Published 2013-05-22T06:00:00Z”/>
Emily Duran
For most students, a career playing professional baseball would be a dream. But for former minor leaguer Jeff Barndollar, new dreams and an elbow injury led his career in a different direction.
Barndollar was one of the top high school players in Orange County, where he attended Pacifica High School. Originally a position player, Barndollar became a pitcher when he attended Saddleback Junior College in the late ’90s. His 94 mph fastball captivated the attention of scouts across the country, and after his second year of college ball he was picked in the 19th round of the MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He signed his contract and one week later, he was shipped away to play rookie ball.
“It was a complete 180 and culture shock,” Barndollar said. “It was a hard adjustment to make, because you are used to being around your friends and family.”
While the games and competition were always enjoyable, the day-to-day life of a professional athlete was not, he said.
“It’s really regimented,” Barndollar said. “You didn’t really have control of your life, you signed your life away.”
Despite the difficult adjustments accompanying professional baseball, Barndollar thrived on the field.
He was named Rookie of the Year during his first season and earned a spot playing for the Triple-A minor league team. But the very next year, he got injured.
Barndollar suffered an injury to his elbow, a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, also known as a “Tommy John” injury.
He was released from the Diamondbacks and moved to Chico to rehab his arm and play for the semi-pro Chico Heat. During spring training, he tore it again.
Barndollar’s longtime friend Keith Carlson saw him struggle with the injuries.
“He had the talent to go further but with the injuries, there’s just that much more work to get back to where you began,” Carlson said.
After his second injury, Barndollar began thinking about his life and his future. He thought about the lifestyle demanded from a professional athlete and he thought about his priorities.
“If you could get hurt that quick, I didn’t want to spend 10 years in the minors and not make it to the show,” Barndollar said. “It’s a gamble, and it’s ultra-competitive.”
In the end, it all worked out for Barndollar.
He’s a family man and being a professional athlete is not a good lifestyle if you want a family and to be around your friends, Carlson said.
He now attends Chico State as a junior communication studies major and has a wife and two kids.
Years after his professional career ended, Barndollar continues to play ball in a recreation league with the Chico Soxx, a team in the Chico Area Recreation and Park District that is filled with former minor league and college baseball players. As the shortstop and No. 3 hitter in the lineup, playing ball for the Chico Soxx is a lot more enjoyable, Barndollar said.
“I have more fun now playing baseball than I’ve ever had.”
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<em>Emily Duran can be reached at</em>
<strong>[email protected]</strong>
