Lev: 2022 took a toll on Tony Bullard, but Arizona’s streaky slugger has plenty more to give

It was chilly inside the Arizona baseball offices at Hi Corbett Field. The furnace was malfunctioning, so wool caps and hoodies were a popular fashion choice among the staffers milling about.

At certain times during Bullard’s UA career, they could have gathered around him to warm up. His hot streaks, especially come tournament time, are the stuff of legend.

In the spring of 2021, Bullard briefly became the most feared hitter in a lineup full of future pros. In a span of six games, including four postseason contests, he slugged six home runs. He batted .625 during that stretch.

In last year’s postseason, starting with the Pac-12 Tournament, the third baseman hit .310 with a .400 on-base percentage. He drove in six runs in eight games. His eighth-inning solo homer against Miami put the Wildcats in position to rally against the Hurricanes and extend their season.

Bullard stands 6-4, weighs 220 pounds and is light enough on his feet to have played shortstop in high school.

So why is he still here? Why isn’t he prepping for his first professional spring training?

The simplest explanation is that Bullard endured a year of hell in 2022.

On Jan. 22, his father, Kim Bullard, passed away at age 64. Shortly before the season opener, Bullard hurt his right shoulder diving for a ball during an intrasquad scrimmage. The injury would bother him for most of the rest of the season.

Bullard didn’t put up attention-grabbing numbers, finishing with five home runs – one fewer than during his torrid streak in 2021 — in 166 at-bats. He was never fully healthy, or even close to it.

“He was probably about 60%,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “He gutted it out.”

July’s MLB draft came and went without Bullard being selected – the lingering injury undoubtedly scaring off would-be suitors. He chose to come back to Arizona for a fifth season, an almost unheard-of development these days for a player of his size and ability. He’ll enter this year’s draft as a no-leverage senior.

Bullard has accepted his fate and embraced what another season at Arizona might bring. It’s a chance to put together a complete campaign, something he’s never done. He also believes this year’s team, which opens Feb. 17 against No. 2 Tennessee in Scottsdale, is the most balanced squad he has played for here.

“I feel like I haven’t done everything I know I’m capable of doing,” Bullard said. “But I feel like I’ve contributed a lot to helping the team win when I needed to. And that’s all I can ask for.”

Catching lightning in a bottle

Bullard’s career arc, which closer resembles a sine wave, fascinates me. I’ve always been drawn to the comets more than the constellations.

One of my favorite non-Cubs as a kid was Eric Davis, who had a handful of incredible seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before injuries derailed his career. I’m currently reading Jeff Pearlman’s biography of Bo Jackson. I covered the entirety of Khalil Tate’s college career. He was many things. Boring wasn’t one of them.

I remember sitting in the press box at Hi Corbett in the spring of ’21, marveling — like everyone else — at Bullard’s tear. It got to a point where it was more surprising if he DIDN’T get a hit or send a ball soaring toward Reid Park Zoo.

During our recent conversation, Bullard said even he was surprised at how well he was seeing the ball. He was laying off borderline pitches. And then, when he got one to hit, he wouldn’t miss it.

“It’s a good feeling,” Bullard said. “It feels like you can’t get out at the moment. I wish I could feel that all the time.

“But baseball is a tough sport, and that’s not always gonna happen. So it’s about how you overcome the adversity you get when you’re not doing well at the plate and not fielding all the groundballs.”

Or experiencing something far, far worse.

Growing up, on and off diamond

Bullard will turn 23 on opening day, which means he was 21 when his father died.

“He handled it beautifully,” Hale said. “He’s a phenomenal human being. He’s a great teammate. For him to deal with that, losing his father ... it’s a lot on a kid.”

The family dynamic changed. Bullard had to take on more responsibility. His mother primarily speaks Spanish, so Bullard had to help her with paperwork and bills – adult stuff.

Bullard brushed it off, saying: “It’s all a part of growing up anyway.” He just had to do it sooner than planned.

Baseball offered a respite — “a place to go when I didn’t want to think about anything else.” His teammates and coaches – “my baseball family” – provided needed support.

Then the injury happened, and it dogged him. Bullard missed the start of the season. He had to play DH when he returned. Even when he was well enough to play in the field, Bullard had to alter his throwing motion. It often looked as if he were catapulting the ball across the diamond. He committed a career-high nine errors.

Bullard couldn’t lift weights the way he wanted to, missed valuable cage time and struggled to find a rhythm at the plate. He felt pain when he swung and threw, and it was constantly in the back of his mind.

Almost a year later, Bullard’s body has healed. The trials of 2022 have made him stronger.

“Right now, he’s as healthy as we’ve seen him,” Hale said. “So, knock on wood, we’re hoping he can realize all that potential that I think he has.”

Whether he wanted it or not, Bullard has one more season to prove himself, impress pro scouts and make another playoff run.

Right around then, if form holds, Bullard will heat up like the Sonoran Desert.

The forecast calls for better days ahead.