Justin Byler chases his dream after injury

By Joe Scalzo | June 23, 2009 at 12:05a.m.

The former Howland and Harding player returned to Eastwood Field.

On March 17, 2008, a few hours after a Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game, Justin Byler was shooting hoops in Florida with his girlfriend’s younger brother — and her dog.

His girlfriend’s dog liked to chase balls. Byler, a promising first baseman who was coming off an MVP season for the State College Spikes, went up for a rebound, tripped on the dog and landed awkwardly.

“It felt like someone smacked my arm with a hammer,” said Byler, who suffered a compound fracture of his left forearm. “The bones were going all different ways.

“When I saw one coming out of the bottom of my arm, I was like, ‘This sucks.’”

Byler, a Warren Harding High graduate who also played at Howland, had surgery the next day. He was expecting to miss a few months.

Five months later, he had surgery again. His arm hadn’t healed. He didn’t pick up a bat until January and arrived at spring training a month early to start working.

“The first time I was on the field, I was winded,” said Byler, who batted .312 with eight homers and 43 RBIs for the Spikes in 2007. “Running, chasing fly balls, taking that many swings — it got to my body quick.

“Once you get used to it, it’s like they say, it’s kind of like riding a bike. But you’ve got to find your timing and get your confidence back.”

For any athlete, missing a year is a big deal. But for a minor league baseball player, particularly a 23-year-old in Class A, it’s a huge setback.

Byler is the third-oldest player on the Spikes and may soon be battling for at-bats with Aaron Baker, a first baseman from Oklahoma who was drafted in the 11th round this month.

“It [the injury] tested my character,” Byler said. “It also tested how much I love baseball.

“I easily could have gave up and just finished it off, but I wanted to come back. I wanted to prove I could still play at the level I was in 2007.

“It’s been a challenge but it’s been fun.”

Byler (6-1, 233), a converted catcher who plays first base, spent the past few months in extended spring training in Bradenton.

He wears an armband on his left forearm that hides severe scars from the surgeries. Through the Spikes’ first three games, Byler was 2-for-7 with a double and a run.

“It’s going to take time,” he said. “I didn’t put a timetable on how long I’m going to play baseball. I’m going to play until they take this jersey off my back.

“Until that day comes, I’m going to keep on working to get to the major leagues.”

Byler played several games at Eastwood Field in high school but said he never seriously thought about coming back here as a minor leaguer. He was just focused on college. He played at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College in 2005 and was the Pirates 36th-round pick.

Byler arrived in Niles on Monday at 12:30 p.m. and immediately headed home to hang out with his brother. (His parents were still at work.) He had a nice-sized cheering section during Monday’s game against the Scrappers and he’s looking forward to lots of people bothering him over the next two days.

He turns 24 in August, and knows he’s got to make a move quickly. But he also knows there are worse situations in life.

“I don’t have to work a real job,” he said. “I get paid to play a game.

“I can’t complain.”

scalzo@vindy.com