Lake Buena, Fla. — Dan Reichert is working on keeping his head screwed on straight, literally, in spring training.
Kansas City Royals manager Tony Muser said Reichert had a tendency to have "real violent head movements" in his delivery, which often creates control problems.
Members of the Kansas City Royals wait in the dugout during a rain delay. The spring training game with the Braves eventually was canceled on Monday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
"We're trying to quiet his head and create consistency," Muser said.
Reichert led the American League with 18 wild pitches last season and walked 91 in 1531/3 innings.
"I need to keep my head going toward home plate and my control is going to be a lot better," Reichert said Monday. "If I can do that, I'll have better control than I normally would."
Reichert tied a club record with a career-high nine walks in eight innings in a Sept. 7 start against the New York Yankees, who had only two hits. He threw only 55 strikes in 110 pitches.
"It was just one of those freak incidents," Reichert said. "It was ridiculous. I was wild that day, but never left the ball over the plate where they could hit the ball to the gap.
"We had great defense that day. I would throw the sinker down the middle and get a double play."
While the Royals obviously want Reichert to cut his wild pitches and walks, his lack of control can also be an asset.
"I'm effectively wild," Reichert said. "The hitters go up there uneasy thinking, 'Is this going to be at my head or down the middle.' The more uncomfortable they are in the batter's box is an advantage for me.
"I've got them thinking before they get in the box, so I'm already one up on them."
Reichert said he can control his four-seam fastball and slider, but when he throws his sinker he has no idea where it will go.
"I tell our catchers to sit up in the middle of the plate on the sinker," Reichert said. "Some days, it may move a foot. Some days, it may move three inches.
"I'm guessing 75 to 80 percent of my wild pitches are sinkers. They are tough pitches to block in the dirt."
Reichert, a 1997 first-round draft pick out of the University of Pacific, was 8-10 with a 4.70 earned run average last season. He was the Royals' pitcher of the month in August, going 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA in six starts.
Reichert, however, lost his final four September starts with a 10.13 ERA in that stretch, while allowing 37 hits in 182/3 innings.
"Physically I felt great in September, but I was tired mentally because it was my first full year in the big leagues," Reichert said. "I was not paying attention to what you have to do. I would lose focus in a game, worrying about other things than the job at hand."
Reichert began last season in the Royals bullpen, where he was 3-4 with two saves and a 4.43 ERA in 26 games before being inserted into the rotation on June 24. He was 5-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 18 starts.
This season Reichert is penciled in as the No. 3 starter.
"I definitely like starting better," Reichert said. "I get three or four days between starts to prepare my body and mind. Being a reliever, you never knew whether you'd pitch that day or not."
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