Daniel Bard allowed the bases to get loaded in the bottom of the ninth against the Dodgers on opening day. 

The Rockies had a four-run lead against the reigning World Series champions, but things were quickly getting out of hand. A younger Bard may have panicked. But this one, a seasoned veteran, was calm.

He got the Rockies out of the bind, allowing just one run in the process. 

“It was in the middle of the count when I was like ‘If I give up a homer here, we won’t have the lead anymore,’” Bard said. “I thought that to myself and said, ‘Well, we aren’t going to let that happen.’”

Bard, 35, is one year into his second stint as a professional baseball player. His pitching has been top-notch, but it’s his mental game that has made the biggest difference for him. He’s using those skills to make an impact in a young, inexperienced clubhouse. 

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First and second chances  

Bard was drafted in 2006 as the 26th pick by the Boston Red Sox. He expected things to be easy. He was a high draft pick, and Bard figured he would be thriving in the big leagues in no time. 

For a while, that was the case. By 2010, Bard was the primary setup man for the Red Sox, appearing in 73 games and finishing the season with a 1.93 ERA. The next season, Bard made 25 consecutive scoreless appearances, a franchise record. 

Things quickly went in the opposite direction. In 2012, Bard was moved into a starting role. His ERA skyrocketed. He was sent down to Triple-A, and later Double-A. He was designated for assignment at the end of the 2013 season, and was picked up by the Chicago Cubs. 

Daniel Bard

He had stints with the Ranger, Cardinals and Mets, but he couldn’t figure out how to get back to the form he showed in 2010 and 2011. He no longer had control of his pitches. 

Bard had had enough. He hung up his cleats in 2017.

He didn’t stay away for long. Mike Bell, who at the time was the vice president of player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hired Bard to be a franchise mentor. 

Soon, Bard was back in the baseball world. He was a mental skills coach, someone players could rely upon for advice. It was in this role that Bard learned how important it was to be able to control his thoughts and breathing. 

In between their duties, Bell and Bard had long talks about the mental side of the sport.

“He was so instrumental in me seeing value in myself and seeing my career in a different light,” Bard said. “He told me I had so much to offer these young guys.”

Bell died March 26 from cancer at the age of 46. Bard worked with him for two years in Arizona, and Bell left a lasting impact on Bard. Bard said he’ll always remember how much Bell cared about the players. He often cried when he had to release someone, Bard recalled, and signed players that no one else would even glance at, including some with addiction problems. 

“He gave a lot of second chances to guys like me,” Bard said. “He had a deep belief that people deserve second chances.”

From duct tape to comeback player of the year

His time with the Diamondbacks lit a flame. He announced his comeback in 2020, and the Rockies signed him to a minor league deal. 

Then, the pandemic came. Baseball was shut down. His comeback was put on hold. 

Bard was supposed to start the season in Triple-A, but he was a major leaguer again by the time the season resumed in July. In a matter of three months, Bard went from having to tape his number on his jersey during a summer camp scrimmage to NL Comeback Player of the Year. He made 23 appearances last season.

“I had a lot of question marks in my own head last year,” he said. “I felt great, but how long is it going to last?” 

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The difference, he said, was that his mind is in order. He compares his pitching to something he calls the signature test. Write out a signature. Then, try to copy it. If he thinks about it for too long, it becomes impossible to replicate. But, if he just does it, chances are it’ll look pretty similar to the original. 

The same goes for his pitching. If he tries too hard to replicate what his pitches looked like early in his career, things end up going haywire. 

There are still times when he gets rattled. But that’s where his training as a mental skills coach comes in. He takes a moment on the mound, breathes for a few seconds, and realigns his mind and body. 

“I’m definitely pumped up, a lot of adrenaline going, but a very focused adrenaline,” he said. “This feeling is making me better at what I do not that ‘Oh my gosh, I’m out of control’ heart pounding out of my chest, body shaking.”

Part player, part coach

On any given day, Bard can walk up and join any conversation in the Rockies clubhouse. Sometimes, it’s just a normal, lighthearted chatter. Other days, he jumps into coach mode and helps a player get through a tough situation. 

“I just go where the conversation goes,” Bard said. “If my experience is something that I think can help someone or they ask about it, then we go down that road.”

His teammates see him doing his breathing exercises in the clubhouse before a game and try to replicate it. Some, like starting pitcher Jon Gray, have developed their own. 

When Ben Bowden was preparing to make his major league debut Friday, it was Bard who talked him through it. Bard calmed him down, and told him what to expect before he took the mound. 

“He treats everyone the same,” Bowden said. “He’ll give you plenty of time to talk if you want to talk with someone.”

Bard will also take scouting reports and go through them with Darryl Scott, the bullpen coach. Then, he’ll take the information and summarize it, making it easier to understand for his teammates. 

“Everybody has piles of data and analytics now, but how do you get them to the player?” Bard said, “I never would have felt comfortable doing that. But now, if I can help some of the other guys in our bullpen and maybe our starters use those scouting reports and make them simpler and use better information, I’ve tried to help.”

Bard spent the offseason beefing up and focusing on leg strength. Last season was one thing. But now, he has to see if his body, and mind, can hold up for a 162-game season. 

On Tuesday, the Rockies will begin a three-game series against the Diamondbacks, the organization that helped inspire Bard’s comeback. Bard will be the Rockies closer, a spot he earned after his performance last season. 

Bard said his accomplishments get lost sometimes during the daily grind. But, he said, he tries to take a moment every day to remember where he is and how far he’s come. 

“I don’t ever want to forget what I went through because if you forget how hard the game was that one time, you lose the perspective and the ability to help guys who are in those tough moments,” he said. “I think it helps me appreciate times when it feels really good.”