University of North Carolina Athletics
Daniel Bard Named Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year
October 16, 2020 | Baseball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -Â When a pitcher loses the ability to throw strikes, stays away from major league competition for six years, then returns to perform competitively and successfully at age 35, that would seem to be the perfect definition of "comeback." So it was with Daniel Bard in 2020.
The Rockies pitcher was the runaway winner in the voting for NL Comeback Player of the Year, receiving 37 of the 85 votes cast, which was well more than twice as many as anyone else.
After pitching in two games for the Red Sox in 2013, Bard spent the next six years either bouncing around the minors or out of pro ball completely, thanks to control issues (aka the "yips"). But he made the Rockies' roster as a reliever in 2020, pitching to 4-2 record and a 3.65 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.
That kind of comeback is rare, and it's pretty impressive no matter how you slice it. Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer was the next-highest vote-getter, with 14.
Bard competed for North Carolina for three seasons (2004-2006) and led the Tar Heels to the College World Series in 2006. Bard finished his Tar Heel career with a 23-12 record and a 3.86 ERA. He struck out 235 batters over his three-year span and was twice named the ACC Pitcher of the Week in 2006.
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