Chansky's Notebook: Bard Is Back!

Somehow, after seven years, Daniel Bard is back in the big leagues.

When he and Andrew Miller were pitching for the Tar Heels about 15 years ago, I loved watching Carolina’s tall, talented, one-two punch at Boshamer Stadium. In 2004, Bard tied the UNC freshman record with eight wins.

And when Bard wound up with the Red Sox, I was of course delighted.

He was the closer-in-waiting in Boston until nincompoop Bobby Valentine wanted to make him a starter during his one season as manager with the team. Unfortunately, I witnessed the beginning of what looked like the end of Bard’s Major League career.

As a flamethrower, Bard was sometimes wild, but as a starter he caught a case of the yips and completely lost his control.

I saw his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays when he lasted 1.2 innings, giving up five runs, six walks and hitting two batters. He was dropped to Triple-A and at the end of the 2013 campaign, he was relegated to trying out for various major league clubs, never sticking.

Until this season, which is supposed to start next week. Now 35, Bard started throwing again last winter for scouts and was finding the plate consistently and easily while hitting 95 miles per hour. He decided to mount one more comeback and before coronavirus halted spring training was on the verge to make the Colorado Rockies roster.

When the team reunited for an abbreviated training camp, Bard still looked sharp and made the Rockies big club. It is a miraculous accomplishment when you consider Bard had not been on the mound hurling against professional batters in years.

In this strangest of seasons, Bard figures he might be the biggest beneficiary of the weird scenario when the 60-game schedule gets underway, the teams playing in empty stadiums. He said his control problems had nothing to do with pitching in front of a full house.

“If anything, I’m very accustomed to pitching with no fans,” he said, given all the deserted diamonds he’s been on over recent years.