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Rauch Reaches All-Time High
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That Rauch can joke about such things is an indication of his place in the Nationals' clubhouse these days. "You want to put people in the position where they're comfortable," General Manager Jim Bowden said, "because that gives them the best chance to have success."
Rauch, though, was a starter in the minors, and he started 11 major league games from 2002-05. In fact, it was in one of those starts -- Aug. 13, 2004 -- when he provided a quirky signature moment. He faced Houston's Roger Clemens in just his third major league at-bat. Tony Batista, then an infielder for the Expos, called him over. He told Rauch that Clemens would throw a fastball, and that he should "swing as hard as you can."
Clemens came with the fastball. Rauch swung ferociously. "I didn't know where the ball went," he said. But then he heard catcher Brad Ausmus yelling: "Run, dummy." Rauch had hit a cue shot down the right field line. It snuck over the wall, just the second home run ever hit off Clemens by a pitcher.
"A total fluke," Rauch said.
He hopes people don't say the same about his 2006. He would like to issue fewer walks (36 in 91 1/3 innings) and allow fewer homers (13, tied for second-most among National League relievers). But he knows Manager Manny Acta won't change his role, and that puts him at ease.
"The biggest part of it was mentally knowing that I can go out and be healthy and not have to worry about my arm and not have to worry about breaking down like I had in the past on a day-to-day basis," he said. "Every day, it seemed like I felt good and I was happy to be there. As a starter, I knew that it was always in the back of my head coming back from my first surgery: 'Oh, gosh, I'm going to screw up, or I'm going to do something to my arm, and I'm never going to be able to play again.' "
But even if those thoughts haunt him again, he said he has a different attitude about it all now. "When I go home," he said, "the last thing I think about is baseball."
Instead, it is Aubree. He has her feet tattooed on his calf. And when the tallest player in major league history arrives home, he immediately scoops up his tiny daughter and watches her smile at him.
"People can say whatever they want," he said. "That's what matters most."
