Tamayo overcomes diversity to throw for victory
JEFF BALTRUZAK
Assistant Sports Editor
This year, Irish starting pitcher Danny Tamayo is a dominant right-hander with a 2-1 record, baffling opposing batters with a halting change-up and a fastball with pinpoint control.
But his sophomore year, Tamayo couldn't even throw a baseball, let alone pitch a Division 1 college baseball game.
In March 1999, doctors removed a tendon from Tamayo's left forearm and wrapped it around his right elbow, a procedure known as the Tommy John surgery, named after the former Yankee pitcher that first used the operation. It would be a year until Tamayo would pitch again.
"I was relieved to have something I could do about [my elbow]," said Tamayo. "I wanted an answer to my pain."
Although with the Tommy John surgery there was a chance Tamayo would never pitch again, he was confident that the procedure would allow him to continue his career. The surgery has a 95 percent success rate, and is becoming increasingly common in baseball.
Still, the rehabilitation would be a feat requiring great mental strength and dedication.
Tamayo's rehab consisted of daily sessions with baseball trainer Mike Bean, a man he credits greatly for his recovery. He concentrated on resistance work, and exercised his forearms by squeezing socks, and then a clay ball, between sessions.
"I was just building back my muscles, and eventually the throwing came around," said Tamayo.
Tamayo also impressed his head coach, Paul Mainieri. "[His rehabilitation] shows a lot about his desire," Mainieri said. "He's a very loyal person, and his loyalty to our school and our baseball program is extremely high."
A year after his surgery, Tamayo returned to the mound on March 7, 2000, pitching the final inning in a win over Manchester. His teammates promptly mobbed him after he secured the final out of the game.
But for Tamayo, the true turning point on the road back to pitching came against Rutgers last year. Tamayo started against the Scarlet Knights, and was able to work five innings while readjusting to being back on the mound.
"In that game it started to click," said Tamayo. "It's funny, I felt like I had to almost remember how to pitch — but in that game I said to myself `I can do this.'"
Tamayo was only 14 months out of the operating room when he took the mound against Mississippi State in the NCAA Starkville Regional on May 28, 2000, on the Bulldogs home field at Dudy-Noble Field.
Simply put, he pitched a masterpiece.
Tamayo was dominating in a complete game, three-hit shutout, throwing just 105 pitches. The Irish won 7-0, setting up the final showdown with Mississippi State that Notre Dame eventually lost by a heartbreaking 10-9 margin.
If Rutgers was the turning point for Tamayo's rehabilitation, then Mississippi State showed he had returned to his place as a top pitcher for the Irish.
"Mississippi State was the solidifying point for me," said Tamayo. "I was back at that point."
And he hasn't looked back. Tamayo has settled into the second starter position behind Aaron Heilman, and has posted impressive numbers in his senior season in his first five starts.
Tamayo is a control pitcher in the tradition of Greg Maddux, relying on placement and mixing speeds to get outs.
"Danny's a very smart pitcher," said Mainieri. "He gets ahead in counts and forces hitters to swing the bat."
Tamayo has a four-pitch repertoire, with a fastball, curve, changeup, and a recently developed cut fastball. According to Tamayo, the cut fastball has given him more options on the mound and the ability to throw inside to lefthanders more effectively.
He has thrown it consistently this season, though less frequently than his other pitches.
Mainieri believes Tamayo's fastball is his core pitch. Though the right-hander does not throw it with overwhelming velocity, his ability to place it wherever he wants allows him to get strikes and setup his change and curve.
"I try to think ahead when I'm out there," said Tamayo. "I try to setup my pitches, and remember what I had thrown to a batter earlier in the game."
As a senior, Tamayo hopes he can be a leader for the younger players, including friend and fellow Miami native Javier Sanchez.
"The first thing is to lead by example," said Tamayo. "I hope I am showing them how to represent Notre Dame."
With the Notre Dame's No. 8 ranking comes pressure, and Tamayo recognizes the high hopes for this year's team.
"I think a certain amount of pressure is good," said Tamayo. "But a lot of people think we're not that good because we're a northern team, so we have something to prove."
For now, Tamayo is focused on winning for the Irish, not on any future after Notre Dame. The elbow injury robbed him of his entire sophomore season and part of his junior season, making him somewhat unknown in the professional baseball world.
"I try not to think about the draft," said Tamayo. "I'm basically coming out of nowhere and not many people know about me, because I've only pitched two years in college."
Tamayo has started just ten games for the Irish, and in many ways is just starting to find his groove in the three-man rotation.
"I almost feel like a freshman," said Tamayo. "I'm loving every minute of it."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, March 22, 2001
