Long before Daniel Bard was jogging out of the bullpen and causing opposing hitters to stiffen up at the sight of his electric fastball, he was jogging out of the bullpen and causing opposing hitters to stiffen up at the sight of his electric fastball.
Bard, of course, was a starter at Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina, and a great one. But every once in awhile, if a reliever was needed on the day Bard was scheduled to do his bullpen work, he was given a chance to shut the door.
His coach at CCS, Greg Simmons, recalled one such instance, labeling it a “premonition” of things to come.
Playing one of the top-ranked teams in Florida, Bard and his teammates were down 3-0 early and their opponents were letting them hear it, heckling from the dugout. Having started two days earlier, Bard was playing right field. That first gave him a chance to take part in a go-ahead rally, during which he homered, and then offered up one of those opportunities to be the late-inning hero on the mound.
“All of a sudden Daniel comes in and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have we got into?'” Simmons said. “He just shoved it.”
Showcasing a fastball that occasionally touched 96 mph, Bard committed early to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Still, during a senior year that saw him lead CCS to a second straight state crown and receive all-state honors for the second consecutive year, Bard continued to attract scouts.
After all, they had to see for themselves.
A photo still hangs in Simmons’ office showing just how intense the interest was. With Bard on the mound and the photographer’s lens pointed toward the stands behind home plate, 26 radar guns are held aloft.
Bard could do more than just wow onlookers with his heater. Opposing teams often stopped to watch CCS take infield/outfield practice before games, just to see Bard throw to each base from right field. After that they rarely tried to take an extra base. He also led his team in home runs as a senior. And to a former NBA champion, he represented untapped potential.
Bobby Jones, a UNC product and five-time ABA/NBA All-Star with Denver and Philadelphia, was the coach of the basketball team at CCS when Bard, then a junior, was killing time in the gym after a weightlifting session.
Just as Jones walked past the entrance to the gym, Bard threw down an effortless dunk. Fifteen minutes later, Simmons’ phone rang. It was Jones, wanting to know if Bard was interested in becoming a two-sport star.
Unfortunately for Jones, but fortunately for Simmons and everyone else who has marveled at Bard since then, the right-hander was committed to baseball. It’s the game with which he grew up. His father, Paul Bard, spent five seasons as a catcher in the minor leagues, hanging it up before Daniel was born.
Daniel Bard was gifted with the incredible talent to make it to that next level. Raised in a family grounded in its faith, he also had the resolve.
“Not one time did I ever doubt that he would be in the big leagues,” said Simmons. “That may sound crazy, but you just know. You can tell the guys that have the ‘it.’ From the day he stepped on the field, I knew deep down this kid’s got a chance.”
After a rousing debut at UNC, Bard’s chances only grew.
Check back Tuesday for a look at Bard’s career at North Carolina.
