The Arizona Republic
Apr. 21, 2006 12:00 AM
Eric Byrnes was discussing his thrill-seeking, need-for-speed, living-on-the-edge mentality during a one-on-one conversation when ears began perking up around the Diamondbacks clubhouse.
Teammate Chad Tracy leaned in as Byrnes talked about his abandoned attempt as a youth to earn a black belt in karate:"There was no head contact, but I couldn't stop smacking kids around in tournaments, so I kept getting disqualified," Byrnes said.
As Byrnes recalled his days as a teen tennis prodigy with aspirations of turning pro, teammate Conor Jackson peered over and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Dude, I was like John McEnroe," Byrnes said. "I was good, but I threw my racket all the time. Once, I nailed the kid on the other side of the net. I never hit the judge, but I did fire some balls at him."
It wasn't temper tantrums that eventually steered Byrnes into baseball, where he now is the center fielder for the Diamondbacks. He has tried just about every sport and his driving force is an insatiable need for competition.
He hates to lose.
It doesn't matter whether it's golf, playing table tennis, shooting pool or racing go-karts. Byrnes blows a gasket when he isn't the last man standing. It's the same way when it's him vs. the elements, be it snow skiing, water skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding or his favorite pastime, surfing.
The waves can measure 40 feet in height near his residence in Half Moon Bay, Calif., 20 miles south of San Francisco.
"It's one of the best big-wave surf spots in the world," Byrnes said, adding sheepishly: "But I'm not good enough to get out there yet. Someday, I will."
Give him a year, tops. Byrnes, 30, won't wait until he's safely retired from baseball to tackle the challenge, even though agents everywhere and general managers near and far would strongly recommend he hang up the wetsuit until he hangs up his spikes.
"There are certain things you just do not do," one National League executive said when told of Byrnes' appetite for the extreme. "Every contract contains clauses that protect the club and, hopefully, prevent the player from putting himself in harm's way off the field."
Byrnes has ridden a motorcycle in city traffic, he has gone off-road four-wheeling, and, he says, he has "probably swam with sharks." All are in-season no-no's for a major leaguer under contract.
Other pursuits he hopes to include are big-game hunting and spelunking (cave exploring), although he says: "I don't think there's an extreme sport I haven't tried."
"The thing now in baseball is, you've gotta be careful," he said. "But what are they gonna do? Take away my multiyear contract? I don't have a multiyear contract. I never have. I'm pretty much a year-to-year guy, so what's the worst that can happen?"
Remember Ron Gant? The outfielder had his $5.5 million contract voided by the Atlanta Braves after he suffered compound fractures in his left leg during a dirt-bike accident in 1994. "I haven't seen too many athletes push the envelope, although I do have one client I worry about," said one baseball agent, speaking on the condition he not be identified. "At the end of the day, we work for these players, they don't work for us, and you just hope they listen to your advice."
The Diamondbacks signed Byrnes to a one-year deal worth $2.25 million, but they can control his rights through 2007. They are aware of some of his off-the-field passions but have been assured he won't do anything silly, other than perhaps diving into walls to catch fly balls for the team, which he does with pride and without thought.
Byrnes' agent, a buddy from college named Mike Sasson, who recently opened his own representation business in Los Angeles, isn't overly concerned.
"Personally, I think it's a breath of fresh air," Sasson said. "And I don't want to be the one to tell him to slow down. It's too much fun watching him play. It's too much fun working for him. Hopefully, nothing will happen and so far, the walls have taken more of a beating than he has."
Byrnes' high-energy, head-over-heels approach has made him a fan favorite at every stop, be it with the Oakland Athletics, with whom he played his first seven full pro years, or during stints with the Rockies and Orioles last season.
They're quickly beginning to love him here, too.
"People have told me my style of play probably isn't conducive to a long career, but you know what? I don't care," Byrnes said. "This is the only way I know how to do it. My response to them is always, 'When it's done, it's done.' But I'm going to enjoy the ride.
"I'm not afraid for it to be over. There are plenty of things in my life I want to do beyond baseball. As long as I'm playing this game, I'm going to have as much fun as I can."
And what about those 40-foot waves at Half Moon Bay?
"He's carefree, but he's not dumb," Sasson said. "Then again, knowing him as well as I do, I wouldn't put it past him."