Valdosta's Aaron Taylor is Seattle's closer of the future

Posted 2:39PM on Friday 4th October 2002 ( 22 years ago )

SEATTLE - Aaron Taylor isn't shy about talking about the No. 1 ambition in his baseball life. Some day, and as soon as possible, the Seattle Mariners' closer of the future would like to be the closer of the present. "That's the job I'm hoping to do," said Taylor, 25, who closed for the Mariners' Double A Texas League champion San Antonio Missions this season. "I think it just fits my mentality more so than anything." The Mariners do, too. "We think he has the potential to do that," said Benny Looper, the team's vice president of player development. "I think he's got the makeup to fit that role." The 6-7, 250-pound Taylor was grabbed by the Mariners from the Atlanta Braves in the Rule V draft Dec. 13, 1999. He was their Double A closer the past two seasons and spent the last three weeks of this season with Seattle. He's armed with a 98 mph fastball with an above-average forkball and an above-average slider. "The guy's a monster," catcher Ben Davis said. "He's got a good, hard fastball, a good, hard slider and a pretty good split finger. I think once he learns to balance his pitches out, he's going to be pretty good." His first stint in the major leagues was an eye opener for Taylor. In his first series in Texas, he was touched for home runs by Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro. On Rodriguez's homer, he tried to throw a high fastball past the Rangers' All-Star shortstop and Rodriguez hit it out to center for a three-run homer. "That's the type of pitch I got away with in San Antonio," Taylor said. "But A-Rod turned on it and made me look like a little kid. That surprised me. I just sat back and said, 'These hitters are here for a reason.'" If Taylor becomes the closer in Seattle's bullpen, he's probably going to have to wait at least two more years. That's because Kazuhiro Sasaki, the Mariners' closer the past three seasons, was given a two-year contract extension this season. Sasaki is the franchise's all-time saves leader. The Mariners also have Arthur Rhodes and Jeff Nelson in their bullpen. "Obviously, I'm not going to come right in and be the closer from the get-go," Taylor said. "I understand that. All I want to do is have a role. That's all everybody can ask for in baseball. We've got some big boys over here who can sling the rock, too." Taylor loved watching Sasaki's forkball up close this season. "His is a big one," he said. "He's got a nasty one. Mine is just a little dipper." Taylor will be given a chance to make the Mariners' roster in spring training in February and March, but it's likely he'll start the 2003 season with Triple-A Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. The Mariners hope to call him up later next season if he can help them. With San Antonio this season, Taylor was second in the Texas League with 24 saves, a 4-3 record and a 2.34 ERA in 61 games and 77 innings. He limited opponents to a .184 batting average, struck out 93, walked 34 and allowed five homers. With Seattle, he pitched in five games and five innings, had a 9.00 ERA, struck out six and walked none. "He threw the ball well for us," Davis said. "This was a good cup of coffee for him to realize what it's like up here and the work you have to put in to play up here. He's going to be fine." In three short weeks, Taylor realized what he's going to have to work on to become an effective reliever in the majors. "You can't throw it by anybody up here," he said. "You've got to learn how to pitch it." For the second straight winter, Taylor will go to Venezuela to pitch winter ball on the recommendation of the Mariners. "I think he has to develop the consistency of the other pitches," Looper said. "You'll see a plus slider and you'll see a plus split, but you don't see it every time he throws it. And the location of his fastball. That's what got him in trouble in Texas. He got the fastball up and over the plate to Alex." A native of Valdosta, Ga., Taylor was chosen by Atlanta in the 1996 June draft. He pitched four seasons in the Braves' minor league system before the Mariners landed him. The Braves wish now they hadn't left Taylor unprotected, Looper said. "I've talked to a guy or two of theirs in the last year or two and they regret leaving him on a roster where we could pick him up," Looper said.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/10/189299

Valdosta&#39;s Aaron Taylor is Seattle&#39;s closer of the future

Valdosta's Aaron Taylor is Seattle's closer of the future