Scribner, Burke trying to make Bee-line back to affiliated ball
NEW BRITAIN — How do you know Evan Scribner has been in professional baseball for a long time?
Consider this: Scribner was once traded for Tony Clark, the guy who now leads the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Scribner made his big league debut in 2011 with San Diego and has also pitched for Oakland and Seattle. Released by Tampa Bay this spring training, however, the Washington Depot native and Shepaug Valley High grad is now pitching out of the bullpen for the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League, trying to get back into affiliated ball and, ultimately, the majors.
“I feel like I have a lot more in the tank,” he said, prior to a game at New Britain Stadium this past week.
In a way, Scribner, 32, has come full circle. New Britain Stadium is the same place his big-league dreams were launched when, as a senior at Central Connecticut State, he hurled a complete-game shutout with several big-league scouts in attendance.
“I’m pretty sure that was one of the only reasons I got drafted,” Scribner recalled.
He was selected in the 28th round in 2007 by Arizona. A little over a year later, while pitching for Single-A South Bend, he was traded — straight up — for Clark, an established big-leaguer who wound up with 251 career home runs.
“I’m pretty sure he retired, like, a month later,” Scribner quipped.
Not exactly — Clark lasted another season with the D’backs before calling it quits in 2009.
Scribner, meanwhile, has logged 145 games in the majors (and another 323 in the minors) over the past 11 seasons as a reliever. The last couple of years have been marred by injuries, however. In 2016, he tore his lat while in spring training and was out for pretty much the whole season until September, when he hurled 14 scoreless innings out of Seattle’s bullpen.
He began last season with the Mariners, but his elbow started barking after about a month and he went back on the disabled list for most of the rest of the season. He made a few rehab outings with Triple-A Tacoma, but when that season ended in early September, the Mariners released him.
“I never really got to see if ‘it’ was still in there, you know?,” he said.
Scribner signed with the Rays about a week prior to spring training in February, but threw only three innings before being released in early March as the team sought younger bullpen help.
He returned to his home in Arizona and got a chance to watch his younger brother, Troy, make a spot start last month for the Diamondbacks. Troy, who made his major-league debut last season, is now with Triple-A Reno.
Evan joined the Bees a few weeks ago and has allowed just two runs over his first eight outings, notching saves in his past two.
“I figured this would be the best spot, because it’s close to where I live,” he said. “My parents can come and see me play. I’ve been on the West Coast for 10 straight years, pretty much. I went to school over here, so I decided this would be the spot.”
The Bees have sent several pitchers back to affiliated ball over their two seasons of existence, and Scribner would figure to be a strong candidate this season. He doesn’t view his big-league career in the rear view mirror, by any means.
“I haven’t really put aside any time to step back and look at it,” he said. “I don’t really want to, yet. But I never expected to get anywhere. Just to get drafted was amazing. So, to have played in the big leagues for multiple years is way more than I ever expected to happen.”
‘I NEVER REALLY GOT A CHANCE’
For Devin Burke, pitching out of the bullpen for the Bees represents a sort of homecoming, as well. Burke pitched briefly at New Britain Stadium in 2015 while with the New Britain Rock Cats, who were in their final season as Colorado’s Double-A affiliate.
The Darien native got to pitch briefly the following season for his “hometown” team, the Hartford Yard Goats. Except the Yard Goats spent that season as nomads, playing all road games, prior to the completion of Dunkin’ Donuts Park.
In January, 2017, while ramping up his workouts in preparation for spring training, Burke pushed off for a sprint and felt like someone hit him in the back of the calf with a sledgehammer. He had torn his Achilles tendon.
Burke rehabbed back home in Darien for several months before heading to extended spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz., in May. He was getting closer to a return, working out with the Rockies’ rookie-ball team in Grand Junction, Colo., but rushed his running regimen a bit and re-aggravated his ankle in July. He flew back home to Connecticut, where an MRI showed a lot of fluid buildup, effectively ending his season before it even began.
Still, Burke was excited to return to spring training this past February and show he could still pitch. However, he made just one appearance on the mound — a simulated game — before Colorado released him on March 13.
“I never really got a chance,” he said. “Incredibly disappointing, having worked my way all the way back from an injury like that to not really getting an opportunity. But, it’s just another chip on my shoulder that I’ll use to my advantage.”
Burke, 27, was with the Bees for their spring training in April but was surprisingly cut. He went back to Darien and pondered his future — keep playing, maybe get into coaching, even teaching?
A little over a week ago, Bees assistant general manager Paul Herrmann called to tell him a spot had opened on the roster.
“‘Absolutely, here we go,’” Burke responded. “Now, I’m just trying to pitch as well as I can and see what happens the rest of the summer, quite honestly.”
Just like Evan Scribner, and nearly everyone else on the New Britain Bees’ pitching staff.
“I didn’t really know what to expect coming in,” Scribner admitted. “I’m pretty impressed, talentwise. Especially pitching. A lot of good arms, a lot of good players. It’s pretty good competition.”