After finishing last season on Florida’s 40-man roster, Daniel
Barone will enter spring training this week in search of a spot on
the team
Hollister
Daniel Barone’s dream season last year didn’t start on the mound at New York’s Shea Stadium, but rather at minor league camp, where on the first day Barone was asked to be a reliever in the bullpen for a Florida Marlins spring training game.
“They asked me if I wanted to be a backup. I said, ‘You bet. I’m there,'” Barone said. “It was nice to go over there and they thought I could go over there. It’s nice to know they had the confidence in me to go in there.”
Barone didn’t pitch in the contest, but he did observe everything he could with a fly-on-the-wall mentality. As he said, “When you get called up to that level, it’s one of those things – be seen, not heard.”
Although he did speak briefly with Marlins reliever Lee Gardner, Barone more or less got a glimpse at the Major League level, before he even reached the Major League level.
“One long road,” Barone said.
The 2001 San Benito graduate, who will report to West Palm Beach, Fla., this week to kick off spring training for pitchers and catchers, felt that the brief stint of observation in the Marlins bullpen last year helped him in his journey.
After he was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 8, Barone finished his season as part of the 40-man roster with the Marlins, and received a spring-training invitation this year as a result.
The righty hurler started on the mound for Florida, was moved to the bullpen later in the season, and was placed back in the starting rotation toward the end of the year for the Marlins, which were depleted by injuries for much of the 2007 season.
He made six starts and 10 relief appearances for Florida in the shortened year, and carried an overall earned run average of 5.71, and a 1.15 ERA out of the bullpen.
With stints as a starter and a reliever, the former Haybaler doesn’t seem to care if he’s on the hill or in the ‘pen.
“It doesn’t matter,” Barone said. “Just as long as I’m on that team, I’ll be happy.”
Barone knows he’ll need to remain healthy in order to have a chance, though, as there are 70 prospective players vying for 25 roster spots, according to a recent story on the Marlins Web site.
Barone’s offseason included providing lessons every day, throwing nearly every day, hitting the weight room, watching film of his pitches (even on his iPod) and learning and studying opposing hitters.
“I pretty much took the month of October off and started right back up in November,” said Barone on his first offseason at the Major League level. “It definitely helps you work that much harder – just working out a ton to stay mentally and physically ready … I definitely have been working out harder than I normally do.”
Never having the opportunity to breakdown his own game film, Barone is hoping he’ll learn from his mistakes and learn the tendencies of other hitters. As he said, every hitter has a hole in their swing, but at the Major Leagues, every hitter has the potential to put it out of the park, no matter where you throw it.
“Hopefully, if I work hard enough, I’ll make the team as a starter or as a bullpen guy,” he said. “God will do the rest.”
Before the Marlins hired Mark Wiley to be the team’s new pitching coach, though, the staff handed Barone a player-specific workout book, where Barone was asked to increase his flexibility in the lower half of his body.
Working out five times a week, the Hollister resident hit the gym to strengthen his legs, back and abs, or basically the core, he said.
“I feel strong. I can’t wait to get out there and start pitching,” Barone said. “If you’re not ready, you’re digging yourself a big hole.”
While he may perhaps be sitting in the Marlins bullpen this spring training, he won’t be sitting in the Marlins bullpen as a minor league call-up.
“It’s definitely one of my biggest opportunities,” he said, “going into spring training with the chance to make a big league team.”
