After 10 years and a profession revival, Daniel Bard made his return to Fenway Park

Purple Sox

“I feel I’m extra proud that I’m right here proper now than what I did final yr.”

Rockies reliever Daniel Bard is pictured on the mound during the bottom of the ninth inning during his first appearence at Fenway Park sine 2013. The Boston Red Sox hosted the Colorado Rockies in an inter league MLB baseball game at Fenway Park.
Daniel Bard made his first look at Fenway Park in over 10 years. (Jim Davis/Globe Employees)

Daniel Bard’s journey by baseball has had greater than its justifiable share of twists and turns.

A promising younger reliever with a blazing fastball, Bard was a key cog within the Purple Sox bullpen in 2010 and 2011. However extreme management points derailed his profession, prompting Boston to designate him for project in 2013.

Bard bounced round with a lot of organizations earlier than opting to retire in 2017. After two years as a psychological abilities teacher with the Diamondbacks, Bard orchestrated a late-career renaissance with the Rockies in 2020.

The 2020 Comeback Participant of the Yr has checked off a lot of milestones throughout this second chapter of his up-and-down profession, together with returning to the mound this season after touchdown on the IL because of nervousness. 

However returning to the ballpark the place his professional profession each started — and quickly unraveled — on Monday stood as a defining second for Bard and a profession marked with each adversity and triumph. 

“I feel I’m extra proud that I’m right here proper now than what I did final yr and even what I did again in Boston as a participant,” Bard informed WEEI’s Rob Bradford forward of Colorado’s street matchup in opposition to the Purple Sox on Monday. “That I’m right here, I’m lively, I’m nonetheless getting outs, going by with what went on earlier this yr. Issues like that.”

“I needed to have the ability to make this journey and hopefully get an inning right here, possibly a pair and simply soak it in,” he added.

It didn’t take lengthy for the 37-year-old righty to get his alternative.

For the a hundredth time in his professional profession, Bard took to the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park within the backside of the ninth inning. His 99th look at Boston’s residence ballpark got here all the way in which again on April 27, 2013 — a span of three,698 days between outings.

With Boston and Colorado caught in a 2-2 impasse, Bard navigated by a leadoff stroll to Adam Duvall by getting Triston Casas to floor right into a double play. Christian Arroyo then doubled on a line drive out to heart, however Bard stranded him in scoring place by getting Connor Wong to floor out.

With one other scoreless inning, Bard has continued to thrive since coming back from his newest stint on the IL. Over 19 appearances thus far this season, Bard has posted a 0.92 ERA.

Bard has not precisely had a linear street by the large leagues, to say the least. However his return to Boston on Monday stood as some much-needed closure on a path that has lastly come full circle.

“It holds a particular place for me in a whole lot of methods,” Bard informed DNVR Sports activities of enjoying in Boston as soon as once more. “I grew up going to video games there. My grandfather was from the Boston space, so I went to video games there as a 10-12 yr outdated. First time I stepped on the sector was in the course of the Cape Cod All-Star Festivities, they did them there. I received drafted by the Purple Sox. 

“Purple Sox baseball has been in my household for generations. It holds a particular place. To me, [Fenway Park] is as magical as a baseball venue will get. You’ll be able to really feel the historical past once you step within the constructing.”

After serving to Colorado beat the Purple Sox, 4-3, on Monday evening, Bard nonetheless has yet another job to finish whereas he’s again in Boston.

“I by no means signed contained in the Inexperienced Monster,” Bard informed DNVR Sports activities. “Even visiting gamers go and do that each one time. I performed there for 4 years, and it was all the time one of many issues like, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow, or subsequent yr or no matter.’ After which I used to be gone, and I by no means did it. So I gotta make certain I signal contained in the wall.”