(Photo Credit: Don Wright / AP)
At this time last year, Marlon Byrd was a free agent sitting at home serving a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test and wondering if any team would pick him up. Before the suspension, Byrd was hitting .210 with one homer and seven RBI which didn’t help his chances for 2013.
One team would take the chance on him as the New York Mets picked him up on February 1 of this year and he wouldn’t let them down as he turned back into the player that helped pace the Texas Rangers to three second place finishes in the AL West. He credits this turnaround to the work he put in while as a free agent. “(Put in) A lot of work, changed my mechanics. Last year, I hit .210 with one home run and seven RBI’s. I’ve had a 20-homer season in Texas which things just seem like they clicked all year long, so it’s just one of those years where I worked. I went down to Mexico, worked on my swing and it just carried over to the season.”
The Mets didn’t pan out as well as Byrd did as they fell to the bottom of the standings mid-way through the first half, but the organization seemed prepped to keep him in New York and did not move him before the deadline. They did, though, surprisingly move him and John Buck in a waiver trade with the Pirates on August 27th. It came as a surprise to Byrd. “It’s kinda weird to wake up in the morning, getting ready to go to the field and all of a sudden you get a call from the GM saying you’re going to a contender, so it’s very surprising. They did me a favor by putting me with a team that’s a playoff contender and I appreciate everything they did over there, but it’s a great move all around.”
What Byrd wasn’t surprised at was the Pirates becoming shoppers instead of sellers for the 4th time in twenty years. “A couple years ago, they traded for Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick and this year, they’ve turned it on and it’s been fun to watch and I’m a huge Clint Hurdle fan , so I’m excited, just excited to be here.”
It is a big addition to the Pirates lineup as they have been in need of a hitting right fielder. Byrd knows there is pressure to come through for the team, but it doesn’t phase him. “There’s pressure everyday, this is our career to play in this game and continue to play and put up numbers. They have me come over here to not be a game-changer, but to continue to help this team and be a piece of the puzzle. I just have to figure out how to, how can I add in and help them win the game.”
Another aspect that Byrd is bringing with him is his postseason and stretch-run experience. “I’ve had a chance in 03′ with the Phillies and got put out in the NLCS to the Marlins, in 2009 with Texas we made a run but didn’t get there, so it’s nice to be apart of something big like this.”
He recognizes that times have changed in Pittsburgh, where a team that only a few years ago had 100+ losses, is now in the thick of a pennant race and revitalizing the fan base as well. “It’s definitely changed. Everybody knows this is an amazing sports town, everybody knows this is a proud organization, but at the same time, everything they’ve been through the past couple of years, as far as getting the culture back to the way it used to be, they’re here now. I think a big piece of that was Clint coming in. His positive energy all the way around and these players. They have always had players that could play, so it seems like there’s been a little bit of turnover, but they’ve stuck with these guys and they’ve grown together.”
It’s been a long two years for Marlon Byrd, but it looks like it is all paying off and he’s thankful for the second chance. “It is a privilege to be in the big leagues period. I’ve been blessed, with the suspension last year, went home and had one organization that believed in me, the New York Mets that gave me this opportunity and then again gave me the opportunity to come here and play in the playoffs, so you can’t take anything for granted in this game. When things like this happen, you put in the hard work and when a team believes in you, you embrace it all.”
Worth Noting
On a humorous note, Byrd was traded hours before the Mets were supposed to hold Marlon Byrd t-shirt night at Citi Field. Fans were given tickets to a September game and offered another shirt as an apology. “That’s what I heard. I don’t know how the sales did. I didn’t get one, I need to get one. They looked good.”
Follow Travis for Pirates news and in-game updates on Twitter @TBerardi_OVA or @OVAthletics
