Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon reaches 10 years of service time
PITTSBURGH — The Cubs found something worthy of celebrating even in the midst of losing.
Jameson Taillon, a cancer survivor and a pitcher who underwent multiple Tommy John surgeries when that was a relatively rare occurrence, on Monday reached 10 years’ service time as a major leaguer.
“Seeing Jaimo reach it is so cool, because you see the adversity that was thrown his way, and for him to still come out on top and be like a light in our clubhouse, somebody that constantly brings energy to the group, and all the laughter, is just so cool,’’ Dansby Swanson said Tuesday.
The team took Taillon to a small establishment next to the team’s hotel Monday night to toast his accomplishment. A spokesman for the Major League Baseball Players Association estimated that roughly 1,700 players in big-league history have achieved that milestone.
“Ian Happ said a few nice things,’’ Taillon said. “Thoughtful of him and Nico (Hoerner) and Dansby—we all played together longer. Really blessed to share a locker room with those guys. Our wives are all friends, and they’re all just super thoughtful and made it really special.’’
The Cubs have five players who will observe their 10-year service anniversary: Taillon, Alex Bregman, Swanson, Michael Conforto and Matthew Boyd. The latter four are all due to cross that threshold in July.
Some thoughts:
Taillon: “Just in general, I think that’s kind of the gold standard, 10 years. You probably have [a number of] superstars who are going to play 10 years, no matter what. And you had some people who really had to work for it, and I’m proud to say I’ve had to work for it and nothing’s really come easy to me. I’ve been through a lot, and I feel like I built something that kept me available and on the field through my process and discipline and work ethic and being a good teammate. Reflecting on all that, I’m proud of a lot.
“Obviously, it’s not the sexiest career of all time, but maybe there are a lot of people that would be happy and proud to have a career like mine. I’ve posted, I’ve pitched, I’ve been available, I’ve thrown a lot of innings, and I’m proud of that.’’
Bregman: “It means a lot. It means that you’ve been in the league for a long time, you’ve been consistent enough to stick around against the best of the best.
“Obviously, you get full pension after 10 years, but for me this game has never been about finances. It’s always been about trying to be the best player in the world.
“It flew by. Honestly, I feel like yesterday I was in this locker room in Pittsburgh for the first time in 2016.’’
Boyd: “Early on in your career, you see guys who did it for 10 years, you kind of understand that’s the goal. To stick around for that amount of time is a huge accomplishment, you don’t really understand all things you’ve got to go through to get there.
“Everybody’s journey to it is different. Some guys breeze through it, some guys have to scrap for every day. For me, I had a big injury in the middle of my career, had some good years, had some bad years, had some times where I felt like I’d be playing this game for as long as I wanted to, other times thinking, how do I get there. So for me, it’s a huge deal, and we were excited to celebrate [for Taillon].
“When I think about how much the game has changed over the course of my time, it feels like it’s been a long time…but when I think back to when I got called up, it feels like yesterday. And I think of all the people who helped get me here…’’
Swanson: “It’s just a testament to the hard work, the perseverance, the toughness, the gratitude, the joy, and the ability. There are so many things that have to go right in order for it to happen. It really is like a blessing, right?
“Like when you’re young, you are almost naive to the fact that it’s difficult to do, and then when you’re in it, you realize how difficult it is, and then when you get to it, there’s nothing but gratitude for the help, the support, the work, the inspirations, the family members, so many things to be grateful for.’
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