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The sun is shining down on the baseball field at Canoga Park High School, home of the Hunters. It’s the Spring of 1981. The last fan has left the parking lot and if you listen closely you can hear the flow of the Los Angeles River. If you listen even closer, you can hear a conversation between the star player and a BLB scout in the dugout. Shaw Barnes and the Hunters just beat their rival 13-4, a game which Barnes had three homeruns. The scout is from the California Wildfire, the BLB’s worst team, and historically, worst franchise.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” says the scout who preferred to remain anonymous, “That kid could hit! He had so much raw ability. I think he had only been playing baseball for a few years when I first watched him play. Not the greatest athlete but he could really swing the lumber. Just a powerful lefty bat.”
Despite the fact that he had received multiple scholarships to play baseball within the state and Barnes had told the Wildfire that his intentions were to go to college, the Wildfire made the surprise move in drafting Barnes with the 1st pick in the second round of the 1981 amateur draft, 21st overall. Honored by the commitment shown in him, Barnes reported to the Seattle Pilots, the Wildfire Single-A affiliate immediately.
“Oh yeah, I remember my first year in Seattle.” says a now 29-year-old Barnes. “That was the year I suffered from back spasms. I actually first hurt it on graduation night in a sexual mishap involving the cheerleading team. But it would flare up time to time and really slowed me down that first season. Little did I know then that it was only the beginning for me.”
This is where our story takes an unfortunate turn…a turn to Barnes reality. Injuries are something he was going to have to get used to. Besides the back spasms, he missed two weeks of play due to a finger injury. He finished the year with a .220 average and spent the off-season living at home and commuting to the Wildfire facility to train.
During the 1982 year, Barnes started in Single-A Seattle once more, where he hit .273 before being promoted to Double-A Sacramento. Unfortunately, the injuries continued and this time, just as bizarre. Barnes missed two weeks in June and two more weeks in August, due to “blurred vision.” As a result of the injuries, Barnes failed to hit .200 for the Double-A club and was told he would start ’83 back down in Single-A Seattle.
That season couldn’t have started off worse. On April 19th, 1983, just a few games into the season, Barnes fractured his ribs and nearly missed two months. Despite the injury and missing another two weeks later in the year due to a scratched cornea, Barnes hit .304 and lead the Pilots to the Single-A Championship.
Finally, Barnes felt he was ready for the next step. He had put his best season together in the minors, he had fought through injuries to lead his team to the top of the ranks and then his world got flipped upside down. He was drafted by the Batavia Muckdogs in the 1983 BLB Expansion Draft.
“I was shocked,” says Barnes, “I mean, first of all, I didn’t even know where Batavia was!”
The Muckdogs started Barnes in Single-A and he dislocated his finger one day prior to his year anniversary from his fractured ribs. Despite the bad omen to start the season, 1984 was a special year for Barnes. He hit .366 in 32 Single-A games and then hit .287 in Double-A.
To start the ’85 year, Barnes was expecting to be in Triple-A but actually started in Double-A, where he struggled. After hitting .230 for the first 63 games, he was sent down once again to Single-A, where he would remain through the 1986 season.
“To outsiders, I’m sure they thought I was happy. But how could I be? Sure, I won the ’85 Outstanding Hitter Award…and yes, we won the Single-A Championship in ’86, but I thought I had proved myself at this level.”
In ’87, he split time between Double-A and Triple-A, playing very well at both levels. In ’88, after 92 games, a .299 average, .915 OPS, he was called up to the Batavia Muckdogs for the final 61 games. He proceeded to hit just .241 but he had finally made the show. It was the first time Baseball America identified him as a top prospect, making his debut in April of 1988 as the 86th best prospect in the game.
The ’89 continued in the upward trend, with him hitting .278 with a .855 OPS, in just 112 games. Yes, the injury bug bit again, oblique strain, wrist bruise, hamstring, etc. Despite the numerous injuries and growing reputation as an injury-prone player, personal and organizational expectations were very high for the 1990 season. Barnes however only stayed healthy enough to play about half the season, and hit just .212. Calf strain, hamstring, oblique, etc.
Fast forward to May 5th, 1991. Appearing in just 10 games and hitting .107, Batavia designated Barnes for assignment and placed him on waivers. Now 29-years-old, Barnes thought his career was over.
“I knew I could still play…but with my injuries…and the fact that I got cut so early in the year, I doubted that I was going to get another shot. At least not right away.”
The Washington Bats claimed Barnes and gave him immediate playing time versus right-handed starters. Through his first 21 games with the club, Barnes is hitting .373 with a 1.197 OPS. This time the injury bug gave him the opportunity. Injuries to star outfielders Miguel Angel Padilla and Michio Nago is the only reason Barnes is playing.
“Yeah, sometimes it’s funny how things work out. Can I hit like this all year? If I can stay healthy, anything can happen."
The D.C. Bats have their wings crossed.
The sun is shining down on the baseball field at Canoga Park High School, home of the Hunters. It’s the Spring of 1981. The last fan has left the parking lot and if you listen closely you can hear the flow of the Los Angeles River. If you listen even closer, you can hear a conversation between the star player and a BLB scout in the dugout. Shaw Barnes and the Hunters just beat their rival 13-4, a game which Barnes had three homeruns. The scout is from the California Wildfire, the BLB’s worst team, and historically, worst franchise.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” says the scout who preferred to remain anonymous, “That kid could hit! He had so much raw ability. I think he had only been playing baseball for a few years when I first watched him play. Not the greatest athlete but he could really swing the lumber. Just a powerful lefty bat.”
Despite the fact that he had received multiple scholarships to play baseball within the state and Barnes had told the Wildfire that his intentions were to go to college, the Wildfire made the surprise move in drafting Barnes with the 1st pick in the second round of the 1981 amateur draft, 21st overall. Honored by the commitment shown in him, Barnes reported to the Seattle Pilots, the Wildfire Single-A affiliate immediately.
“Oh yeah, I remember my first year in Seattle.” says a now 29-year-old Barnes. “That was the year I suffered from back spasms. I actually first hurt it on graduation night in a sexual mishap involving the cheerleading team. But it would flare up time to time and really slowed me down that first season. Little did I know then that it was only the beginning for me.”
This is where our story takes an unfortunate turn…a turn to Barnes reality. Injuries are something he was going to have to get used to. Besides the back spasms, he missed two weeks of play due to a finger injury. He finished the year with a .220 average and spent the off-season living at home and commuting to the Wildfire facility to train.
During the 1982 year, Barnes started in Single-A Seattle once more, where he hit .273 before being promoted to Double-A Sacramento. Unfortunately, the injuries continued and this time, just as bizarre. Barnes missed two weeks in June and two more weeks in August, due to “blurred vision.” As a result of the injuries, Barnes failed to hit .200 for the Double-A club and was told he would start ’83 back down in Single-A Seattle.
That season couldn’t have started off worse. On April 19th, 1983, just a few games into the season, Barnes fractured his ribs and nearly missed two months. Despite the injury and missing another two weeks later in the year due to a scratched cornea, Barnes hit .304 and lead the Pilots to the Single-A Championship.
Finally, Barnes felt he was ready for the next step. He had put his best season together in the minors, he had fought through injuries to lead his team to the top of the ranks and then his world got flipped upside down. He was drafted by the Batavia Muckdogs in the 1983 BLB Expansion Draft.
“I was shocked,” says Barnes, “I mean, first of all, I didn’t even know where Batavia was!”
The Muckdogs started Barnes in Single-A and he dislocated his finger one day prior to his year anniversary from his fractured ribs. Despite the bad omen to start the season, 1984 was a special year for Barnes. He hit .366 in 32 Single-A games and then hit .287 in Double-A.
To start the ’85 year, Barnes was expecting to be in Triple-A but actually started in Double-A, where he struggled. After hitting .230 for the first 63 games, he was sent down once again to Single-A, where he would remain through the 1986 season.
“To outsiders, I’m sure they thought I was happy. But how could I be? Sure, I won the ’85 Outstanding Hitter Award…and yes, we won the Single-A Championship in ’86, but I thought I had proved myself at this level.”
In ’87, he split time between Double-A and Triple-A, playing very well at both levels. In ’88, after 92 games, a .299 average, .915 OPS, he was called up to the Batavia Muckdogs for the final 61 games. He proceeded to hit just .241 but he had finally made the show. It was the first time Baseball America identified him as a top prospect, making his debut in April of 1988 as the 86th best prospect in the game.
The ’89 continued in the upward trend, with him hitting .278 with a .855 OPS, in just 112 games. Yes, the injury bug bit again, oblique strain, wrist bruise, hamstring, etc. Despite the numerous injuries and growing reputation as an injury-prone player, personal and organizational expectations were very high for the 1990 season. Barnes however only stayed healthy enough to play about half the season, and hit just .212. Calf strain, hamstring, oblique, etc.
Fast forward to May 5th, 1991. Appearing in just 10 games and hitting .107, Batavia designated Barnes for assignment and placed him on waivers. Now 29-years-old, Barnes thought his career was over.
“I knew I could still play…but with my injuries…and the fact that I got cut so early in the year, I doubted that I was going to get another shot. At least not right away.”
The Washington Bats claimed Barnes and gave him immediate playing time versus right-handed starters. Through his first 21 games with the club, Barnes is hitting .373 with a 1.197 OPS. This time the injury bug gave him the opportunity. Injuries to star outfielders Miguel Angel Padilla and Michio Nago is the only reason Barnes is playing.
“Yeah, sometimes it’s funny how things work out. Can I hit like this all year? If I can stay healthy, anything can happen."
The D.C. Bats have their wings crossed.
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