The P-DQ: Brian Barton
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.
A day after his big day, Barton took time for The P-DQ. There was a lot of talk of traveling, not so much about where he hopes this spring will take him.
***
Some advice from a parent that has stayed with you is …
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.
A memorable Christmas or holiday gift you received is …
When I was a kid I always wanted a Teddy Ruxpin. When I got I was really fired up about it.
Word or phrase you use too often is …
Westside. (I have no idea why, just use it a lot.)
Favorite superhero?
Superman.
Best baseball movie?
Rookie of the Year.
Your greatest achievement?
Finally taking my first trip out of the country by myself. It was a few years back. I went to Ethiopia. That really got me going.
Your current State of mind?
More calm and more of a thinker.
Your greatest extravagance or indulgence?
Travel.
Favorite ballplayer growing up?
I always watched the Los Angeles Dodgers, so it was Mike Piazza.
First car?
1992 Saturn
Current car?
Nissan Sentra, and a Corvette
Place you’ve got to visit before you die is …
All the countries I haven’t been.
Most embarrassing song on your iPod?
Don’t have an iPod.
Movie you’ll stop to watch whenever it comes on is …
Don’t watch much TV. I probably would turn off the TV if it’s on.
You know you’re in the minors when …
Your meal money goes down.
I tune out when people talk about …
Nothing.
Your greatest fear is …
It was heights. But I kind of conquered that by going on the highest thing I could — at the time it was the Eiffel Tower. But then I went mountain hiking in South Africa — which are a little bit higher.
A treasured possession?
My family.
I wish I knew how to …
I wish I knew how to fly.*
* And, no, he doesn’t mean a plane. Fly as his favorite superhero flies.
***
Previous P-DQ: Adam Wainwright … CC Sabathia … Skip Schumaker … David Wright.
-30-
Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
ExistentialHumanist, I get what you are saying, we all love the Cardinals, but the amount of time the paper devotes ONLY to the Cardinals is a little suspect.
When did the Post ever do this kind of research on a Blues player and put it on the front of the website……enough said.
I understand and sympathize with you, but the Blues just aren’t as popular as the Birds…and like it or not, the Post has got to sell ad space. The best way to do that is to show how many hits a website gets.
Now, this may be an assumption, but I’d think the Cards’ coverage garners the most hits and, therefore, they concentrate on/saturate the paper with it.
I love the Blues as well and Billiken soccer and prep sports, but the Cards draw 3mil fans and, again I’m assuming, hundreds of thousands of hits on the site. Is it a bit absurd that even in November/December they can have as many articles written about the boys of summer as they do about the Rams, sure, but…
It’s a capitalist society in which we live…you go with what brings in the $$$. If it were a socialist paper (as many claim) we’d give equal coverage to all sports.
he drives a corvette? that is awesome! must be the engineer in him… wow, you guys are proud he isn’t wearing a “gangsta do-rag”, “dropping f-bombs” or “spitting ebonics”? so how long have you been a racist?
I hope Brian makes it to “the show” full time this year. He plays hard everyday. 100 percent on every at bat - and every trip to the field. To me, he’s what a major leaguer is all about. He’s not looking to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He plays baseball and looks to be having the time of his life. The highlight of my trip to Spring Training last year was watching Brian interact with the fans as he signed autogrpahs and posed for photos until everyone was taken care of - not when he just felt like walking away. I always pull for the underdog - and that’s why I’m pulling for Brian Barton - he is the perfect role model of who a St. Louis Cardinal really is, and who a St. Louis Cardinal should really be.
It’s awesome to see Barton getting some press. My wife and I cheered him on extra hard when he came up to bat. It’s refreshing to see a player run so hard his helmet falls of nearly every time. He plays his heart out and it’s a lot of fun to watch!
What a refreshing young man! He won me over when he said he doesn’t have an i-Pod and doesn’t watch TV. I would love to see this guy get at least 300 AB’s this season.
Lahti,
Can’t wait to read about another murder or STD or the economy? Thank God the PD writes some decent articles about decent human beings. Brian Barton would be a terrific add to this team - the only problem is that the outfield is crowded. Nonetheless I hope he makes it. BTW DG, did you notice the pumps on this guy? In the pictures Mr. Lee has taken of him he looks like he has added some size to those pipes. Nothing wrong with a few more dingers.
Lahti, are you still mad at the Cardinals for putting you in that “bullpen by committee” thing in the 80s? Dude, if it’s you, let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, for us sports fans who are huge into the Cardinals and don’t get that worked up about the NBA this time of year, yes this is good reading. If you don’t like it, click to the next story.
Good kid but he needs a haircut!!!
Man..I never got a teddy ruxpin.
But looking back it was kind of creepy.