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Doug Bernier Back in the Major Leagues


ORUJason

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Sounds like Doug will be with Minnesota for the rest of the season......too bad the Twins stink....but at least the ORU kid is getting his shot....TheEagleman is glad to see it!.... :clap:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Doug Bernier has been playing in 1-2 games per week.  He started tonight's game, went 1-4, had an RBI and a run scored.  He played SS tonight and was on the front end of both of the double plays that were turned in the game.  His batting average is .245.  The Twins traded Justin Morneau to the Pirates yesterday and called up a catcher rather than a 1st baseman to take his place.  This may indirectly mean that Doug Bernier may get a little more playing time, since they may be shuffling players around the infield and Doug can play 2B, SS, or 3B.  

 

However, since the Twins season is in the dumper, they may also give more playing time to some of the younger players who have been recently called up from the minor leagues, so they can see what they've got.

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Also, here is a link to an article about Doug Bernier's ability to lay down a safety squeeze bunt. At the end of the article, it mentions that the Twins traded Jamey Carroll and have found his "small ball" replacement in Doug Bernier.

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2013/08/25/minnesota-twinsights-doug-berniers-big-day-of-bunts/

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  • 1 month later...

The Twins season is now over (actually it was over a long time ago) and Doug Bernier is going to have minor elbow surgery.

 

The Twins retained Ron Gardenhire (manager) and gave him a guaranteed 2-year contract.  Since Gardenhire is familiar with Doug and brought him into many games as a pinch runner or defensive replacement, I would think that the retention of Gardenhire could only increase Bernier's chances of making the team next year.

 

Doug ended up hitting .226 with 5 RBI in 53 at-bats over 32 games.  Many of his appearances were in the 8th or 9th inning, and I would think it is a little more difficult to get comfortable at the plate when you may only get 1 at-bat per game vs. starting a game and having 4-5 at-bats.

 

http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_24201302/twins-doug-bernier-have-elbow-surgery

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...

DOUG BERNIER'S "Profile" in John Feinstein's latest book, "Where Nobody Knows Your Name:  Life in the Minor Leagues of Baseball" ... This book came out in February of this year, and I picked up the AUDIO Book version to listen to while I was working-out.   I'm a great fan of Feinstein, as his insightful books on "behind the scenes" life in basketball, baseball, golf and other sports are always a "good read."   [Examples:  "A Season on the Brink:  A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers," "A Good Walk Spoiled:  Days and Nights on the PGA Tour," "The Last Amateurs:  Playing for Glory and Honor in Division 1 College Basketball."]

 

Anyway, it was a "pleasant surprise" to find that Feinstein had chosen to profile Doug Bernier's career midway through the book (primarily in chapter 12).   In the book, Feinstein writes that no one dreams of playing Triple-A baseball.  They dream of playing in the Major Leagues.   In his recent book, he shares nine unique experiences of life in the minor leagues from players, managers, umpires, and pitchers.  Doug Bernier get his primary story in Chapter 12.

 

Here is a short excerpt from the book where he refers to Doug's time at ORU: 

 

"He was a pitcher in high school but figured out that a short right-hander who couldn't throw 90 miles an hour wasn't going to go very far, so he focused on being an infielder.  He went to junior college for two years and then ended up at Oral Roberts.

 

'I had interest from some of the big-time baseball schools like Miami and Texas,' he said.  'But I knew I probably wouldn't play much there.  I didn't know a lot about Oral Roberts except they apparently had really good baseball facilities and a pretty good team, and the school wasn't in California.  I figured, Why Not?"

 

Of course, when he arrived in Tulsa, he got some serious culture shock.  He wasn't prepared for the giant bronze hands formed in prayer in the middle of the campus.  He was also caught off guard when he walked into his first class in a T-shirt and shorts and realized everyone else was wearing a shirt and tie.  'Went to Walmart and bought a clip-on that afternoon," he said.  "Wore it every day for the next two years."

 

"He played well enough to believe he was going to be drafted by a major-league team when he graduated in June of 2002.  The major-league baseball draft has 50 rounds, meaning at least 1,500 players are drafted (some teams are given bonus pick, which adds to the number each year).  Bernier didn't make the cut."

 

ANYWAY, as an undrafted free agent, his path to Triple-A, and then brief stints with the Rockies and the Twins is detailed in the book.  His motivations, struggles, successes, and ups-and-downs are summarized by Feinstein in a way that Bernier should be very proud of.  As a baseball fan, if you have wondered what life is like in the minor leagues -- especially at AAA level -- this is a very good read (or listen!)   Having an ORU-ex profiled, was a special treat for this fan!

 

Here is a link to an article about Doug and the Feinstein book:

 

http://www.rd.com/culture/doug-bernier-baseball/#ixzz39g73Xwi3

 

By the way, he continues his 13-year trip through the Minor Leagues this year with Rochester of the AAA ... Hitting .289 in 99 games this year, with 5 HR's, 2-Triples, 20-Doubles & 47 RBI's.   He is a stellar defensive infielder, fast, a base stealer, and apparently a great influence on younger players on the teams he plays on....

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Thanks for the synopsis of the chapter about Doug. It is good to see that he is hitting .289 at the AAA level. If he could have hit .289 in the majors, with all the other things he does well, he would still be on an MLB roster. If he could get that average above .300, maybe he could still get a late season , injury replacement, call-up. He is performing well enough to get another opportunity to make an MLB roster next year if he can find the right situation.

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

The Twins on Monday announced eight September call-ups, including several players who will get another chance to prove they belong in the majors.

 

Outfielder Aaron Hicks, catchers Josmil Pinto and Chris Herrmann, infielder Doug Bernier, righthanders Michael Tonkin and Lester Oliveros and lefthanders Logan Darnell and A.J. Achter will join the club Tuesday. All but Achter have played for the Twins in the past.

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That is a Great article on Doug!  It mirrors many of his comments in the Feinstein book, but adds a bit more perspective as he "ages" at 34.  He is one of the real "exceptions" in minor league baseball, who not only loves the game but is willing to go at it every day and year hoping to grab the golden ring someday.  He has parlayed his strong suit -- great defensive player with speed on the bases -- to opportunities many years after most minor leaguers have been "retired".  He would be a good model for other ORU players to learn about and learn from.  He's a guy who should be a contender for a speaker at the Diamond Dinner ... He could speak to the fans, but really send a message to the ORU players about what it's like "at the next level."   He's had quite a career of ups-and-downs, with the "ups" being very special in his memory!

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  • 8 months later...

Doug Bernier is back on a major league roster with the Minnesota Twins as an injury replacement infielder while Eduardo Nunez is on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique muscle.  He got 1 at-bat in yesterday's game, drew a walk and scored a run.  So he has a 1.000 OBP.

 

He has been playing in Rochester at the AAA level this year and hitting .250 with a .299 OBP.  Minnesota has a new manager this year, Paul Molitor, who replaced Ron Gardenhire.  So this is a good sign that the new manager also has a comfort level with Doug Bernier just like Gardenhire did.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=448674#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2015&level='MLB'

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:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

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