(photo courtesy Eldon Lindsay/Omaha Royals)
The minor leagues are filled with stories of journeymen players who spend their entire careers bouncing from one Major League club to another Minor League club, but few can boast the kind of story that Lenny DiNardo has.
DiNardo was actually drafted twice, once out of high school in the 10th round by the Boston Redsox, and then when he decided to attend Stetson University instead, he was drafted by the New York Mets in the 3rd round.
For the next few years, DiNardo moved between low A ball, to AA, and in December of 2003, the Redsox finally got the man they had drafted five years earlier, selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft.
DiNardo began battling injuries that would plague his career at the beginning of 2004, but finally made his major league debut on April 23rd against the hated New York Yankees, shutting the door on an 11-2 win with a perfect inning pitched, that included a strikeout.
DiNardo made his last appearance that season on the Fourth of July, when he pitched an inning and two thirds, walking two, and striking out two. Injuries ended his season with 22 appearances and a 4.23 ERA with no decisions.
2004 was the magical year in which the Redsox ended their World Series drought, and thanks to DiNardo’s contributions in the early part of the season he was awarded a championship ring.
DiNardo’s roller coaster career continued in 2005 as he bounced back and forth from Boston to Pawtucket five different times. DiNardo made his first major league start, but could not get his first win, going 0-1, with a very respectable 1.84 ERA in eight appearances. For Pawtucket, Lenny was almost exclusively a starter, going 6-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 23 appearances, and 22 starts.
2006 saw DiNardo fill in for David “Boomer” Wells when Wells was injured, and DiNardo finally recorded his first major league victory some two years after he made his debut. DiNardo himself had more injury problems and between the Boston, and the Minors Lenny appeared in just 18 games.
As spring training was beginning in 2007, the Oakland Athletics claimed DiNardo off waivers, and gave him his most extensive opportunity to start. Spending the entire 2007 season on the A’s roster, he appeared in 35 games, and started 20, finishing with a record of 8-10, with a 4.11 ERA and a career high 131 innings pitched.
2008 saw DiNardo bounce both between Oakland and their AAA affiliate Sacramento, as well as bouncing between the rotation, and the bullpen for both teams. Lenny was recalled to Oakland three separate times, finishing 1-2, with a gaudy 7.43 in 11 games pitched that included two starts.
For Sacramento, DiNardo made 15 appearances (13 starts) and posted a 6-5 record with a 6.69 ERA.
In December of 2008, the Kansas City Royals signed him to a minor league deal, and he was assigned to Omaha. For the Omaha Royals, DiNardo has been a dependable utility man. Making 10 appearances to date as well as starting six games, DiNardo has posted a 3-1 record with two saves, and a 3.52 ERA.
In his latest outing, DiNardo threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out seven. While he has yet to see the major leagues this year, the Kansas City Royals appear to be a team that is not afraid to shift it’s roster and while he would need to be placed on the 40 man roster before a move could be made, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’ll be back in the “Bigs” before the year is out
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