SAN DIEGO — Daniel Bard stood at his locker inside the visitor’s clubhouse at Petco Park talking about pitching. It’s something he enjoys.
The Rockies’ closer turns 37 on June 25 but he’s having his best season in more than a decade and there are even whispers about a trip to next month’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
Considering everything he’s been through, it’s remarkable.
Bard’s battle against the yips and his return to the majors in 2020 after a seven-year absence has been well-chronicled. Last year, after starting off strong, Bard pitched poorly and lost his job as a closer in the second half of the season. He was scored upon 11 times in 30 appearances and pitched to a 6.75 ERA after the all-star break as left-handed hitters feasted on him.
Yet here he is, pitching with the vigor of a kid and the wisdom of a veteran.
Asked if he’s ever amazed by what he’s accomplishing, Bard grinned and said, “Oh yeah, every single day.”
Sunday, Bard pitched a perfect ninth inning in Colorado’s 4-2 win against the Padres at Petco Park, striking out the side for his 13th save, tied for the sixth-most in the majors. He enters Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland at Coors Field with a 2.13 ERA in 24 appearances. His 0.908 WHIP and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings are the best marks of his career.
“Yes, it is remarkable,” Rockies pitching coach Darryl Scott said. “Normally, at his age, your body has taken a lot of wear and tear, but your mind and your experience make up for some of that.
“Now, he has the mindset of somebody in his mid-to-late 30s but he still has the physical side of somebody who’s under 30. The way he prepares himself and the way he goes about his job is admirable, and he has that maturity that you wish you had in some of the younger guys.”
Bard made his major league debut on May 13, 2009, for the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings against the Angels at Fenway Park, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out one. He was 23.
More than 13 years later, Bard still throws the same three pitches: a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball and a slider.
“The way the ball comes out of my hand is not a whole lot different than when I broke in,” Bard said.
The firepower, however, has increased.
The velocity on Bard’s four-seamer averages 98.0 mph this season, up just a smidgen from the 97.8 mph fastball he threw in 2009. His slider, however, is more wicked than ever, rising from 84.2 mph to 88.4.
Bard said he deserves only partial credit.
“I work hard to maintain my body and gain an understanding of how my body works,” he said. “I get in the weight room and try to stay mobile.
“Because that mobility is the first thing to go when you get past 30, especially with your hips, back and shoulders. So I’ve worked hard to maintain that.
“But a lot of it is genetics. Luckily, I’ve hit the jackpot. I know a lot of guys who do everything they can to maintain their body but it just doesn’t respond like they want it to. So I can’t take all of the credit and I can’t say I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Bard’s ability to throw the ball hard, at this stage of his career, is “a gift” manager Bud Black said. But it’s a gift that Bard nurtures.
“There is a commitment with Daniel and I think that speaks to the kind of person he is,” Black said. “He’s made a commitment to himself and his team.”
Bard had a breakout season with the Red Sox in 2010, appearing in 73 games and posting a 1.93 ERA. He was seen as the heir apparent to closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Bard, however, believes he’s a better pitcher now — “No question about it,” he said — partly because he throws a better slider.
“It’s harder now and I can manipulate it more,” he said. “When I first got up to the bigs, I had only been throwing the slider for a year and a half and I only had one grip and one way to throw it.
“It would kind of have the same shape. I just let it loose. Now I’ve got three different sliders that I can change the shape and the speed of, which I didn’t have when I was younger.”
According to Black, Bard’s ability to keep the ball low in the zone, while going upstairs when he needs to, has been the key to his success this season.
“Keeping the ball down was priority No. 1 for Daniel,” Black said. “Secondly, his success this year has been about his ability to command the movement on his fastball. He’s got tremendous movement on his fastball and at times it’s hard to control.
“I mean, ninth inning, crisis, save situation, to be able to command the fastball is key.”
Last season, left-hander hitters slashed .319/.406/.600 against Bard. So far this season, lefties are slashing .143/.236/.286.
“I’ve been more aggressive against lefties, especially early, so that gets me into good counts,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t great at putting them away. I’d get to two strikes and I’d try to bury (the slider) below the zone but I’d throw it right over the middle. A lot. That hurt me quite a few times. I really worked on that during the offseason. I think it’s paying off.”