Daniel Bard (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Daniel Bard picks up an MLB win for the first time since 2012.
Daniel Bard went 2,646 days without pitching in an MLB game.
The Colorado Rockies pitcher Bard picked up a win on Saturday. While wins are always special, for Bard, it was an exclamation point on a remarkable comeback story. Bard won his first MLB game on the mound since May 29, 2012.
Once upon a time Bard was a member of the Boston Red Sox from 2009-13. Originally the 28th overall pick by the Red Sox in the 2006 MLB Draft, Bard made a name for himself in the record books for the Red Sox. He had set a franchise record for pitching 25 consecutive scoreless appearances in 2011. Leading up to 2011, Bard was shaping into a dependable setup pitcher.
Things began to go down hill for Bard as the 2011 season fizzled. In 2012 Red Sox then manager Bobby Valentine, who only lasted a season with the squad, decided to turn Bard into a staring pitcher. That season, Bard was 4-6 as a starter with a 5.30 ERA before Bard was sent down to Triple-A. He would only make two appearances in 2013 before being shuffled around the league.
Bard would be claimed off waivers to join the Chicago Cubs in 2013. He later signed with the Texas Rangers, then went back to the Cubs, then sign to the St. Louis Cardinals before eventually calling a quits with the New York Mets organization in 2017. With those squads, the most action he saw on the mound was in the minor leagues as he had not pitched in the majors since his exit from the Red Sox.
In February of 2020, Bard would come out of retirement to sign a minor league deal with the Rockies. Days before the season opener, Bard made the Rockies 40-man roster on July 17.
In the Rockies second game of the 2020 season against the Rangers, Bard get his chance on the mound. He pitched 1.1 innings, recorded a strikeout and go on to be credited with a win as the Rockies defeated the Rangers 3-2 on Saturday.
In the midst of what may go down as the most awkward year in sports history, at least there is one great redemption story. Bard’s story will be one that always shines in 2020 as a great comeback story that tells people they should never give up on their dreams.