Darrell Rasner wasn't surprised when Major League Baseball's 1999 First-Year Player Draft came and went without his name being called.
As a senior at Carson City (Nev.) High School, Rasner broke his left (non-throwing) arm several months earlier during a freak weight room accident and knew he was damaged goods in the eyes of most scouts.
He never realized how important the oversight would become.
Instead of playing professionally, Rasner attended the University of Nevada and carved out a nice career for himself. He was a freshman All-American, and left school with records for innings pitched, victories and strikeouts.
And along the way, he learned how to pitch.
"I guess it was a blessing overall because it worked out pretty good for me," Rasner said. "It helped quite a bit because I learned how to pitch, learned how to deal with the crowds and just all the other things that go into baseball."
Rasner wasn't overlooked three years later when he was drafted in the second round by the Montreal Expos, and has since spent his time making those that doubted him pay.
He breezed through the first three levels of the Expos minor leagues and overcame a slow start at Double-A Harrisburg by logging a 0.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in two starts a week ago. He was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending May 1, and has compiled a 3.24 ERA in six games.
He struggled in his first three starts, but when Harrisburg manager Keith Bodie and pitching coach Randy Tomlin sat him down for a talk, he heard the message he learned in college.
"That really set me in the right direction," Rasner said. "They told me to pitch more and not worry about throwing so hard, change speeds and that kind of stuff."
He had to learn that in college after blowing most hitters away in high school. His fastball topped out at 91 mph before he was injured, but dipped about 10 mph during the start of his senior season because of his injury.
That was enough to scare away the scouts, but it never deterred Rasner, who is 6-foot-1 and utilizes a nasty 92 mph sinker.
A stint with the Nationals in major league spring training only reaffirmed his dream. Rasner is projected as a potential starter with Washington, but is likely to spend most of the season with Harrisburg as he masters Double-A hitters.
"Spring training was a good taste," Rasner said. "I tried to take as much as I could from that. I wanted to make the team. Then I found out I wasn't so I tried to make as good an impression as I could."
Extra basesThe Nationals have their eye on several prospects at low Single-A Savannah, and Edgardo Baez is not disappointing. The promising outfielder is hitting .316 with four home runs and 21 RBIs through Friday's games, overshadowing teammates like shortstop Ian Desmond (.255) and outfielder Rogearvin Bernadina (.218).
Pitcher Collin Balester, a 2004 fourth round pick of the Expos, is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA with the Sand Gnats.
Top prospect Mike Hinckley is expected to report to Harrisburg in the next week and a half after missing the first month and a half of the season with an injured shoulder.
Right-hander Claudio Vargas continues to work his way back from a strained elbow, and allowed one run on four hits in seven innings during his latest rehabilitation start at Triple-A New Orleans.
To reach TODD JACOBSON: 540/374-5440 tjacobson@freelancestar.com