Brewer standout finds fun, success on the baseball field

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BREWER – Joel Barrett plays baseball for the love of the game.

“Ever since I can remember, I was hitting with my dad. Ever since Little League, it kind of stuck out as my favorite sport,” said the 18-year-old.

It shows.

He is batting .600 with nine doubles, four triples, six home runs, and 29 RBIs for the Brewer Falcons in American Legion Zone 1 play. He also has a whopping slugging percentage of 1.183, which is total bases divided by at-bats.

As Brewer’s first baseman, he has made only two errors and has a fielding percentage of .983.

But for Barrett, there is more to baseball than the numbers.

“It feels good being on the winning side for once. It’s kind of a good way to go out,” he said. “Having good teammates is a definite positive.”

Barrett said that instead of pressing, he is relaxed and having fun, which has aided his success.

“[Coach David] Morris tells me not to put so much pressure on myself, to relax and relax at the plate,” he said. “Of course, I want to make as few errors as possible, [and] hit for high average.”

However, Barrett is focused on team goals.

“This year it’s mostly about the team, how far they would go,” he said.

Morris, who also was Barrett’s high school coach, has watched him develop.

“He loves the game of baseball, and he’s worked extremely hard to be a good baseball player,” Morris said.

Jeff Fahey, coach of the Bangor High School baseball team, also praises Barrett.

“He’s one of the three best hitters I’ve seen in high school baseball in the last 15 years.

“He’s an outstanding first baseman. He positions himself well,” Fahey added. “He’s not fleet of foot, but reacts quickly. Sometimes [his defensive skill] gets overlooked because he’s outstanding offensively.”

Barrett’s teammate, Joey Griffin, said Barrett also adds another key factor.

“He brings his leadership, his bat. He’s like an assistant coach on the field,” Griffin said.

Even opponents agree on Barrett’s skills.

Bangor pitcher Josh Young has pitched against Barrett for three years.

“He’s a great hitter. The other day, I struck him out. Then, he hit one out. Inside, out[side], he hits the ball wherever it is,” Young said.

Bangor High shortstop Chris Bombardier, who has competed against Barrett the past four years, has been impressed with Barrett’s work ethic.

“He was really good his freshman year, and he got better every year, and that tells you he worked hard,” Bombardier said.

Barrett, given the high school honor of being named the Penobscot Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002, also has played third base, shortstop and pitcher. He likes his current position.

“You’re always involved in every play, and it keeps you on your toes,” he said.

Morris said Barrett played third base his freshman and sophomore years in high school, but moved to first base to help the team replace a graduate.

With Barrett’s aspiration to continue baseball beyond high school, Morris believed Barrett could succeed more readily at the next level by playing first base, especially with a .513 batting average his senior season. His four-year career average was .500.

“[He’s] always looking to improve. Whatever he’s done, he’s done a heck of a job for us,” Morris said.

Morris said Barrett has been a great hitter, has become a solid defensive player, and has helped his teammates.

“People around him become better. He will talk to someone to share his knowledge,” Morris said.

As a first baseman, if a younger pitcher got hit hard, Barrett would go talk to him and tell him it would be OK.

“He’s real supportive,” Griffin said. “He’ll be the first one out of the dugout to congratulate a guy after a big hit.”

The next stop on Barrett’s journey after the American Legion tournament is the University of Maine, where he was recruited as a “walk-on” player. That means he has a spot on the roster but no scholarship money, he explained.

His goal, he said, “is to go to Maine, and get a chance and learn and play, and to become a factor in Maine baseball.”

He expects to give his all so that 20 years later, he will have no regrets.

To succeed at the higher level, Morris believes Barrett needs just to be himself.

There will be a lot of mental work. Morris said that’s one of his strengths, but it’ll be at a higher level.

He’ll have to be able to withstand situations where he is going neck and neck for a position with another teammate.

“To persevere, [when it] doesn’t work out the first time, to keep going,” is how Morris described it, adding that Barrett also will have to adapt to the pitching, Morris said.

“He can hit a curve very well, and a fastball extremely well,” Morris said, but he added that the young man will see pitching on a higher level such as an effective slider.

Fahey agreed.

“Pitchers are better, throw harder, and throw different pitches effectively,” he said.

But Barrett’s disposition should help him do well, Morris said.

“He’s a better person than a baseball player, and he’s a pretty good baseball player,” Morris said.