Hollister pitcher close to big leagues
Pitching in the Major Leagues has been a lifelong dream for
Daniel Barone. If things keep going the way they have been for the
24-year-old right-hander from Hollister, he could be wearing a
Florida Marlins by September.
Hollister pitcher close to big leagues
Pitching in the Major Leagues has been a lifelong dream for Daniel Barone. If things keep going the way they have been for the 24-year-old right-hander from Hollister, he could be wearing a Florida Marlins by September.
Just a few weeks ago the San Benito High alum was called up to play for the Albuquerque Isotopes – the Marlins AAA team – and has already had three successful starts.
“I’m really close right now (to being called up to the Majors), but it doesn’t feel that close,” said Barone, who was drafted by the Marlins in the 11th round in 2004. “It’s almost like someone needs to pinch me right now so that I know it’s all real. It’s like I’m living a dream.”
Barone’s dream may soon become a reality if he keeps pitching the way he has in Albuquerque. In his first three starts with the club, Barone has posted a 2-0 record, has an impressive ERA of 2.21 and has looked very polished on the hill.
“It’s amazing that it has all come so fast. To be where I am makes me very happy,” Barone said. “I just have to stay level-headed and go at the batters. I’ve been pitching the same way I was pitching in AA ball. I’m getting a lot of swings and ground ball outs. It’s all been working right now.”
Barone is also getting plenty of fan support. In his first outing with the team – 14,900 people were on hand when he took the mound for the first in an Isotope uniform.
“That was the third largest crowd that they had ever had,” said Barone, who is impressed with the treatment he has received at the next level. “It’s unbelievable. Being here is a lot different, too. They have a clubhouse and they take my bags and put them into my locker. I don’t have to touch anything anymore. We’re treated much differently now.”
At this level Barone also earns a little more money, but it’s still a far cry from the salaries his Major League counterparts earn.
Barone credits his success with the Isotopes as a result of his ability to throw strikes and get ahead of the savvy AAA batters in the count. Most of the players that he now faces range in age from 26 to 34, meaning that they are much more crafty at the plate and have seen and faced just about every pitching prospect imaginable.
“The hitters up here are more patient,” Barone said. “They wait for their pitch, and they hit it pretty far if they get it. Other than that, it’s still the same game.”
In addition to the excitement of knowing that he is just one small step away from the Majors, he has also enjoyed meeting his new teammates, most of who are older than him.
“There are only three of us who are 24,” he said. “All of the guys on the team have been great.”
Although he is one of the youngest on the team, Barone already has the mindset of a Major League veteran and credits his mental toughness as the key ingredient that has helped propel him through the ranks.
“It’s a mental sport there is no question about it,” he said. “I now believe that I can do it. The first few years I doubted myself, but I’ve gained a lot of confidence. You just have to stay focused on every pitch and throw one pitch at a time. I’ve learned how to be a pitcher, not a thrower.”
