DENVER — As Darius Vines sat idle because of a slipped disk in his neck, the Braves had one opportunity after another in their starting rotation, whether it be because of injuries or decisions to give starters extra rest. Unable to throw, Vines watched many of his friends – people he had grown close with – fill these roles, all before he even had a chance to make his MLB debut.
It might have been easy to sulk and be jealous.
Instead of insecurity, Vines displayed maturity and class.
“It’s, ‘Congrats,’” Vines said. “It’s never, ‘Dang, that should’ve been me’ or something like that, because at the end of the day, what’s meant for you can be taken, so you’ll get your opportunity when it’s time, and now we’re here.”
This is an impressive attitude from Vines, who easily could be bitter about his situation. In 2019, the Braves drafted Vines, who is now 25 years old, in the seventh round out of Cal State Bakersfield. Since then, Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver – all drafted in later years – have made it to the major leagues. So, too, has Michael Harris II, whom the Braves selected four rounds earlier than Vines in 2019.
And yet, Vines remained patient.
How?
“It’s a humbling game,” Vines said. “You never know. Everybody says you’re an injury away, which you don’t want to be, but I mean, you’re an injury away. You really got to focus on you. You can’t get caught up on other stuff because that’s when you start to lose your game, you start to worry about other things – guys getting called up before you, this and that. It’s not a race to the top, it’s just a race to, ‘I’ll see you there when I see you there.’ You always want your teammates to do well, because at the end of the day, if you guys are playing together, you’re probably gonna be playing together in the big leagues. It’s always, just wish everybody the best of luck, and you just go out there and focus on your game. Try not to control the uncontrollables.
“Control what you control, and be where your feet are. That’s the best thing you can do.”
Vines’ father, who died last year, helped him develop this mindset. “Be humble,” his dad would say. “You never know when this game’s gonna get taken away from you.” Vines keeps that close to his heart. It’s evident in how he acts, and how he pitches.
“There’s a lot of unfairness out there in this game and in this world,” Vines said. “Just kind of be where your feet are, and good people will get rewarded.”
As he said this, Vines sat in the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field. He had just experienced his first call-up. He awaited his debut.
After all the hard work, Vines – who didn’t even begin pitching until his second year of junior college – had made it.
The call, which hit Vines’ phone Sunday, came from Triple-A Gwinnett manager Matt Tuiasosopo. When his phone rang, Vines, who had gotten home from golfing, was packing for Gwinnett’s trip to Memphis. “It was just everything I dreamed of,” Vines said. The moment lived up to what he envisioned in his head for his entire life.
“I was at a loss for words,” Vines said. “I didn’t know what to say. Honestly, I was just kind of soaking in the moment, and I’m just really glad to be here.”
Vines certainly waited his turn.
He recovered from the injury, which he felt in his spine. He doesn’t know what happened. He simply remembers that one day in spring, he threw a bullpen session. “Next thing you know, a day after, I just couldn’t really lift my arm,” Vines said. “It was weird.” He didn’t need surgery – only rest and treatment.
And after returning, he put himself on the front office’s radar with his performance. He posted a 2.70 ERA over nine starts across three levels, including a handful of rehab appearances. He struck out 46 batters in 43-1/3 innings before the Braves called him up.
Not to mention this: In some cases, college pitchers, such as Vines, are on an accelerated track to the major leagues because they’re older. This wasn’t his path. Still, he persevered.
“I think there could have been times where he kind of went through some rough patches, that he could’ve went a different direction, but he always kind of had a good attitude, he always kind of had that, ‘I don’t care’ mentality, even though he cares a lot,” Elder said. “He just kind of stayed the course and kind of trusted the route that he was meant to be on, and it worked out.”
When Vines was 4 years old, he began throwing around the ball in the yard with his father and grandmother. Football was his best sport. And when he played baseball, he didn’t pitch much. He might catch or play shortstop, but he didn’t pitch – that is, until his sophomore year of college, when a pitching coach at Yavapai College (Arizona) helped him hone his mechanics. There, Vines compiled valuable innings and, with them, experience.
Vines eventually transferred from Yavapai to Cal State Bakersfield, which is a Division I program. After his first season, the Braves drafted him. He entered their season, where he worked his way up over the next four years until the Braves gave him the call for which he’d always hoped.
“To see the strides he’s made over the years, he deserves it more than anybody,” Elder said. “He’s put in a lot of hard work, and he’s been through some stuff, so I’m really happy for him, really proud of him.”
One such area of improvement didn’t have anything to do with pitch shapes or mechanics. It’s just as important, though. “My work ethic has definitely changed,” Vines said. “I was a guy that kind of just relied on my ability and talent, and now it’s definitely work and talent.”
What changed?
“Getting around here, you get around a couple other people and you’re not the same athlete you think you were,” he said. “Definitely, it’s like they say: ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ But hard work can only take you so far, so when you put both of them together, you can definitely achieve at a higher level.”
And now, that kid who always played in the yard can say he played in the major leagues.
“He probably wouldn’t believe you,” Vines said. “He probably would think, ‘You’re going to be playing football somewhere.’ But he would definitely be ecstatic. There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that goes into this game. I’m sure everybody else has grinded. It’s just surreal being here, so I’m definitely gonna just soak it all in.”
