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National Post

SIMMONS: Bam Bam Barger may be the real deal for Blue Jays

Growing up, there were two dogs in the Barger household. One named Bam Bam and the other named Pebbles. Article content 'Were you a Flintstones guy?' Addison Barger was asked the other day, the dog names clearly coming from the legendary television cartoon. Article content 'Not me,' he said. 'I guess my parents were Flintstones people.' Article content It all seems kind of funny right now that the kid born in Washington State and grew up in Florida has been tabbed 'Bam Bam' by Jamie Campbell and others on the Sportsnet Blue Jays' television crew. Article content Bam Bam Barger. It has a certain ring to it. Like Bam Bam Bigelow or Bam Bam Meulens. Article content He doesn't mind the name, really, if that's what it is, so long as he can live up to the billing. Article content It feels good that they're calling him anything at all these days, as the bevy of Blue Jays youngsters continue to fight for playing time, attention and, maybe in this case, full-time work. Article content Article content Barger has hit four home runs in the past four Blue Jays games. He has played both third base and right field in that time. He has unlikely natural power and a Jesse Barfield type of arm. He has some gifts from his stocky 5-foot-11, 225-pound frame. Article content It's always too early to make this kind of claim for any kid on the way up, but this one looks like real. Article content Even when striking out, Barger looks big league with a swing and a miss. Article content The lineup of Blue Jays possibilities has been long and rather unproductive in recent seasons. The door has been open for Davis Schneider and Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido and Alan Roden and Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw and Jonatan Clase and Michael Stefanic. The opportunity has been there for a bunch of them. Article content Article content Barger has punched his way into the starting lineup, with hard-swinging power and a versatility that takes him from third base to the outfield with the hardest thing of all for any big leaguer on the rise: An inner confidence that belies his accomplishments to date. Article content Article content COVID-19 changed a lot of our lives in a lot of different ways and the pandemic changed Barger's baseball path. He lost a minor-league season in 2020, as did so many of his cohorts. That was supposed to hurt budding prospects, not help.