DENVER — One of the best stories in baseball this year is playing against the San Francisco Giants this weekend — and he once played in their minor-league system.
Of course, Rockies outfielder Wynton Bernard spent 11 years in the minors and played for several organizations. But the Giants were the first team he actually signed with when he became a minor-league free agent in 2017, and at 26, he was still considered a prospect.
That was five years ago. He didn’t make it up until this month, at 31, a moment celebrated with a moving phone call to his mother, Janet, that went viral. “I did it, Mommy!” he said, his voice cracking.
“That gets everyone a little emotional,” said Giants reliever Tyler Rogers, who played with Bernard at Triple-A Sacramento. “Everybody in baseball was so happy for him when he got called up but having played with him, I think I was even a little bit happier — I got to see him before the game yesterday and I told him how happy I was, how much I’ve enjoyed it.
“Wynton always had a smile on his face, but he has a big smile on his face right now.”
Bernard recalled his time with Sacramento fondly, although he hit .254 with two homers and a .303 on-base percentage and wasn’t re-signed. A San Diego native, he was happy to be back in California — and he was thrilled to meet one of his idols, Barry Bonds, during big-league camp and at Sacramento.
“It was pretty cool,” Bernard said. “I asked him a couple of questions — I mean, that was amazing, Barry was one of the best hitters of all time. I read all the books about him.
“I remember asking him about rhythm and he told me basically, ‘Stay on the fastball at all times.’ So I asked him about that little rhythm thing he had,” Bernard added, mimicking Bonds’ twitch at the plate. “I always kind of wanted to emulate that when I was a kid, and he was like, ‘It’s just natural for me.’ “
Bernard refused to quit after failing to make it with the Padres, Tigers, Giants and Cubs, and the lack of opportunity during the pandemic didn’t faze him.
“I told myself to never give up,” he said. “All of the greats — Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant — they never gave up. I wanted to be relentless, whatever I did.”
He played for Sugar Land, an independent team, in 2020, then went to the Dominican Winter League that winter before signing with the Rockies in 2021 — and he played that next winter in Mexico. He finally got the callup on Aug. 12, and he’s now a national sensation and inspiration.
“It’s been a lot,” Bernard said of the flood of attention, “but it’s a good thing. I’m just trying to give back to as many people as I can, and I’m so proud that other people are getting inspired by this story. I’ve had little kids and grown adults, even grandparents reach out to me and say that they’re inspired. There was one lady who said, ‘You know, I’m in a career where it’s male dominated, but now this is pushing me to go towards what I want.’ Hearing things like that makes me really happy.”
His mom, Janet — also known as Mama B — is getting recognized, too. “Yesterday someone came up to her in the bathroom and said, ‘Are you Wynton Bernard’s mom?’ Bernard said with a laugh. “People knew who she was on the plane, on the car shuttle. People are just really touched by our relationship. That makes me really happy, too.”
Entering Saturday’s game, Bernard was batting .333 in five games with the Rockies.
“It’s such a great story,” said Giants outfielder Austin Slater, who also played with Bernard at Sacramento. “I always thought he was a really good player, he just couldn’t ever put it together for a full season. And he’s such a great dude — really fun, really easygoing. This couldn’t happen to a better person.”
Susan Slusser covers the Giants for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @susanslusser