Dan Bard: the skill is gone

[soxhop411]

Brian MacPherson ‏@brianmacp  31s
Now with Texas, Daniel Bard made his first appearance of the year Thursday for Single-A Hickory. He faced four batters: 3 HBP, 1 BB.

 

[Van Everyman]

Just came here to post that. Holy shit. Daniel Bard is dead.

 

[terrynever]

 
Brian MacPherson ‏@brianmacp  31s
Now with Texas, Daniel Bard made his first appearance of the year Thursday for Single-A Hickory. He faced four batters: 3 HBP, 1 BB.
 

Maybe they were crowding the plate!

 

[ivanvamp]

It's almost like 2009-2011 never happened.

 

[steveluck7]

Maybe they were crowding the plate!

No, clearly those guys just think they're bigger than the game. Bard's on a mission from davd price to clean that stuff up before they get to the bigs

 

[HillysLastWalk]

Serious question: Is SoxScout alive?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

That's awful to read.  Was really hoping he'd figure it out and get back to where he once belonged.

 

[LogansDad]

Yeah, that makes me far more sad than it probably should.  I feel bad for the dude, but it definitely appears that he is just toast at this point.

 

[cromulence]

Wow. I'll admit deriving some glee when he first started struggling as he was very good and a Red Sox. Now it's sad. I thought it sounded like things were looking up after he had surgery...but damn.

 

[Reverend]

I feel terrible for Bard, but it's really not right to put him on the mound at this point.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

They will keep running guys who have (or had) 100-mph fastballs out onto the mound until their arms fall off or they give up.
 
It does kinda sound like it's likely to be pointless, though.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

It sucks so bad to see him pitch like this.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

They will keep running guys who have (or had) 100-mph fastballs out onto the mound until their arms fall off or they give up.
 
It does kinda sound like it's likely to be pointless, though.

Or someone is killed.

 

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Or someone is killed.

That's my concern as well.  Would you want to step into the box with him pitching?  I sure wouldn't.

 

[Frank Fenway]

They seriously can't find a pitching guru to fix this dude? Hell any guru. Send his ass to India. 
 
Maybe send him out into the desert with a head full of peyote and a spirit animal will guide him back to being a decent pitcher. 

 

[soxhop411]

It got worse for him today
 

Ryan Hannable @RyanHannable · 4hThe struggles of Daniel Bard continue: 2/3 IP, 0 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 1 K. Really sad story.

 

[Frank Fenway]

I feel worse for the guy that managed to strikeout.

 

[LogansDad]

How did it get worse?  He got two outs.....

 

[75cent bleacher seat]

I feel worse for the guy that managed to strikeout.

uhhhh....self preservation perhaps?

 

[Soxfan in Fla]

What made them think he was doing good enough to end up in games? I have a feeling he is doing much better than this outside of games. This is all mental at this point. He doesn't need a pitching guru. He needs a sports psychologist.

 

[OttoC]

There are tons of examples of relief pitchers who had a few good years, were worked hard, and the completely lost it. Diminished stuff, loss of command, injuries and a lack of confidence are probably all factors. I'm sure we will see a few more comeback stories about him from PG over the next few years, but it seems quite likely he never pitches in the bigs again.

 
Steve Blass of the Pirates was an All-Star and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 1972 at age 30, going 19-8/2.49 with 84 BB/117 K, 4 HBP and 6 WP in 249.2 IP.
 
In 1973, he went 3-9/9.85 with 84 BB/27 K , 12 HBP, 9 WP in 88.2 IP.
 
In 1974, he pitched 1 game, 5.0 IP, walking 7 and in Triple-A that year, he was 2-8/9.73 with 103 BB and 26 K, 16 HBP and 12 WP in 61.0 IP. Bye, bye, baseball, Mr. Blass.

 

[Adrian's Dome]

 
Steve Blass of the Pirates was an All-Star and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 1972 at age 30, going 19-8/2.49 with 84 BB/117 K, 4 HBP and 6 WP in 249.2 IP.
 
In 1973, he went 3-9/9.85 with 84 BB/27 K , 12 HBP, 9 WP in 88.2 IP.
 
In 1974, he pitched 1 game, 5.0 IP, walking 7 and in Triple-A that year, he was 2-8/9.73 with 103 BB and 26 K, 16 HBP and 12 WP in 61.0 IP. Bye, bye, baseball, Mr. Blass.

 
That screams of a guy with terrible peripherals who was working on smoke and mirrors, though. A 1.39 K/BB, and only 2.1-ish K/9 in his "good" season?
 
Bard had terrific periphs and sustainable numbers then completely lost his velocity and control, seemingly on a whim.

 

[radsoxfan]

 
That screams of a guy with terrible peripherals who was working on smoke and mirrors, though. A 1.39 K/BB, and only 2.1-ish K/9 in his "good" season?
 

 
That 1972 ERA definitely screams fluke, but Blass still fell off a cliff after that.  He went from 84 BB in 249 IP to 84 BB in 88 IP to 103 BB in 61 IP.
 
Thats more than just some regression to the mean. Clearly he had a meltdown. 

 

[Adrian's Dome]

 
That 1972 ERA definitely screams fluke, but Blass still fell off a cliff after that.  He went from 84 BB in 249 IP to 84 BB in 88 IP to 103 BB in 61 IP.
 
Thats more than just some regression to the mean. Clearly he had a meltdown. 

 
Yeah, not denying that, just trying to point out it's not exactly the same case as Bard. Blass wasn't a good pitcher, Bard was.

 

[Spelunker]

Yeah, we should really start saying that Steve Blass had 'Dan Bard Disease' because it's a much more dramatic example.

 

[terrynever]

 
Yeah, not denying that, just trying to point out it's not exactly the same case as Bard. Blass wasn't a good pitcher, Bard was.

Blass went 18-6 with a 2.12 ERA in 1968. He had six pretty strong seasons with Pittsburgh as a starting pitcher before falling off a cliff in 1973. He was never a strikeout pitcher, relied on an excellent Pittsburgh defense behind him, especially with Gene Alley at short and Maz still at second base, turning DPs. That infield led the league in DPs several times.

 

[Van Everyman]

I still would love to know the chicken or the egg factor here. Did he fall apart because he was converted to a starter? Or was it the last month of the 2011 season, where he went from being the single best set up guy in all of baseball to being a disaster? Although the entire team turned into a disaster that month.

Which was it? Does anyone know?

 

[NJ Fan]

True story:
 
Sometime around '73 or '74 I was at Shea when Steve Blass was in the midst of his control issues.  As he and the Bucs were coming off the field after warm-ups, I recognized him and called his name from the front row along the 3rd base line.  He underhanded me the ball--perfect strike--from, I'm guessing, 50 feet away.
 
Totally psychological, in my very un-expert opinion.

 

[terrynever]

I still would love to know the chicken or the egg factor here. Did he fall apart because he was converted to a starter? Or was it the last month of the 2011 season, where he went from being the single best set up guy in all of baseball to being a disaster? Although the entire team turned into a disaster that month.

Which was it? Does anyone know?

I would speculate that you have to take each case individually and that you would find a loss of confidence at the root. The Pirates went from NLCS loser (in heartbreaking fashion) to a 80-82 team in 1973. They lost Clemente in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. But Blass doesn't blame any of that for his problems. He lost control, started getting lessons from every pitching expert in baseball, changed his delivery every other start, and lost his confidence somewhere along the way. Sounds pretty similar to Bard except they were completely different kinds of pitchers.

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
That screams of a guy with terrible peripherals who was working on smoke and mirrors, though. A 1.39 K/BB, and only 2.1-ish K/9 in his "good" season?
 
Bard had terrific periphs and sustainable numbers then completely lost his velocity and control, seemingly on a whim.

 
How is 117 Ks in 249 innings a K/9 of 2.1?

 

[DanoooME]

Maybe they could hire the guy who worked with Rick Ankiel to fix him?
 
Then again, maybe not.

 

[TheGoldenGreek33]

There is no fixing the yips. Once it gets in your head, it's over. 

 

[terrynever]

There is no fixing the yips. Once it gets in your head, it's over. 

Maybe Bard needs a long putter.

 

[Adrian's Dome]

 
How is 117 Ks in 249 innings a K/9 of 2.1?

 
Yeah, I shouldn't do math under the influence of beer.
 
But still, same point stands.

 

[mauidano]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  Really liked him with the Sox.  From all accounts a great team mate and great guy with a TON of potential.  Sad to hear this.  Gotta be devastating for him.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

 
That screams of a guy with terrible peripherals who was working on smoke and mirrors, though. A 1.39 K/BB, and only 2.1-ish K/9 in his "good" season?
 
Bard had terrific periphs and sustainable numbers then completely lost his velocity and control, seemingly on a whim.

 
Check out Bill Lee's K rates some time. It was a different game back then, you could get away with microscopic K rates much more easily back then than today. By all accounts Blass was a genuinely good pitcher before his career abruptly fell apart.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I would speculate that you have to take each case individually and that you would find a loss of confidence at the root. The Pirates went from NLCS loser (in heartbreaking fashion) to a 80-82 team in 1973. They lost Clemente in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. But Blass doesn't blame any of that for his problems. He lost control, started getting lessons from every pitching expert in baseball, changed his delivery every other start, and lost his confidence somewhere along the way. Sounds pretty similar to Bard except they were completely different kinds of pitchers.

 
I believe he even tried hypnosis. Nothing worked. Once it's in your head, it's in your head. Blass couldn't pitch to live batters any more, for whatever reason.

 

[DJnVa]

 
Check out Bill Lee's K rates some time. It was a different game back then, you could get away with microscopic K rates much more easily back then than today. By all accounts Blass was a genuinely good pitcher before his career abruptly fell apart.

 
Yeah, it was just different. Even the guys that you think of as huge strikeout guys were below what you see now.
 
Bob Gibson was generally a 7.2 K/9 guy.
 
Bob Feller back in the 40s led the majors with 7.3 K/9 one season. This current season, Tanaka is 10th, at 9.9.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  Really liked him with the Sox.  From all accounts a great team mate and great guy with a TON of potential.  Sad to hear this.  Gotta be devastating for him.

 
Wait. What?
 
Your first sentence doesn't really match up with the rest of your post.

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
 This past year, Tanaka finished 10th, at 9.9.

 
What?

 

[DJnVa]

 
What?

 
Bah, I mean this year is currently 10th. Typo.

 

[glennhoffmania]

Ah ok.  I couldn't figure it out if you meant another pitcher or if you were citing NPB stats.

 

[finnVT]

 
Wait. What?
 
Your first sentence doesn't really match up with the rest of your post.

I think he's just using that phrase un-ironically.  Which I don't think I've ever encountered.

 

[mauidano]

 
Wait. What?
 
Your first sentence doesn't really match up with the rest of your post.

 

I think he's just using that phrase un-ironically.  Which I don't think I've ever encountered.

I meant it's sad that it happened to such a nice guy.  My bad.

 

[Reverend]

uhhhh....self preservation perhaps?

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SH715tr6ek
 
 

I think he's just using that phrase un-ironically.  Which I don't think I've ever encountered.

 
Living in Maui can do weird things to a person. 

 

[soxhop411]

“@RyanHannable: With Low-A Hickory (Rangers), Daniel Bard entered with a 13-0 lead. Didn't record an out, hit two batters and walked two more allowing 4 R.”

Bard should probably start looking at another career at this point. Do not think he can be fixed sadly.

“@lonestarball: Daniel Bard now has a 175.50 ERA for low-A Hickory.”

“@iamjoonlee: Daniel Bard’s season for Single-A Hickory (#Rangers): 0.2 IP, 175.50 ERA, 13 ER, 9 walks, no hits, 7 HBP, one strikeout in four appearances.”

 

[Madmartigan]

“@RyanHannable: With Low-A Hickory (Rangers), Daniel Bard entered with a 13-0 lead. Didn't record an out, hit two batters and walked two more allowing 4 R.”

Bard should probably start looking at another career at this point. Do not think he can be fixed sadly.

“@lonestarball: Daniel Bard now has a 175.50 ERA for low-A Hickory.”

“@iamjoonlee: Daniel Bard’s season for Single-A Hickory (#Rangers): 0.2 IP, 175.50 ERA, 13 ER, 9 walks, no hits, 7 HBP, one strikeout in four appearances.”

It's kind of irresponsible to keep sending him out there at this point; he could hurt someone.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

That's remarkable.  Absolutely remarkable.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

So that's a WHIP of 24.00?

Neighborgall bad.

 

[AimingForYoko]

I've avoided Dan Bard news because the whole situation is really damn depressing. I'd hoped that the Red Sox hadn't broken him permanently.

Poor dude.