The casual baseball observer might be surprised at the way Josh Bard looks at his failed first stint with the Red Sox during the 2006 season.
Bard struggled while allowing 10 passed balls in his first seven games attempting to catch the wildly unpredictable offerings of knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, and the Red Sox acted swiftly in dealing the switch-hitting catcher to the San Diego Padres. Boston went on to win World Series title in 2007 after Doug Mirabelli was reunited with Wakefield in the Bard deal, and Bard hit a blistering .338 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 93 games for the Padres that year following the trade.
After an experience that could have left a bad taste in his mouth, Bard credits the Boston massacre with accelerating his maturity and improving him as a ballplayer.
"Looking back in hindsight, (the Red Sox) told me they regret that move and different things like that," Bard said. "There's never been a second of hard feelings from my end. I think it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
"I went to San Diego and was given a chance to play and got a chance to make the playoffs and was able to catch a Cy Young Award winner (Jake Peavy). I was able to take those next steps and challenges. I look forward to going back into that fight with (Red Sox) and with the other pitchers in Boston. You find out what you're made of when you play in Fenway Park (and) play in games that matter all the time."
Bard said that he again looks forward to jumping in and catching Wakefield next season, and is also looking to rebound from an injury-filled 2008 season in which he hit a disappointing .202 with the Padres.
