Sports

[ODDS and EVENS] Aaron Fischman Shares Insights on His New Book About Persevering Pitcher Tony Barnette

In "A Baseball Gaijin," author Aaron Fischman deftly chronicles former NPB and MLB player Barnette's career, including six years with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Published

2 months ago

July 20, 2024

Ed Odeven

Then-Tokyo Yakult Swallows newcomer Tony Barnette pitches in a spring training game in March 2010. (©SANKEI)

Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Aaron Fischman Shares Insights on His New Book About Persevering Pitcher Tony Barnette

What made Tony Barnette's pro baseball journey unique and inspiring are central pillars of a new compelling book written by Aaron Fischman.

The title of the book spells it out without giving away too many details: A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back (424 pages, June 2024, Sports Publishing). An audiobook is also in the works.

So who is Barnette? Why did he travel to Japan and back? And when?

Let's start with a few key facts: Barnette, a former Arizona State University pitcher, began his pro career as a 10th-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006. The right-hander moved up the ranks in the minor leagues from rookie ball to Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Yet at age 26 in 2010, he was not in the Diamondbacks' immediate plans for the parent club.

Barnette was 14-8 as a starter for the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League in 2009. In the hitter-friendly league, he had an ERA of 5.79 that season.

Sensing that his career might not be progressing as he had hoped, Barnette took a leap of faith and opted to play ball in Japan in 2010. A big spike in salary didn't hurt, either.

And perhaps a change of scenery would be a boost for his career.

Trailblazing agent Don Nomura, who represented Hideo Nomo, also served in the same role for Barnette.

In the foreword to A Baseball Gaijin, Nomura wrote, "I challenge you, the reader, not to feel inspired after vicariously experiencing Tony's exhilarating transformation from minor-league pitcher to elite NPB closer to successful Texas Rangers reliever. I don't think you can."

As a Veteran Pitcher, Barnette Fulfills a Dream

After six seasons with the Swallows (2010-15), first as a starting pitcher, Barnette made his MLB debut at age 32 on April 5, 2016, with the Rangers. He pitched three seasons for the Rangers and briefly for the Chicago Cubs in 2019.

At age 35, Barnette retired. He had fulfilled his dream of reaching the major leagues.

Looking back on making the jump from the Swallows to the Rangers, Barnette recognized that nothing was guaranteed in the major leagues.

"I've proven myself in Japan, but I haven't proven myself here yet," Barnette was quoted as saying in April 2016.

After Barnette's retirement, the friendly ballplayer-writer collaboration with Fischman, involving many interviews, emails and text messages over the years, provided a catalyst for the backbone of this book.

"I think it's kind of a cool mix where some people say, 'Well that's old news, he retired from the major leagues in 2019,' " the author told Odds and Evens in a recent phone interview. "It's not that long ago, and it's less than a decade ago that he helped guide the Swallows to the Japan Series."

During Barnette's Swallows years, Fischman noted that he was "in touch with him in real time" plus "people in his inner circle," adding a layer of detail to the book that enriched interviews and follow-up research conducted years later.

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

Check out a special eight-part series on Nomomania written in 2020, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hideo Nomo's first MLB season, on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.