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Bacsik's gamble pays off

June 1, 2007 12:35 am

BY TODD JACOBSON

WASHINGTON--When Mike Bacsik re-signed with the Washington Nationals in November, he did so with a bit of unease.

Sure, the Nationals had plenty of openings for a left-handed pitcher that was 11-0 in Triple-A with the Arizona Diamondbacks the previous year, but Washington was the same team that released him out of spring training seven months earlier, casting doubt on his career.

As often as members of Washington's front office called, he couldn't shake a nagging feeling as he decided to sign a minor league contract with the Nationals over a dozen other teams.

"Gosh, this is tough," he thought. "I hope I'm doing the right thing."

Bacsik has little to complain about these days, though things didn't work out immediately with the Nats.

The team that released him last year demoted him to Triple-A Columbus out of spring training a year later, but he's been a pleasant surprise since being thrust into Washington's starting rotation May 19 thanks to a rash of injuries.

In three starts with the Nationals--his first appearances in the big leagues since 2004--Bacsik is 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA.

"He's not intimidated," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "He knows he doesn't have overpowering stuff and he sticks with his game. He spots his fastball and changes speed on the guys and he's not afraid to come inside even when his stuff is not overpowering."

Through the good times and the bad, that much never changed for Bacsik. When he felt stuck in Scranton, Pa., or Oklahoma City--stops along the minor league ladder that felt like purgatory--his confidence remained.

Even when the Nationals released him after spring training in 2006, he felt he had trained too long and pitched for too many years to simply give up on his career.

He had pitched in the majors with the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and the Texas Rangers as recently as 2004 and he believed he could do it again, so he would wait--at least a little bit.

It was early April. If he wasn't pitching with a team by May 15, then he would consider a life that didn't include long bus rides, musty clubhouses and baseball.

"If I don't have a job in professional baseball," he thought, "I am just going to go back to school, try to get my degree."

Bacsik never made it back to school. He signed with the Diamondbacks April 13 and didn't lose a game, going 11-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 28 games. A call-up never came, and even when he signed with the Nationals, he knew it was a long shot.

"Everything just fell into place," Bacsik said. "I was pitching pretty good, but I wasn't just dominating. It's just that there were so many injuries. Now I am just trying to take advantage of my opportunities."

Right-hander Shawn Hill received good news regarding his sore right elbow after a visit with Dr. Mark Schickendantz of the Cleveland Clinic yesterday. Nationals manager Manny Acta wouldn't indicate when Hill would begin throwing again, but Acta said the second opinion revealed "no problems whatsoever."

"Now the concern is just that the left shoulder is completely healed before we throw him again," Acta said.

Hill (3-3, 2.70 ERA) has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 12 with a sore right elbow he believes was triggered by a strain to his nonthrowing left shoulder.

Though he's 0-1 with a 14.80 ERA in three starts, Acta said rookie right-hander Levale Speigner will get another shot in the starting rotation Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

Acta said Triple-A right-hander Joel Hanrahan, the team's best option in the minors, wasn't ready to start after returning from a hamstring injury Monday.

"You never want to leave anything on a bad note," said Speigner, who had a 3.77 ERA as a reliever before he moved to the starting rotation May 16. "I'm still fighting to get things fixed when it comes to that kind of stuff. It's awesome to try to get to do that."