BASEBALL: Harold Baines Jr. Anxious To Play For BriSox

BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier
BRISTOL, Va. – Signing autographs and chatting with fans and teammates during Saturday’s “Meet the Sox” event at DeVault Stadium, Harold Baines Jr. looked no different than the rest of his Bristol White Sox teammates.

But when you share the name and bloodlines of a famous father, it’s kind of hard to remain anonymous.

His father, Harold Baines Sr., spent more than two decades playing in the major leagues and amassed more than 2,800 hits. He’s now the first-base coach for the Chicago White Sox and a statue of him sits outside U.S. Cellular Field.

The elder Baines wished his son well recently as he arrived in Bristol to embark on his own professional baseball journey.

“He just said congratulations, you earned it and stuff like that,” Baines Jr. said. “The best advice he gave me is just come out here, work hard every day and do the best possible.”

The younger Baines hit .375 with three home runs and 26 RBIs as a senior at NCAA Division III McDaniel (Md.) College. The Sox took him in the 45th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft earlier this month.

“I’m living the dream right now,” Baines Jr. said. “This is awesome. A couple of months ago, I didn’t even know I would be playing minor-league baseball. Now, I’m here, having a good time and giving it the best shot I can.”

BriSox manager Ryan Newman can relate to Baines Jr. Newman’s father, Jeff, also played in the big leagues and was an All-Star in 1979 with the Oakland Athletics.

“Experiencing that myself, it’s cool,” Newman said. “He’s got a jumpstart on most of these guys. He’s been around the game. He’s been in clubhouses, big league locker rooms and big league clubhouses. You can already tell by watching him that he handles himself like a big leaguer. He knows what it’s like to be a professional.”

One of the biggest adjustments for the younger Baines will be the transition from Division III to professional pitching.

“It’s a huge challenge,” Baines Jr. said. “The biggest challenge is in DIII baseball, we quit playing at least a month ago. I’m just trying to get into the swing of things and earn a spot on this team.”

While he will surely be asked about his famous father over the course of the summer, the key will be for Baines Jr. to forge his own niche.

“You can’t put anymore pressure on him,” Newman said. “He’s just got to go out and play baseball and be the Harold Baines that he is.”

NOTES: The BriSox open the season on Tuesday at home against the Greeneville Astros … Five players who spent last summer in Bristol are back with the club. Pitchers Brent DeFoor, Murilo Gouvea and Steven Upchurch return, as do catcher Shaydron Buckridge and infielder Misael Tavarez … Former big league pitcher Ryan Z. Braun is in Bristol on an injury rehabilitation assignment. Braun pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2006 and 2007, before signing a minor league contract with Chicago prior to the season.