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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Paul Bako
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Home Phone: -- Bako answers Bell’s ring to join K.C. Royals December 16, 2005 – Staying in Los Angeles for another try wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world for former Lafayette High and UL Ragin’ Cajun catcher Paul Bako. So it’ll be now eight different teams in nine Major League seasons for Bako when the Kansas City Royals make it official today that he’s signed a one-year contract with their organization. “I’m excited to be able to play for my first manager in the big leagues (in Detroit in 1998),” Bako said. “In Los Angeles, it just didn’t work out. My agent and the Dodgers talked and they were decent about it, but just didn’t go quite as far as we had hoped. Bako spent much of last season with the Dodgers on the disabled list after injuring his knee in a rundown at San Francisco on May 26. “When you go through a year injured like that, you get a great respect for just getting a chance to play,” Bako said. “Physically, I’ve been cleared. I feel real good. Mentally, I’m just ready to go back and play.” Bako passed a physical in Kansas City earlier this week and says he’ll fly back to Los Angeles in January to get a medical release to play from his doctor. Bako is going to Kansas City with the understanding that he’s going to back up promising young catcher John Buck, who he met briefly at Houston Astros training camp back in 1999. “I know I’m being brought him to help him learn how to get big-league hitters out,” he said. “And hopefully, I’ll get to play some as well.” Returning to the central time zone is another plus for Bako and his family. “The different time zones definitely made things kind of wacky with my family, especially before school is out,” he said. The one down side to signing with the Royals is Kansas City’s 56-106 record last season. “They’re going to have a little more of a budget this year,” Bako said. “They’re close on some solid big-league players like Scott Elarton and Mark Grudzielanek.” Originally published December 16, 2005 Baseball: Keeping a positive outlook July 14, 2005 – Kevin Foote It’s hard to imagine a professional baseball player actually feeling fortunate when a knee injury forces him to miss the remainder of the season prior to the All-Star break. No, former Lafayette High and UL Ragin’ Cajun catcher Paul Bako isn’t having much fun these days. He’s just beginning the pain of physical therapy after a season-ending surgery on his left knee June 24. Even worse, he can only watch as his Los Angeles Dodgers continue to struggle through an epidemic of injuries that has landed them in third place in the National League West entering the second half, despite a 40-48 start. Time off the hard way, though, has allowed Bako to review the big picture. Add up his eight seasons in the Major Leagues, 4 1/2 in the minor leagues, three in college and four in high school and the opportunities for injury as a catcher have been almost too many to count. And yet this is only Bako’s second-ever trip to the disabled list. The first came in 2000 with the Florida Marlins. “I almost don’t ever really count that one, because I still feel like they overreacted there,” Bako said. “I dislocated my finger and they put me on the DL right away. So really, I’ve been fortunate so far. I’ve been pretty injury-free for almost all of my career.” That doesn’t mean there isn’t lingering frustration, though. For starters, the injury wasn’t exactly the classic collision into the catcher or taking a nasty foul ball off the throwing hand. He had just walked to load the bases in an eighth-inning rally at San Francisco back on May 26. Ricky Ledee hit a tie-breaking two-run single and Bako was attempting to get to third base. “I was thinking that they were going to throw to the plate,” he said. “But they cut it off and I got caught in a rundown. I tried to go around the tag, so the batter could get to second base. “But when I did a little juke move, something just popped. It was just something that you’d do in the backyard with the kids. It was just bad luck.” The initial prognosis, however, was good. Bako, the team doctors and the first MRI all agreed that it was a mild strain of the ACL and that he’d only be out 2 to 4 weeks after going on the disabled list on May 28. Almost three weeks later, though, a second MRI was ordered as Bako began running full speed. This time, the results weren’t so favorable. Somehow the ligament wasn’t healing properly. “The doctors said the blood supply might have been cut off to the ligament,” said Bako, who was hitting .250 with four RBIs. “It was just bad luck. We all thought it was going to heal, but it didn’t. “I talked to the doctors and to the coaches and they all agreed it was a no-brainer to have surgery. It needed to be fixed. I would be risking a whole lot if I didn’t.” Bako was officially moved from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list on July 4. Adding to Bako’s frustration was the fact that the Dodgers’ pitching staff was struggling at the time and he was going to be part of the potential solution. “Right after the game when I thought I had just tweaked it, the coaches told me to hurry and get back soon, because I had a really good chance of starting to play five days a week or so to handle the staff,” he said. “I was excited because it looked like a chance to play a little more than I had been playing.” Along with his six-month rehabilitation, Bako now faces the reality of the rest of his one-year, $650,000 with the Dodgers off the field. “I really don’t think it’s going to be an issue for next season,” Bako said. “Only if the knee isn’t responding to therapy will it become an issue. “I think most clubs know what they want in a backup type of catcher and I think I can provide that. It’s not like I’m a young guy. They pretty much know what they’re getting.” Bako also knows that he can’t feel too sorry for himself on this team. The Dodgers have placed 15 different players on the disabled list this season, and several of them more than once. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “It feels like the whole team is out. We’re really lucky to be in the division we’re in. If we were in the East or the Central, we’d be something like 20 games out already.” Unlike some teams, Dodgers on the disabled list don’t travel, so Bako had to miss the team’s trip to Houston this past weekend. “I really missed out not being able to go to Houston,” Bako said. “That’s always a trip I like making. I played there, so there’s always friends and family there, and I really like the city.” Originally published July 14, 2005 Bako reaches agreement with Dodgers From staff and wire reports, published in The Advertiser Jan. 12, 2005 LAFAYETTE – Paul Bako didn’t really know what to expect out of free agency. For the first time since leaving the UL Ragin’ Cajuns back in 1993, the former Lafayette High standout had something to say about where he was going to play baseball. Putting off several offers to be a back-up catcher, Bako and his agent, Barry Meister, finally heard talk of something more, and they quickly jumped at it. Consequently, Bako has signed a one-year, $650,000 contract to play with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bako, 32, will share time behind the plate with David Ross, possibly as a left-right platoon. By virtue of being a veteran and left-handed hitter, Bako figures to get most of the starts, a fact that could help him financially. His contract calls for him to receive an additional $25,000 for each of 60, 75, 90 and 100 games started, meaning he could receive as much as $750,000. “I’m very excited about it,” Bako said. “I didn’t really know what to expect from free agency, because I had never been a free agent before. It all came about pretty quickly. Several other clubs had showed some interest, but none seemed imminent. “This seemed like a perfect fit. This one seems to give me the best chance to play.” From the outside eye, things began clicking rapidly when the Dodgers failed to reach an agreement with veteran catcher Brent Mayne by last Saturday’s deadline. Bako wasn’t concerned about Mayne being an obstacle, though, because he has the same agent as Mayne. “We kind of knew all along that Brent was going to retire,” Bako said. Bako never doubted that he’d get a job somewhere for next season. He was simply looking for the one that would offer him the best opportunity to maximize his at-bats. Dodger Stadium has long had the reputation of being a pitcher’s park, but Bako doesn’t feel like that will adversely affect his hitting. “I loved Chicago, but I’m looking forward to getting out of Wrigley from a hitter’s standpoint,” Bako said. “The grass is short at Dodger Stadium and in most of the stadiums in the N.L. West, which suits me better because I’m more of a line-drive hitter. I’m not a home run hitter.” Bako also looks forward to catching a Dodgers’ pitching staff that is expected to be led by veterans Derek Lowe, Odalis Perez and Jeff Weaver. “It looks like they’ve got Lowe and Odalis has been one of the best lefties in the National League over the last couple of years,” Bako said. “I’m really looking forward to working with that staff.” Bako has a .239 career average and has never hit more than four home runs or driven in more than 30 runs in any of his seven major-league seasons. But he is solid defensively, something Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta clearly valued. “Especially in the National League, every player has two roles, to create runs and prevent runs,” DePodesta said at the Perez news conference a few hours before finalizing the deal with Bako.. “With the catchers that are out there, I think we’re a lot better off if we try to find a guy who can do the best job of preventing runs. Especially with the pitching staff we think we’re going to run out there, we’re going to put a premium on defense at the catching position.” Even if he maxes out on bonuses, Bako will take a significant cut from the $865,000 he received from Chicago last year, his second season with the Cubs. Bako also has logged time with Detroit, Houston, Florida, Atlanta and Milwaukee. His career high for games played (96) came in his rookie season (1998) with the Tigers. Originally published January 12, 2005
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