Jason Isringhausen brings experience, perspective to Angels bullpen

Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. — Yes, it’s about results. It’s also about perspective.

In 39-year-old relief pitcher Jason Isringhausen, the Angels are poised to collect the benefits of both.

And the wisdom banked by the veteran’s rich experiences might be the most important dynamic.

In Isringhausen, the Angels’ bullpen has added someone who:

•Endured being a can’t-miss prospect who missed.

•Withstood the trauma of three Tommy John elbow surgeries.

•Triumphed as the closer of a World Series champion.

•Lived as a beer-league softball player — one year ago this winter.

“I like to be a regular guy,” Isringhausen said of his previous role as third baseman of the St. Mary’s school Thursday-night softball team in Illinois. “Hanging out with my daughters [ages 2 and 9], being with my wife [Lorrie] of 13 years. Just having fun.

“There’s nothing like that.”

Well, there’s baseball.

And what Isringhausen noticed, as he began firing the softball across the diamond, is that his reconstructed elbow was feeling pretty good. Major League-strong, actually.

“I wasn’t planning on playing anymore,” said Isringhausen, the former New York Mets star prospect (6-14 in 1996) who crashed as a Big Apple starter. He rallied elsewhere as a closer to save 293 games, including a National League-leading 47 for the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals and 33 more for the 2006 World Series-champion Cardinals.

“After my third Tommy John, I hadn’t done anything,” to stimulate rehabilitation. “I knew the main thing about the waiting period is just taking time to let the bones heal.”

Isringhausen talked his way into an invitation to the Mets’ spring-training camp last year and despite dealing with a sore elbow and sciatic nerve flare-up, he recorded seven more saves to reach a career 300, appearing in 53 games.

He had friends in high places before this season, having hunted in the off-season with new Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny and coach John Mabry.

“I didn’t want to put them in a weird position,” Isringhausen said. “They don’t need a 40-year-old.”

Angels General Manager Jerry DiPoto, having signed 39-year-old reliever LaTroy Hawkins in December, called Isringhausen around the same time, expressing interest. But DiPoto cautioned that the team “didn’t have a lot of money” to guarantee the veteran after adding free agents Albert Pujols and starting pitcher C.J. Wilson.

“It’s not the best deal, but this is a special team with a chance to win, and where I’m at now, I want to win,” said Isringhausen, who signed a $15,000 monthly contract that increases to $650,000 for making the team, with $200,000 in bonuses for appearing in 55 games.

Isringhausen spent the winter “laying off the liquids” and dropped 25 pounds, showing up for his 21st spring-training camp at 230 pounds.

He made his third spring appearance (a shutout inning) Thursday after working a perfect inning last week.

“What I expect is for him to be himself,” Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher said. “He has a proven track record. Get outs and perform, and people will feed off that. Performance is first and foremost.”

There’s undeniable potential, however, for Isringhausen to assist in the development of Angels’ 24-year-old closer Jordan Walden, who saved 32 games last season, but also blew 10 and walked 26 in 60-plus innings.

“We’ve gone to dinner, we hang out,” Walden said. “Somebody like that, he’s been there and done it. When I do have a problem, I have someone to talk to, with [Isringhausen] and Hawkins — two old veterans. It’s good, because I didn’t really have that last year.”

Isringhausen is warm to the mentor role.

“We have good right-handed relief, but they’re young, inexperienced,” he said. “It never hurts to have a veteran to right the ship. It can be a calming effect.

“I’ll pitch anywhere from the sixth [inning] to the ninth for these guys. I’m over the ego thing of being a closer. I don’t have a swing-and-miss pitch anymore. I throw pitches that make guys mis-hit it, and we’ll let our Gold Glovers catch it. Let them hit it, don’t walk guys and don’t worry. I’ve shown Jordan that … you don’t have to strike everyone out.”

The radar gun doesn’t matter to Isringhausen anymore. He throws a two-seam fastball, a cut fastball, a curve and changeup, and says matter-of-factly he needs just six to eight spring outings to ensure he’s ready for the season.

“Refreshing to have in camp,” Butcher said.

Isringhausen knows what’s coming, with Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Wilson and Ervin Santana in the starting rotation — leads that need to be protected.

“There’ll be lots of pressure on the bullpen, but pressure is a good thing,” Isringhausen said. “Channel nerves into concentration and calmness. It can be hard to do, and the ones who struggle with pressure think harder and get hurried. The game moves so fast, you just can’t do that.

“The special ones get that.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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