Barone opens season with the Florida Marlins
Daniel Barone doesn’t know if his Major League pitching career
with the Florida Marlins will end tomorrow, last another 10 years
or even more.
That’s why the right-handed hurler from Hollister is taking it
all in and enjoying the moment.
Barone opens season with the Florida Marlins
Daniel Barone doesn’t know if his Major League pitching career with the Florida Marlins will end tomorrow, last another 10 years or even more.
That’s why the right-handed hurler from Hollister is taking it all in and enjoying the moment.
Next week Barone, who was called up to the Florida Marlins from the Albuquerque Isotopes AAA club last August, will head back down to Florida to ready himself for spring training, which officially gets under way on Feb. 17.
“It doesn’t matter if they make me a starter or a reliever. If I could be the batboy I’d be up there,” Barone said. “I’m just enjoying it all. It’s a dream of a lifetime to be on the same field with these guys.”
Barone was initially called up to the Majors to join the Marlins starting pitching rotation where he made his Major League debut at Shea Stadium, answering the call by striking out Jose Reyes to start the game.
He struggled in his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks and pitched well the following game against the St. Louis Cardinals where he got all-star slugger Albert Pujols to hit into an inning-ending, bases loaded double-play. Unfortunately, Barone would struggle down the stretch and saw his ERA slip to nearly 7.00 before the Marlins placed him in the bullpen where he finished the season as a middle reliever.
As a middle reliever Barone would work 17 innings, allowing just one run and posted a bullpen ERA of 1.70, which dropped his overall ERA for his rookie season to 5.71.
When he gets to Florida he will be competing for a starting job again with some 40 prospects from the Marlins organization and another 40 or so that are considered big league invites, or free agents with Major League experience.
Heading down there Barone’s main focus is making the roster again.
“Nothing against Albuquerque, I just want to break camp with the Marlins,” he said. “I’m heading down there working for a starting job but I just want to find a niche on this team.”
Barone has remained humble because he understands in his business her can be demoted just as quickly as he was promoted.
“I know that it can all be taken away in a heartbeat,” he said. “That’s why I’m enjoying it all that I can.”
And is it ever a huge change from his life in the Minors.
“The travel is night and day from AAA to the Bigs,” Barone said. “In the AAA you fly a little bit but in the big leagues the bus takes you right to the plane on the runway. Everything is first-class. I remember the first time I got on the plane the stewardess came up to me and asked if I wanted lamb or filet mignon. I couldn’t believe it.”
To ready himself for the coming season Barone has been working out quite a bit at the Babe Ruth field in Hollister. While there, he also works with a number of incoming freshman players who hope to make it on the San Benito High baseball squad.
“It’s fun. I get to work out and stay on top of my game and they have a good time too,” Barone said.
In addition to throwing and working on technique, Barone also works out at night at a local gym in the weight room and he also runs to stay in shape.
“Everything has been going well for me,” Barone said. “I’m starting to get some of those preseason jitters in my stomach again. I’m not nervous I just can’t wait to get going.”
And neither can his fans in Hollister.
“I just want to thank everyone for their support,” Barone said.
