Birtwell Lives Out a Dream

The playing careers of most Harvard athletes rarely extends past senior year.

Not so for John Birtwell ’01. The former Harvard ace has found a spot in the professional ranks—as closer for the Oneonta Tigers, the short-season, single-A affiliate of the Detriot Tigers.

And about two weeks ago, he saw his own baseball card.

“It’s not the most flattering thing in the world, but I was actually on a baseball card,” he said.

Birtwell’s move towards the big leagues occurred in whirlwind fashion last June when the Tigers plucked him in the 30th round with the 897th overall pick just two days before commencement. Two days after receiving his diploma, he was at mini-camp and by June 15, he was signed.

Just like that, the 1999 Ivy Pitcher of the Year was playing baseball for a living.

“It feels like I’m just cheating the system,” Birtwell said. “The whole world’s going in one direction and you’re going in another. It is baseball, but it’s still a job.”

It may not be a 9-to-5 gig, but Birtwell has begun to settle into his role as Oneonta’s stopper. Birtwell admits it’s been an adjustment after being the staff workhouse and No. 1 starter at Harvard last year.

“The difference is that now you have to learn from the things that you want badly and put them out of your head as fast as possible,” Birtwell said. “As a starter, you get five days in between to do that. [As a closer], if things don’t go well, you still have to go in the next day.

“I personally feel more suited to a starting role,” Birtwell added. “[The Tigers organization] thinks that the way I throw, relief work and closing is going to be a good idea. But next week, things could be completely different.”

For now, the Tigers prefer using Birtwell out of the pen—and all of the time. Birtwell made 23 appearances for Oneonta last year, more than anyone on the team. He notched seven saves and finished with a 1-2 record and 3.76 ERA. He also had 43 strikeouts, fifth-best on the staff.

His pitching nearly helped lift Oneonta into playoff contention in the New York-Penn League. The Tigers finished with a mark of 37-37, good for third place.

“[Birtwell] had a closer-like mentality,” said an American League scout who watched him pitch last summer. “He was really aggressive. He came right at you.”

For the past several weeks, Birtwell has resided in Lakeland, Fla., site of the Tigers’ spring training facility. Before the big league club broke camp for opening day, Birtwell was practicing alongside major league ballplayers. For Birtwell, the experience dissipated some of the mist surrounding the stars.

“It humanizes everything,” he said. “It brings it down to a level where you can see the top.”

While he may be brushing shoulders with the big leaguers by day, Birtwell lives a true rookie’s life by night, staying in a dorm room with an 11:30 curfew.

“It’s unusual that you play baseball all your life and then you reach a certain level and you’re a rookie,” Birtwell said. “It’s a lonely lifestyle. I made the choice to play ball. But I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

With all that is uncertain in Birtwell’s new career, a little dose of familiarity last winter went a long way. In the weeks prior to Tigers training camp, Birtwell volunteered to assist Harvard Coach Joe Walsh with the Crimson’s winter practices. Birtwell was anxious to help his former teammates prepare for the season, but more than anything, he wanted to relive their experience.

“I was envious,” Birtwell said. “One of the hardest moments of my life was the last game I played for Harvard. It was tough [coming back] because I knew I didn’t belong and that it was time to pass the torch. It would be nice to go back and do it again.”

Instead, Birtwell has his sights set on the grandest stage of all. Major League Baseball is an exclusive fraternity with a long waiting list, but Birtwell says his time in the minors has shown him that while he has a lot to learn, the supposed pipe dream of playing major league baseball is actually a realistic possibility.

“One of the oddest things for me was when I came to the conclusion that I could actually do it,” Birtwell said. “I got into Harvard and I never thought that would happen. Playing baseball was the same thing. I never expected to be drafted, but somehow it happened, so you run with it.”