Dan Haren confessional - A Hunt and Peck

Dan Haren came up with the Cardinals, spending a brief time with the team in 2003 and 2004. Before the 2005 season, he was traded as part of a deal to acquire Mark Mulder. We all remember how that went...

Meanwhile Haren went on to put up stellar years with the Athletics, Diamondbacks, and Angels before injury seemed to slow him down in 2012. It is not Haren's years with the Cardinals that make him so memorable, but his years not with the Cardinals. The years that could have been with the Cardinals. It still hurts to talk about.

Danny retired this past summer, but that does not mean he is not still in top form. It just is not on a mound. It is behind a screen. Some recent highlights:

I'm on an exercise bike, bored, so here are some things about my baseball career that come to mind......

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I went into almost every start the last few years thinking... How the hell am I gonna get these guys out

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

There's was atleast 3-4 times I thought the team plane was gonna crash.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I would count out the days about a month in advance to see if I was gonna pitch in Coors field.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

One of my favorite moment ever was hitting a homer off Chris carpenter. I took my time running the bases.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I gave up 11 runs in Toronto and got the win one time.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I had to take Imodium most days I pitched to plug myself up.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

My only superstition was to make sure I had 2 glasses of wine the night before I pitched. This ties in with the Imodium,

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I gave up so many homers cause I didn't wanna walk people. That and cause I threw 85 mph meatballs sometimes.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

Why the hell did Bj Upton hit so many homers off me..... This probably ties into the last tweet as well. I did much better facing Melvin

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

I only hit like 5-7 people on purpose.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

My threat to retire didn't quite work last offseason

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

Sometimes when the count was 3-1, I would just throw it down the middle and hope for the best. People pop up in batting practice right

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

When your 1st baseman is pushing 300lb's, you gotta bust your ass over. https://t.co/yFvxO2J2lJ

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

Ok I'm done with the bike, time to go lift Bi's and tri's. #retiredlife

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 4, 2016

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