch hit or be the designated hitter.

Lane’s favorite movie is “The Natural” with Robert Redford playing lead character Roy Hobbs.

One review of the film describes the story this way:

“An average baseball player comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a legendary player with almost divine talent.”

Lane has watched the movie countless times and believes everything happens for a reason.

“Wouldn’t it be something if my story turns out to Roy Hobbs’ story in reverse?” Lane said. “He started out as a pitcher and came back to the big leagues as a hitter. I got to the majors because of my hitting and now late in my career, I’m making the switch to pitching.”

If he earns a spot in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, it will be quite a story.

Lane is chronicling his comeback at facebook.com/jasonlane.mlb
Click to expand...

cardpire · Feb 19, 2012

holy ****.

jdh008 · Feb 19, 2012

I guess you see stuff like this more often now that Brooks Kieschnick and Rick Ankiel had varying degrees of success doing something similar.

I'll be rooting for him because it would be a good story, but I can't see him being successful long-term. Even if he proves to be a lights-out relief pitcher, he's already in his late-30s.

bustanut82 · Feb 19, 2012

Wow im amazed to hear what Jason Lane has been up to! Best of luck to him as a pitcher in the MLB because it would be a great success story.

TheRealist137 · Feb 19, 2012

Well, Lane IS known for strike outs, let's hope that continues as a pitcher

sealclubber1016 · Feb 19, 2012

He only had a cup of coffee in Triple A last year, but he struck out 12 guys in 13 innings against only 2 walks. He did get hit around a bit though.

Wish him the best, between the time he was here, and the years were hearing about him, seems like he was here for a decade.

Kam · Feb 20, 2012

During that 18 inning game, he was going to pitch also.

lean · Feb 20, 2012

Anyone else remember that time he fell flat on his face pursuing a foul ball?? Didn't he do that more than once? LOL sorry that's all I can think of when someone mentions Jason Lane.

MadMax · Feb 20, 2012

lean said: ↑

Anyone else remember that time he fell flat on his face pursuing a foul ball?? Didn't he do that more than once? LOL sorry that's all I can think of when someone mentions Jason Lane.
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really?

my first memory is him squeezing the final out to win the 'stros their first pennant in franchise history.

HollaIFyaHEMI · Feb 20, 2012

Wow. Would be cool to see him make it.

bigdaddy · Feb 20, 2012

MadMax said: ↑

really?

my first memory is him squeezing the final out to win the 'stros their first pennant in franchise history.
Click to expand...

Yep, he did play well during that year

lean · Feb 20, 2012

MadMax said: ↑

really?

my first memory is him squeezing the final out to win the 'stros their first pennant in franchise history.
Click to expand...

Hmm I forgot about that. Most of my memories from that year come from the playoffs game since I was at all of them.

kaleidosky · Feb 20, 2012

lean said: ↑

Hmm I forgot about that. Most of my memories from that year come from the playoffs game since I was at all of them.
Click to expand...

this was the NLCS clincher. On the road, so you weren't at it (I assume). But it sounds like you were probably watching it.

Aceshigh7 · Feb 23, 2012

Glad to hear this. Always liked Lane.

Grandpappy · Apr 15, 2012

Lane got some big hits for the Astros in the 05 playoffs, but the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of him was when he threw the ball into the stands after making an out. Only it was the second out of the inning.

Poloshirtbandit · Apr 15, 2012

Grandpappy said: ↑

Lane got some big hits for the Astros in the 05 playoffs, but the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of him was when he threw the ball into the stands after making an out. Only it was the second out of the inning.
Click to expand...

Berkman did this a few times as well.

HoustonJames · Apr 16, 2012

Any updates on this story?

Matt Maloney · Apr 16, 2012

He's pitching for the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate Reno Aces

Stats:
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=2310&stn=true&sid=t2310

kaleidosky · Apr 16, 2012

Matt Maloney said: ↑

He's pitching for the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate Reno Aces

Stats:
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=2310&stn=true&sid=t2310
Click to expand...

wow. 4 games, 7.1 IP, 0.82 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

tellitlikeitis · Jun 17, 2012

Update.... He was released by the Diamondbacks, but it didn't take him too long to find some work.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastro...r-skeeters-earns-another-shot-at-big-leagues/

Had no idea Gary Gaetti was the Skeeters' manager too.

Ex-Astros outfielder Jason Lane hopes pitching for Skeeters earns him another shot at the big leagues

Posted on June 16, 2012 at 1:10 am by Chron Sports in Astros, General

To those who remember him as an outfielder on that 2005 pennant-winning Astros team, Jason Lane might have looked out of place on the mound this week for the Sugar Land Skeeters. (James Nielsen/Chronicle)
By Jason McDaniel

SUGAR LAND — Former Astros outfielder Jason Lane hasn’t found a fast lane back to the major leagues since his last appearance in 2007.

So after bouncing around the minors a few years, Lane, 35, chose a new career course as a lefthanded reliever. The latest turn has him back in Houston where he had his greatest pro success.

Lane debuted on the mound Tuesday for the Atlantic League’s Sugar Land Skeeters, the new independent club that makes its home at Constellation Field — 23 miles southwest of Minute Maid Park.

“It’s great,” Lane said. “I like the city, I like the area. Obviously I’d like to be back here playing for the Astros, but that’s not in the cards right now and so this is a great place to play to get reps and be seen.

“It’s a beautiful park. It’s a great place to come, a good group of guys, and I’m just making the best of it.”

The native Californian came up as a pitcher/outfielder. At USC, he was a designated hitter when he wasn’t pitching.

In the 1998 College World Series championship game, which the Trojans won 21-14 over Arizona State, Lane smashed a grand slam in the ninth inning and earned the win with 2 2⁄3 innings of relief work.

When the Astros selected him in the sixth round of the 1999 draft, they took him as a position player but told him if he didn’t hit well his first couple of years they would turn him back into a pitcher.

That never happened.

Lane carried a .316 batting average for Class AA Round Rock in 2001, helping him make his big league debut May 10, 2002. He played in 252 games in 2004 and ’05 and hit 26 home runs in 2005.

“I always enjoyed hitting,” Lane said. “I wanted to be a hitter. Pitching always came more natural to me probably, but at the time I didn’t enjoy it as much. But I’m a competitor. … And so whether it’s pitching or hitting, I enjoy playing baseball and helping the team win.”

Slow start spells doom

Lane started slowly in 2005 but came around and helped the Astros win. The right fielder homered and caught the final out in their 5-1 victory over St. Louis that clinched their first National League pennant.

But when he started slowly again in 2006, his days as a regular contributor dried up. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2007 and played in only three more games — the last on Oct. 1, 2007.

“I got off to a little bit of a slow start in 2006 and didn’t get a chance to play after that,” Lane said. “And once you start platooning and not getting regular at-bats, it becomes difficult. I wanted to get back in there and I pressed a little bit, trying to get hits and trying to get results, and it’s very difficult to play the game like that.”

It hasn’t gotten easier.

Lane has signed minor league deals with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Florida Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays since then, trying to return to the majors as a power-hitting righty.

Finally, while with the Blue Jays’ Class AAA affiliate in Las Vegas last year, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Tower saw Lane throw an inning and decided to give him a chance.

As a reliever.

Lane went to spring training with the Diamondbacks but was sent to Class AAA Reno after three weeks. He threw 211⁄3 innings with a 7.59 ERA and 18 strikeouts and then was cut loose.

He joined the Skeeters a few days later.

“I was frustrated because I feel like it was a pretty short stint, I feel like I had a lot more to offer, and I feel like I can still play the game,” Lane said. “At that point, it’s about finding a place to play.

“I remained in contact with (former Astros hitting coach and current Skeeters manager) Gary Gaetti and he told me he had a pretty good situation out here. I got here, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”

Still hungry to play

The Skeeters are a long way from the Astros. Lane sees that but stays focused on the road ahead.

“These are the guys who love playing baseball, and they want to be out here,” Gaetti said. “That’s what’s so beautiful about it — that a guy who’s been to the big leagues is willing to do this, humble himself and come back.

“That’s how much he loves the game.”

Lane fanned four and allowed two runs on three hits in three innings in his Sugar Land debut.

New Hampshire pitching coach Tom Signore worked with Lane while the two were in Las Vegas. He said Lane has a good fastball, which hits 92 mph, an effective slider and an outstanding change-up.

“He can help somebody, both at the 3A level and as an emergency guy in the major leagues,” Signore said. “He’s a guy who keeps himself in phenomenal condition, and he’ll take the ball whenever you ask him to.”

Jason McDaniel is a freelance writer.

• • •
Plan B: become pitcher
Some recent examples of position players who converted to pitching:

David Carpenter
Drafted as a catcher by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. Debuted as righthanded reliever for the Astros in 2011.

Trevor Hoffman
Drafted as a shortstop by the Cincinnati Reds in 1989. Debuted as righthanded reliever for the Marlins in 1993.

Carlos Marmol
Signed as an undrafted catcher by the Chicago Cubs in 1999. Debuted as a righthanded reliever for the Cubs in 2006.

Jason Motte
Drafted as a catcher by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003. Debuted as a righthanded reliever for the Cardinals in 2008.
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