Tallet makes the most of second chance (2024)

BASEBALL REPORTER,

The persistent ringing of the telephone finally roused Brian Tallet from his stupor after another night of heavy partying at Louisiana State University. He stumbled into the living room to answer the call. The Tigers had a baseball game that afternoon.

Where was he?

"I was out getting drunk literally every night," Tallet said. "In college I didn't know how to handle drinking, and that was the problem."

Tallet, 31, considers himself fortunate to be even playing professional baseball after almost getting tossed from his LSU team. This season, he's making the most of the second chance granted him 10 years ago, having switched from middle relief to become the surprise of the Blue Jays' starting-pitcher rotation. The 6-foot-7 lefty takes a 3-3 record and 4.00 earned run average into his start against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre this afternoon.

Tallet's personal life was careening out of control at LSU in 1999. Depressed by the suicide of a childhood friend, and prevented by elbow surgery from playing his first season and part of his second, he found refuge in partying.

"I kind of just got out of control more than anything, couldn't get my life back in order and I was grateful to Skip," Tallet said. "I always tell him when I see him, thanks for giving me the opportunity."

Skip, as in Skip Bertman, is the legendary LSU coach and athletic director who helped Tallet get back on track.

"I'm as proud of Brian as I am of any kid I've coached because of what he came through and what he has accomplished," Bertman said.

That's high praise from a baseball lifer who led the Tigers to five College World Series titles. He's coached the likes of Albert Belle, Ben McDonald, Brad Hawpe, Ryan Theriot and Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill.

"I got on him," Bertman said. "I was angry that he wasn't maximizing his talents. That's the coach's job. If you don't go to school, you don't play. He was missing class, he was late to class, he was dogging."

Tallet grew up in Oklahoma City and became the only active major-league player to have been drafted four times. He wanted the university education and went to LSU in 1998, only to discover that classes can be an afterthought of collegiate life for a full-ride guy.

"I would just drink, and I could drink a lot," he said. "And the biggest thing was we always got it for free because we were athletes.

"The bars understood. They'd give us mixed drinks for a quarter," he added.

"Once word got out, everybody else would start flocking there and there'd be three or four hundred people in there on the weekends."

Bertman's patience ran out. When Tallet arrived late for the game following a roommate's birthday party, he was summoned into Bertman's office.

Bertman asked, "Do you have a drinking problem?"

Tallet answered, "I don't know."

Bertman had intended to kick him off the team then and there.

"But he said if I had a problem, he was going to give me a chance," Tallet said. "And I was sent off to see a counsellor."

LSU had an on-campus program to deal with substance abuse. Tallet met regularly with a psychologist and stayed off alcohol for three months.

"I believe I learned I wasn't an alcoholic because I could control my drinking," Tallet said.

Like many students, he needed to understand the damage caused by drinking to excess. The difference was, he was about to lose a shot at a major-league career.

"More than anything it was just talking through problems, talking about the whole situation regarding my friend who killed himself," Tallet said. "Everything made me realize that my life was not that bad, so let's not screw this thing up."

Bertman said teammates also helped Tallet catch up with his studies so bad grades wouldn't sabotage his scholarship.

"The team watched over him and made sure he'd go to class and then study at night," Bertman said. "It's one of the greatest things I've seen."

The effort paid off the following year when Tallet led the Tigers into the 2000 College World Series against Stanford and started the championship game. Although he gave up a grand slam, the Tigers staged a dramatic ninth-inning rally for a 6-5 win.

These days Tallet is enjoying a role he will gladly continue as long as the Blue Jays would like. Injuries to Jesse Litsch and Ricky Romero in April opened the door to the rotation.

The results are solid through nine starts. Take away his only rough outing - 10 earned runs allowed in four innings to the Kansas City Royals on April 29 - and his ERA drops to 2.52.

"He's had the one hiccup of a start, but every other time he's gone out there, he's looked like a true No. 3 starter in the rotation," said Brad Arnsberg, the Blue Jays' pitching coach. "At other times he's looked like a No. 1."

Off the field, in November he'll have been married for two years. He's the father of three-month-old Colin Curtis Tallet. He lives in Baton Rouge, La., and enjoys outdoor activities, including hunting with a bow and arrow.

"It's more of a challenge," Tallet said. "You've got to get close to the deer. The max shot I'm probably going to take is from 30 yards. With a rifle you can shoot from 250 yards.

"For me it's all about being in the woods, being comfortable, no noise," he said.

And having a steady hand.

*****

Solid May

After giving up 10 runs to Kansas City in late April, Tallet rebounded with six consecutive quality starts (at least six innings, three earned runs or less) in May, lowering his ERA each time.