Rogers twins relish chance to pitch in same pen
SAN FRANCISCO — Minutes after Taylor Rogers insisted that he and identical twin Tyler are way past their days of pulling pranks, his brother did just that.
“We’re not tricksters,” Taylor had declared.
Then, just as Taylor began to finish his introductory video call with the Giants, joining the same San Francisco bullpen as Tyler, his brother came on under the screen name of Brennan Huff.
“Is it safe to say the Giants have the best looking bullpen in the National League West?” asked Huff, AKA Tyler.
“Absolutely, absolutely. It just got a whole lot better as of Wednesday when you officially signed Taylor Rogers,” his good-natured twin replied, playing along nicely.
Yep, Tyler failed mightily in pulling a fast one this time.
“You just let anybody on these Zooms, huh?” Taylor cracked to a Giants media relations executive.
Taylor, the lefty, will be pitching alongside Tyler, the righty, after Taylor Rogers signed a $33 million, three-year contract this week. Also Friday, President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi said outfielder Michael Conforto‘s agreement on a $36 million, two-year contract will be finalized “imminently,” and he has gone through a successful physical.
The Rogers brothers didn’t plan on this happening, even after both pitching in the same game April 11 at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, Taylor then for San Diego. They went out to exchange the lineup cards in a special moment — just the second time in major league history that twins pitched in the same game and the first time on opposing teams.
“This was something we never really wanted to fully think that this could happen,” Taylor said. “It just always felt like it was a too-good-to-be-true type of thing and then going into the offseason this year I had a discussion with Ty and he said, ‘You know what, this is your free agency, you need to do what’s best for you.’ And he said, ‘If it happens to be the Giants, great, if not, that’s great, too.'”
It is great for the parents and family members of he 32-year-old twins, born Dec. 17 in Littleton, Colorado: one-stop watching and cheering.
“We’re going to have family around way more often now, bugging us,” Taylor said. “They are all totally excited and same thing, they never allowed themselves to think that was a possibility either. It always just felt like a movie.”
Taylor Rogers, a 2021 AL All-Star for Minnesota, went 4-8 with a 4.76 ERA and 31 saves over 66 appearances in 2022 with San Diego and Milwaukee. His 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings is a career best over a full season – 84 batters in 64 1/3 innings.
Tyler Rogers uses a unique sidearm delivery and went 3-4 with a 3.57 ERA over 68 outings and 75 2/3 innings last season as San Francisco missed the playoffs a year after winning the NL West with a franchise-best 107 victories.
Zaidi is thrilled to have them both as he looks to build one of the best bullpens in the league like the Giants had two years ago. He called it an “interesting negotiation.”
“He didn’t want us to think that he would just sign with us no matter what, and we didn’t want them to necessarily think that he was our only option, so we kind of danced around each other for a lot of the offseason,” Zaidi said, chuckling. “He’s such a great fit beyond the great story of these brothers getting to play together, which I just think is awesome.”
Taylor Rogers reached the big leagues in April 2016, nearly 3 1/2 years before his brother, yet they refuse to make comparisons given their respective organizations had different needs at the time.
He sure appreciated his brother’s support on whatever decision he made this winter.
“The best part of this is that we weren’t trying to make this happen in the beginning, I was just going in as clean slate, free agent, see kind of what would fit for me,” Taylor said. “This happened because the Giants needed a left-handed pitcher and it’s just gravy on top that Ty’s here, too. I think that’s what’s cool about it, is it happened naturally, we weren’t forcing it.”
-
Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
SMU clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after a 33-7 win over Virginia on Saturday, becoming the first team in league history to make the title game in its first season.
The Mustangs do not have an opponent yet. Miami (10-1, 6-1) must beat Syracuse next weekend to clinch its spot. A loss means Clemson, which has already finished league play at 7-1, would make it to Charlotte.
SMU came into the league off great success in the American Athletic Conference, winning the league a year ago. But no team has done what the Mustangs have done in Year 1, making the transition from Group of 5 to Power 4.
The ACC championship game has been around since 2005, and now in the 20th anniversary of the game, SMU has made history.
“It’s hard to win 10 games, it’s hard to do something that’s never been done before,” coach Rhett Lashlee said. “No one’s ever moved from a small conference to a power conference and gone to the championship game in their first year. Just really proud of our guys.”
SMU joined the ACC in its quest to return to a power conference, and in doing so, agreed to take no television revenue from the ACC for nine years. They were a team on a mission from the very start, eager to prove they belonged on this level.
SMU has been a different team since turning to Kevin Jennings as its starting quarterback after three games. Jennings is 8-0 as a starter and has helped SMU to a 7-0 ACC record — the only team that is undefeated in league play. Against Virginia, Jennings went 25-of-33 for 323 yards with a touchdown and interception.
Lashlee signed a contract extension with the school Friday, reaffirming his commitment to being with the Mustangs for the long term. Despite its ACC dominance, SMU remains on the outside looking in, based on the latest College Football Playoff selection committee rankings.
If SMU wins the ACC, the Mustangs would be a lock to make it into the CFP. Another loss could mean the end of their playoff hopes. SMU closes the regular season against California next Saturday.
Lashlee grew emotional discussing how far his team has come this season.
“I’m really proud of them. I had this thought Friday, I’m going to miss a lot of these guys,” Lashlee said before pausing to gather himself. “It’s a fun group. They love playing together. They love playing for each other. They love playing for SMU. They don’t care who gets the credit. I think that’s why they win. It’s special. I’m just a lucky guy who gets to be their coach.”
-
Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with an air cast on his left leg in the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Louisville.
Holstein appeared to have his leg rolled up on when Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte sacked him on the second drive of the game.
Nate Yarnell, who started when Holstein missed last week’s game against Clemson with a concussion, replaced him Saturday.
Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, won the starting quarterback job over Yarnell during fall practice and helped lead the Panthers to a 7-0 start.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports8 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway