Darwin Barney
Encyclopedia
Darwin James Kunane Barney (born November 8, 1985 in Portland, Oregon
) is a Major League second baseman
currently playing for the Chicago Cubs
. He was drafted by the Cubs with the 127th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
.
, where he led the school to its first baseball state championship in 2002.
and played for the Beavers for its back-to-back NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
s in 2006
and 2007
, and was named to the all-tournament team in 2007.
He was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2005, and earned Freshman All-America
n honors. In 2006, Barney was selected to Team USA by USA Baseball
, where his team won the gold medal at the World University Baseball Championship
.
minor-league system. In 2009 he split time with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies
and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
. Throughout the 2009 season Barney posted a .293 batting average in 137 games. In January 2010, Barney was invited to the Cubs' training camp. Barney opened the 2010 season with the Triple A Iowa Cubs.
On August 11, 2010 Barney was called up from AAA to play with the Cubs after they traded Mike Fontenot
to the San Francisco Giants
. Barney split time at second base and played along side fellow rookie Starlin Castro
who was the team's starting shortstop. He went on to hit .241 in 30 games.
On January 31, 2011, Barney was honored as the presenter of the Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete of the Year (5A/6A) award during the Oregon Sports Awards.
After a strong spring training, Barney eventually earned a spot on the Cubs opening day roster as the starting second baseman in 2011, beating out Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt
for the job. After hitting .326 with 14 RBIs in his first month, he was named the National League Rookie of the Month for April.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
) is a Major League second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
currently playing for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He was drafted by the Cubs with the 127th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
.
High school
Barney graduated from Southridge High School in Beaverton, OregonBeaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, where he led the school to its first baseball state championship in 2002.
College
Barney attended Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and played for the Beavers for its back-to-back NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
s in 2006
2006 College World Series
The 2006 College World Series was held June 16-26 in Omaha, Nebraska; it was the 60th College World Series and the 57th series held in Omaha. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium...
and 2007
2007 College World Series
The 2007 College World Series was held from June 15–24, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met at Rosenblatt Stadium after having played their way through a 64-team bracket. This was the 61st College World Series overall, and the 58th to be held in Omaha.Oregon State...
, and was named to the all-tournament team in 2007.
He was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2005, and earned Freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors. In 2006, Barney was selected to Team USA by USA Baseball
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
, where his team won the gold medal at the World University Baseball Championship
World University Baseball Championship
The World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 international college baseball competition sponsored by the International University Sports Federation and sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 2002 in Italy...
.
Professional career
Barney spent 2007-2009 in the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
minor-league system. In 2009 he split time with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
. Throughout the 2009 season Barney posted a .293 batting average in 137 games. In January 2010, Barney was invited to the Cubs' training camp. Barney opened the 2010 season with the Triple A Iowa Cubs.
On August 11, 2010 Barney was called up from AAA to play with the Cubs after they traded Mike Fontenot
Mike Fontenot
Michael Eugene "Mike" Fontenot is a Major League Baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants.-High school career:Mike Fontenot was a standout for Salmen High School in Slidell, Louisiana...
to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Barney split time at second base and played along side fellow rookie Starlin Castro
Starlin Castro
Starlin Dejesus Castro is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.-Minor Leagues:...
who was the team's starting shortstop. He went on to hit .241 in 30 games.
On January 31, 2011, Barney was honored as the presenter of the Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete of the Year (5A/6A) award during the Oregon Sports Awards.
After a strong spring training, Barney eventually earned a spot on the Cubs opening day roster as the starting second baseman in 2011, beating out Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt
Blake DeWitt
Blake Robert DeWitt is an American professional baseball utility player with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-High school:...
for the job. After hitting .326 with 14 RBIs in his first month, he was named the National League Rookie of the Month for April.