Curt Schilling: Jameson Taillon Could Have Avoided Comebacker With More Practice

Jameson Taillon appears to have escaped a frightening scenario without a major injury. But Curt Schilling believes the whole thing could have been avoided.

Taillon was hit in the back of the head with a hard line drive Tuesday during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Miraculously, the Pirates’ rookie pitcher stayed in the game and appeared to be OK.

Schilling joined “The Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday to discuss the incident, and according to the former Boston Red Sox pitcher, Taillon should never have been in that situation in the first place.

“At no point in a pitcher’s life should the back of his head ever be to home plate when he’s throwing a pitch,” Schilling said, via For The Win. “It’s a combination of a couple different things. The first, and biggest thing, is the lack of minor-league innings these guys are getting. PFP — pitchers’ fundamental practice — is such that it’s not a two-week spring-training deal for guys that are serious about it. It’s something you do all spring training and kind of weekly during the season.

“Your body — I don’t know what the medical science is — but your body will prevent your face from being hit, for the most part, as an athlete, almost every single time. If you’re finishing wrong, if you’re unbalanced when you’re finished, you can’t move like an athlete.”

Schilling also claimed a pitcher fielding his position well is “the difference between winning 17 and 20 games a year,” and believes that stems from practice in the minor leagues. Schilling would know, as he racked up over 4,000 minor league innings in addition to 20 seasons in the majors.

His criticism doesn’t exactly apply for Taillon, though, as the 24-year-old logged three full seasons in the minors before getting his big-league break. Also, Taillon getting hit in the back of the head actually was a blessing in disguise, as the fabric of his cap helped offer some protection and prevent a much more serious injury that could have occurred if he had been hit in the face.

Pitchers often don’t have time to react to comebackers when they’re hit that hard, no matter what fielding position they’re in. That said, if a little extra practice can limit these types of injuries by even a fraction, we’re all for it.

Thumbnail photo via Howard Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images