Darwin Barney

Jesus teaches us to love the sinner but not the sin.  That’s basically how I approach the Cubs.  With Sammy Sosa long gone, there are certain players I kind of root for.  Second baseman Darwin Barney was one of them.

Two things about Barney—one, he’s a whiz on defense, winning a Gold Glove in 2012; and two, he comes off as a really decent guy; see Sosa for comparison. I particularly enjoyed a story Barney told of his collegiate days at Oregon State—opposition fans would serenade him with the “Barney” song from the PBS kids’ show; no doubt those clever fans from UCLA and Stanford put a nice spin on lyrics.  Factor in that Oregon State is the Beavers, and you can see where Barney might have been one tortured ballplayer on the road.  But he always made light of it, which impressed me.

On Thursday, the Tribune ran an obituary for a security guard at Wrigley Field who’d died, most likely from a form of heartbreak after his daughter’s passing in September.  He was 78, the kind of person who often goes unnoticed in life.  He worked the tunnel connecting the dugout and clubhouse and was fond of saying “You have a wonderful day” to players, coaches and management.  Two years ago, Barney gave this man a pair of shoes from the players.

Barney isn’t with the Cubs anymore for the same reason his counterpart Gordon Beckham probably won’t be with the White Sox nest year—they can’t hit half as well as they field.  I just saw that the Blue Jays sent Barney to the minors, which could allow him to become a free agent.  There are some people you only wish good things for, even if they are ex-Cubs.