Carnes closing on first in majors

By Rick Fires ­ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
August 25, 2002

If nothing else, Matt Carnes will be remembered at Arkansas as the player who threw the first pitch when Baum Stadium opened April 13, 1996.

But Carnes is now a step away from making the major leagues, where boyhood dreams are fulfilled and even one appearance in the boxscore ensures his place in baseball history.

The former Arkansas All-American has won a combined 11 games this season while pitching on the Class AA and Class AAA levels in the Minnesota Twins organization. He was called up to Class AAA Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on June 6 and is 4-2 with a 6.50 ERA as a starter and a reliever.

"I've had a good year, but I don't think I'll be called up to Minnesota when the rosters expand in September," said Carnes, 27. "I'm really setting that goal for next year. Right now, I just want to finish strong and maybe play some winter ball and get ready for next spring."

Carnes is in his sixth year of professional baseball, all with the Twins organization. He began the season at New Britain, Conn., where he was 7-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 1 save in 21 appearances. He's appeared in 19 games, with 11 starts, at Edmonton, which clinched the North Division championship in the Pacific Coast League on Thursday with a 5-4 victory over Tacoma.

Carnes also played for a league championship team last season at New Britain.

"Minnesota has a strong minor-league system and the Twins are running away with the Central Division in the American League," Carnes said. "We all have our individual goals, but it makes the game a lot more fun when you play on a winning team."

Carnes played at Arkansas from 1995-97, where he is the school's all time leader in career strikeouts with 301 and fourth in career victories with 24. Carnes was a freshman All-American in 1995 and a second-team All-SEC selection in 1996 and 1997. He was a seventh-round selection by the Twins in the June amateur draft in 1997.

"Matt had good velocity on his fastball and was able to strike out a lot of people, but he also had the makeup where he battled a hitter and was not afraid to throw inside," former Arkansas Coach Norm DeBriyn said. "He's a bulldog and I'm glad to see he's made it to the AAA level. I'm not surprised."

Carnes said one of his highlights will always be the day he took the mound for Arkansas against Auburn on April 13, 1996. Carnes threw the first pitch and was the winning pitcher as Arkansas defeated Auburn 9-2 in the first game at Baum Stadium.

"The Razorback fans were great, and there's not too many people I have more respect for than Norm DeBriyn," Carnes said. "He was a father figure to me when I was in college."
Carnes said talk of a possible players strike in the major leagues is almost taboo among players at the Class AAA level. A work stoppage would be most painful for the Twins, a small-market team 17 games ahead of second-place Chicago in the American League Central Division.

Minnesota was widely rumored to be one of the first teams targeted for elimination last season, along with Montreal. If contraction occurs and the Twins franchise is eliminated, Carnes would be placed in a pool and be eligible to be drafted by another club.

"We're not directly affected so it's pretty quiet among the players and coaches here about the possibility of a strike," Carnes said. "You'd hate to see something like that happen, and particularly for the Twins, who are having a great season. The feeling around here is that Minnesota would not be one of the teams eliminated, if it came to that. Maybe Montreal. But Minnesota is a good organization with a lot of history. It's unthinkable something like that would happen."

"Hopefully, everything will be settled and the players will go back to playing baseball."
 

Bull Session: Matt Carnes
 

By MIKE POTTER

The Herald-Sun
Jun 12, 2005

You've come out of the bullpen in a lot of different situations this season. It seems as if you've had to be ready for anything. How's your season going?

So far it's going pretty good. I just wish we were playing better as a team. But nobody's giving up. We've got a lot of older guys who know having a good year is really important. We know we're here to win and get better every day.

You had spent seven seasons with the Minnesota Twins' organization before last season, and then you started out in independent ball before you signed with the Devil Rays. What happened there?

I hadn't had a very good season in 2003 and I didn't get re-signed. I was pretty close to shutting it down. But I was working at a place called Zoned Sports Academy in New Jersey and the [Atlantic League's] Somerset Patriots were there. I decided to go play with them, and then I found out Durham needed pitching and I signed.

The decision-makers must have liked what they saw, since you got signed again for this season.

So far, so good. I like Durham a lot. It reminds me a lot of home [in Oklahoma]. It's got a slower pace and people are really polite. I feel safe with my wife being here.

You were on the big board in center field recently talking about music. What's the story there?

It's just for fun right now. Jim Magrane has a software program on his computer, and I got interested in making music. Several of the guys on the team play guitars and are into it -- Joe Beimel, Tim Corcoran. We've made a couple of recordings. It's set up where I do most of the singing parts.

So are you interested in going into the business, maybe combining Tug McGraw's and Tim McGraw's careers?

That would be a long way off. But I guess if I did my shoulder wouldn't hurt so much.

Word is that you've got a good friend who's pretty successful in the music business right now. True?

Someone from back home must have told you that. I grew up in Picher, Okla., with Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts. We went to school together through ninth grade and played football and basketball and baseball together for years. We spent the night at each other's houses a lot.

So what was his best sport?

Basketball, probably. But he was good at everything, because he was fast. I'm really proud of him, because he's been working so hard for so long. We got together at Christmas time, but he's on the road so much it's hard to keep in touch.

He's a country singer. What are your musical influences?

Wow -- you've stumped me on that one. But mine's pretty much hard rock. He said one of the reasons he wanted to go into country because the fans are so loyal. There are an awful lot of one-hit wonders in rock.

What do you think you need to do to get to the big leagues?

It's hard to say. I know if I haven't been yet at 29 it's a long shot. But as long as I think I have a chance to make it, I'll keep pitching.

What would you be doing if you weren't playing baseball?

Probably teaching and coaching. But I'd have to go back to school and get my degree. I'd like to teach lessons and raise dogs and work on a blueberry farm.

Last updated: 6-13-05

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