Brian34Cook

03.04.2009 12:01 am
The P-DQ: Brian Barton
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

JUPITER, Fla. — This offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals’ former Rule 5 pick and renaissance man with the engineering jones, Brian Barton, was a man on the move. He jetted off to Jamaica for a few days, and that was the smallest trip he took. The Cardinals’ outfielder also spent about 10 days in South Africa — where he continued to conquer a fear he mentions below — and another 10 days in Australia.

Last season, Barton got his passport stamped for another place he had never been — the major leagues. Injuries and the play of other outfielders limited Barton to 82 games and 153 at-bats. (For reference: Joe Mather, who had 30 fewer games than Barton had only 20 fewer at-bats.) Still, he spent the entire season on the Cardinals roster and is now under their control. Entering spring, he was penciled in for a trip to Triple-A Memphis where the at-bats and playing time would be available to him. He took advantage of a friendly wind the other day at Roger Dean Stadium to strike for six RBIs and a couple home runs. He brings a dimension of speed to the lineup and the bench that few others do. And he hits righthanded.

As outfielders move to the infield and prospects make their case to be major leaguers, there is an opening for a righthanded bat in the outfield. (Fungoes, the St. Louis SABR-based blog, argues that a platoon in left would be ideal with six-RBI Barton and 4-for-4 Chris Duncan forming the platoon.) That means there’s room for Barton to win a spot on the roster.

My mom always used to tell me that the girls should come to me. That is what she used to tell me, and it stuck with me. It also caused me a lot of trouble back in the days with not approaching women, as far as not courting the way you’re supposed to.

Favorite ballplayer growing up?

I always watched the Los Angeles Dodgers, so it was Mike Piazza.

The P-DQ: Brian Barton | Bird Land | STLtoday