One-time Steeler talks about love of baseball
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By Jarrod Prugar
For the Mirror
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor's love of baseball was on full display Thursday night as he zipped his first pitch across the plate in front of 4,504 fans, ahead of the Altoona Curve's 4-2 win over the Bowie Baysox at PNG Field.
"I was a catcher when I was younger, also at the same time, I played center field, and whenever they spotted me for pitcher, I pitched. But yeah, baseball was my first love," Taylor recalled.
Of course, it was football that paved the way for Taylor who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Steelers. The rest as they say is history.
"To actually get drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and to actually play defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers … we're talking about the Steel Curtain," Taylor said.
Taylor etched his name in Steelers history with two Super Bowls and a 12-year career with Pittsburgh, a place the New Orleans, La. native calls home.
"Coming to this city, man, it just taught me a lot, taught me a lot about life," Taylor said. "One thing I say about the city of Pittsburgh, it's bring your lunch pail to work. There's nothing flashy. There is nothing extravagant. It's just people go to work, take care of their family, and that's regardless of how much money you have."
Being able to wear the black and gold is something Taylor took pride in as a player, and even more so now 10 years removed from playing in the NFL.
"My legacy with the Pittsburgh Steelers is bigger than the Pittsburgh Steelers," Taylor said. "I always tell people like, if I'm a hyphen name, it's gonna be Taylor-Rooney."
Now, Taylor can be seen on the road scouting college football players and in scouting meetings offering his input.
"They let me hop into scouting meetings when I was active," Taylor said. "I always knew I wanted to be in the front office. I know a few of them probably thought I was clowning or I was playing, but I was dead serious."
Taylor has always felt like he's had a knack for scouting and an eye for talent. It's made his transition to his job seamless, but what's helped him more than anything is being valued by guys like Art Rooney, Mike Tomlin and the like.
"I think everybody at some point in their life wants to feel valued so once you see that you're valued, you're just going to do whatever you need to do," Taylor said. "There is no time to go to work. There is no nine to five. You're just going to do whatever you need to do."
At this point in his post-playing career, Taylor is right where he wants to be. His son will be wrapping up his high school football career this fall and has already committed to Michigan.
"For me to be in this position, then you just get to hit different avenues," Taylor said. "You get to come to Altoona and throw the first pitch so I'm just thankful that I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, let alone got a lot of ties."
Walk it off
Down to the game's last strike, Jase Bowen deposited a Cameron Weston pitch well over the left field fence to end the Curve's four-game losing skid and end the game with an Altoona victory.
The big hit was set up by Sammy Siani's single and Yoyner Fajardo reaching on a catcher's interference with two outs.
"It was a whole at-bat and approach that my hitting coach gave me, and I just got lucky that he put a spot that was in that approach and put a good swing on and thank the Lord, it went over the fence," Bowen said.
It's been a struggle recently for Bowen as it has been for many in the Curve lineup, but his plan worked to a T and it paid off in a big way.
"That was one of his best at bats in a while," Altoona manager Robby Hammock said. "He went up there, had a plan to see something out over the plate that he could hammer, and he took a couple good hacks and just missed, he spit on some good pitches down, and got one that he could handle and hammered it. It was pretty awesome."
Dombkowski dominates
Southpaw Nick Dombkowski threw four scoreless frames in relief of Grant Ford. He was the only pitcher not to yield a walk or hit while also striking out four.
"He was just in command of all his pitches and that's what he's got to do," Hammock said. "When he's able to keep guys back and forth, his fastball and changeup, mainly, and did a really nice job with it. They had trouble adjusting and that's what it is when he's on. That's what he looks like."