Dan Slania Adjusts to Starting
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —Not quite two months into last season, 24-year-old righthander Dan Slania switched from a reliever to a starter. The change worked well for him. In a sense, he had experience making that transition.
He did it during a game while pitching for Notre Dame.
On May 3, 2013, Slania was one out from a six-out save against South Florida before he allowed a two-run double to tie the game.
Upset with himself, Slania told his coach, “Don’t take me out until this game’s over.”
That didn’t quite come true, but Slania lasted 7.1 more shutout innings—making his outing nine innings and 140 pitches—in a game the Irish lost 8-2 in 19 innings.
“I got pulled just because I couldn’t do anything else,” Slania said. “I was exhausted.”
The Giants selected Slania, Notre Dame’s career leader in saves (30) and ERA (1.71), in the fifth round the following month.
He performed well as a reliever in his first three seasons in the organization but had a 5.32 ERA with Double-A Richmond in late May last year.
That’s when the Giants made the switch.
“It really catapulted his value and his ability to learn the things he needs to learn that will help him get to the big league level,” general manager Bobby Evans said.
Evans credited executive Dick Tidrow and minor league pitching coordinator Bert Bradley for the idea of making the switch with Slania.
In 16 starts at three levels, Slania went 8-4, 2.42. In November, the Giants added him to the 40-man roster.
Slania has a fastball that ranges from the low- to mid-90s. Becoming a starter has motivated him to work on his secondary pitches: a splitter, a slider and a two-seam fastball.
“I’m still kind of mastering the craft of a couple of the pitches,” Slania said. “I think they’re getting better.”
GIANTICS
• San Francisco released non-roster second baseman Gordon Beckham a few days before breaking camp in Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Lefthanded reliever Will Smith opted for Tommy John surgery after enduring elbow problems in spring training. The Giants acquired Smith from the Brewers on Aug. 1 in exchange for catcher Andrew Susac and prospect righthander Phil Bickford.
— Steve Kroner is a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle
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