BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Under normal circumstances, Buffalo-native Daniel Dallas would be wrapping up his spring training experience in Arizona and preparing for his next step in his journey as a professional baseball player in the San Diego Padres organization.
Where the 22-year-old pitcher would have wound up in the Padres system was a mystery, even for him. He could have ended up in Fort Wayne, Indiana playing for the Fort Wayne TipCaps. The southpaw also may have wound up in California for the Lake Elsinore Storm or in any of the other minor league affiliates for the Padres.
Instead, he's at his Western New York home because of the pandemic.
"Right now it's just do what you can," Dallas said. "Until you get more instruction you can't really do anything else."
The coronavirus outbreak first began in 2019 but the United States largely did not see any major implications until March 12 when President Donald Trump gave an address from the Oval Office and the NBA paused their season indefinitely.
"It came down pretty quick," Dallas said. "We saw the NBA shut down and that was one of the first big sporting things," Dallas said. "The NHL was after that. We didn't have an idea but we knew something was going to take place."
The life of a minor league baseball player is not a glamorous one unless you are a highly-touted prospect. Dallas was a seventh round selection by the Padres in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Canisius High School. Fortunately for many minor leaguers, MLB last Tuesday announced they would continue to pay minor leaguers through May 31 or until the beginning of the minor league season.
"We're kind of jobless right now so we're in the same boat as many others," Dallas said.
Dallas is also working on the side in the region with a painting company that is run by a friend.
"We're at a big job in Orchard Park right now and working as much as we can until things get told otherwise," Dallas said. "It's just some side money and something to do and mix in until baseball season picks back up. I work with them in the offseason so it's nice to come home and have an opportunity like that."
Minor League Baseball was supposed to begin this Thursday. The season is postponed indefinitely.
