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Closer goes from struggling in minors last year to gaining a presidential fan at All-Star Game
BY MIKE VORKUNOV
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
NEW YORK — In the hours leading up to Major League Baseball's All-Star game Andrew Bailey found himself ensconced in the middle of the Red Sox's contingent on the American League team, his locker between those of Jonathan Papelbon and Tim Wakefield. Spread out across the clubhouse were former MVP's and World Series heroes. For the 25 year-old Oakland Athletics closer, it was a battle not to appear star struck.
With all the marquee names in the room, it would be easy for Bailey to get lost in the fray. As a closer for a last-place team, with only three months of big league experience, a name-tag couldn't hurt. Especially with the President of the United States making his way around the locker-room.
Then Bailey received the surprise he'll never forget.
"He kind of knew my story," Bailey said. "I introduced myself, he introduced himself. He said, ‘You're the young guy here.' I said there might be a guy or two younger but yeah. He said ‘But you're the rookie on the team, you're the only rookie in the All-Star Game.' For him to know a little bit about me was something special."It also showed just how far Bailey came in the past year. In fact the ascent was so fast, even he was incredulous of his story.
"You could have told me at this time last year you'd be in the big leagues right now, I wouldn't believe you," said the right-hander. "Things are just going my way right now. Someone up there loves me."
Born in Voorhees and raised in Haddon Heights (Paul VI High School), last June Bailey found himself as a starter struggling with the Athletics' Double-A affiliate in Midland, Texas. And in a numbers crunch.
The Rockhounds had added another starter, and with Bailey sputtering, decided to send sixth round draft pick to the bullpen in hopes of straightening him out.
As a starter Bailey developed an identity crisis. He became too timid in his approach on the mound.
"As a starter I was trying to be too fine, be a command guy, which I'm not," he said of his problems.
Moving to the bullpen proved to be the perfect elixir.
"I saw a different mental approach," said Scott Emerson, his pitching coach at Midland. "As a starter if he had a bad day he had to wait four days to pitch again. Out of the bullpen he was much more aggressive, challenged the plate with all his pitches. I saw an overall mentality change, it was fun to watch."
Becoming a reliever allowed Bailey, who has 13 saves and is 4-3 with a 2.25 ERA, to re-examine his career. Instead of viewing his new role as a demotion, he saw it as an opportunity. Gil Patterson, the Athletics' pitching coordinator, said that this could provide Bailey with a "fast track" to the majors. So Bailey went about setting new goals for himself, and a new perspective.
One by one, he went about reaching each goal. A 0.92 ERA in 39 innings as a reliever got him invited to the Arizona Fall League and then to spring training with the A's.
That's the opening he needed. A long shot to make the squad, Bailey was called into manager Bob Geren's office following an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants.
"I was called in and told I made the team," Bailey said. "I wanted to jump up and down and scream and shout. I was just trying to stay cool and calm on the outside. That was one of the best days of my life."
Four months later Bailey sat in the visiting dugout at Yankee Stadium, recalling his journey. The week prior he had been in St. Louis, an improbable All-Star. The day before he had saved the Athletics' only win of the series against New York, his girlfriend and family in the stand. A product of Wagner College in Staten Island, his Yankee-jersey wearing friends came out to the Bronx to tease him about shutting down their team.
"They're in awe as much as I am," he said.
