Get to know: Jordan Tata, Mud Hens pitcher

6/11/2006

  • 2006: Began the season with the parent Tigers, posting a 3.86 ERA in seven relief appearances. He struck out six but walked seven while allowing nine hits in 14 innings. Optioned to Toledo May 10 and has made five starts for the Mud Hens. Has a 2-2 record and 3.86 ERA with the Hens. Has fanned 18 while walking 13 in 25 2/3 innings.

  • Career: Named the seventh-best prospect in the Tigers organization entering this season. His fine year with Single-A Lakeland last season earned pitcher of the year honors in both the Tigers minor-league organization and the Florida State League. Posted a 13-2 record with a 2.79 ERA and 134 strikeouts, ranking among the league leaders in wins, ERA and whiffs. Also won a pair of playoff starts for Lakeland, throwing 14 scoreless innings and fanning 18. Finished with an 8-11 record for Single-A West Michigan in 2004. Also won a pair of playoff starts for the Whitecaps in the 2003 Midwest League playoffs. Was 4-3 with a 2.58 ERA for Short Season Oneonta in the New York-Penn League after getting drafted in the 16th round of the 2003 first-year player draft.

    NINE INNINGS

    1. What was your favorite team growing up? The Boston Red Sox. I grew up in Colorado, and they didn t have a team at the time, so my father who is from Massachusetts raised me as a Red Sox fan. The coolest part [of watching them win the World Series in 2004] was watching my dad go crazy, because he had been a Red Sox fan for 50 years. That was a dream come true for him and fun to watch for me.

    2. Who was your favorite player growing up? Typical pitcher answer here Roger Clemens. He was my favorite guy to watch growing up because he was a Red Sox and because of the way he pitched.

    3. If you could meet one player, dead or alive, who would it be? Roger Clemens. I ve seen him up close, but I ve never had a chance to hang out with him or pick his brain [about pitching]. I would want to know about his mentality on the mound, ask him about his preparation between starts and in the off-season, stuff like that.

    4. What s your favorite type of music? I mostly listen to rock and roll, but I listen to a little bit of everything. Being around a bunch of guys, it s hard not to absorb what they like at least a little bit. I listen to rap, I listen to some Latino music, reggae, whatever. I m not really picky.

    5. Who s the toughest hitter you ve ever faced? I got a chance to throw against Vladimir Guerrero when I was in the big leagues this year. The first time, I struck him out. The second time I think he learned from it and hit a really long home run off me. He s a guy that, even if you make a good pitch, he can hurt you.

    6. What s your favorite sports memory? Pitching in the Ballpark in Arlington, making my debut with the Tigers. That was my dream come true.

    7. What was your most embarrassing sports moment? I gave up nine runs in one inning against Kane County two years ago, and I think that put me at 1-8 for the first half. That whole half was one embarrassing moment after another.

    8. What did you think when you were promoted from Double-A to join the Tigers this season? I knew I was up there to fill in for Todd Jones, and when Chris Spurling got sent down I knew I had a couple of extra weeks. But I knew they wanted me to start, and they knew I wanted to start. The way that team was doing, I knew that wasn t a place to develop as a starter.

    9. What is something nobody knows about you? I like to read a lot. I ll read anything that interests me at the time. I recently read a book about Abraham Lincoln, and now I m onto a novel about a boy in Afghanistan. Whatever interests me, that s what I pick up.

    John Wagner