Aaron Barrett

At 49 years old, Aaron Barrett has this physical status:

Aaron Asher Barrett (born August 30, 1974) is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter of Reel Big Fish, the American ska-punk band.

Following Matt Wong's departure in 2007, he became the sole remaining original member of the group.

Barrett and the Reel Big Fish bandmates, Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry, performed trombone in another ska-punk band, The Scholars, before forming Reel Big Fish. Barrett formed The Forces of Evil (now defunct) with former Jeffries Fan Club, The Scholars, and Lone Raspberry.

The Forces of Evil sounded similar to Barrett's main band, but they were much more cautious.

In early 2005, the Forces of Evil stopped touring and playing, and several members of the group went on to compete with Reel Big Fish. Barrett is also featured in Serious Awesomeness, a DVD by The Aquabats, interviewing attendees of an Aquabats show outside of The Glass House in Pomona, California; he's also appeared briefly on stage with the band.

Barrett appeared in the Suburban Legends' "Come Back Home" music video as an Elvis Presley costume and a cameo appearance in MxPx's "I'm OK, You're OK" video as a doughnut-shop worker.

Personal life

When a student at the University of Mississippi, Barrett met Kendyl Mygatt. She had transferred to Ole Miss from Texas Tech and played soccer at both colleges. They married on October 20, 2012. The couple have a daughter who was born in 2017 and a son who was born in 2020. Barrett is a Christian.

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Amateur career

Barrett graduated from Evansville Central High School and attended Wabash Valley College for two years before transferring to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He played for the Wabash Valley Warriors and the Ole Miss Rebels in college baseball.

Barrett was drafted in the 2006, 2008, and 2009 Major League Baseball Drafts but did not sign a professional deal. In 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers did not give him a contract. Barrett had already committed to Ole Miss when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins two years ago. In his first year with the Rebels, he did not pitch well, and he was not expected to receive a reward from the Texas Rangers in 2009.

Professional career

After being drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, Barrett ultimately signed with the Washington Nationals.

In 2012, Barrett participated in the Arizona Fall League. He debuted with the Class-AA Harrisburg Senators in 2013, for whom he was often asked to call games out in the ninth inning or later. He worked closely with pitching coach Paul Menhart, who later became the Nationals' minor league pitching coordinator.

Barrett was drafted to the Nationals' 40-man roster for the first time since the 2013 season, and after impressing during major league spring training, he made the Nationals' Opening Day roster for the 2014 season. He made his debut in the ninth inning of the team's first game of the year against the New York Mets, knocking out two runs while winning his first game of his career. Barrett made the National League Division Series a trusted member of manager Matt Williams' bullpen, and was named on the Nationals' playoff roster. In Game 4 of the San Francisco Giants' series, the rookie threw a wild pitch over catcher Wilson Ramos' head while intentionally walking Pablo Sandoval, allowing Joe Panik to score the winning run from third base.

Barrett began feeling pain in his right pitching elbow midway through the 2015 season. The Nationals optioned him to the Arizona Diamondbacks' August 5, 2015, but they pulled him off the menu and put him on the disabled list for an elbow strain. Barrett underwent Tommy John surgery on September 4, 2015, in which the ulnar collateral ligament of his left arm was transferred to his right arm. Several bone spurs were also removed from his elbow. He had bone spurs in his ankle removed in December.

While rehabbing at the Nationals' minor league complex in Viera, Florida, Barrett fractured the humerus bone in his right arm while pitching on July 23, 2016. Witnesses to the shooting likened the sound of the bone breaking to a gunshot. Mat Latos reportedly vomited in the dugout, and Nationals boss Dusty Baker sequestered the only footage of the accident on a restricted hard drive so no one could watch it. Barrett underwent surgery by Dr. James Andrews, which resulted in two plates and sixteen screws embedded in the bone of his arm. Andrews likened the fractured car to the kind of traumatic injury he would expect from a car crash victim.

Given the severity of the injury, Barrett continued to play baseball, hoping to find a deal to pitch in 2017. Barrett went into for a CT scan that showed his arm was not improving as quickly as expected after progressing enough to begin throwing during the offseason, but not as quickly as anticipated. He halted his throwing regimen on physicians' advice, but he kept working out in the hopes of returning to the octagon. After missing the entire 2016 season, Barrett signed a new minor league contract with the Nationals on April 3, 2017. He did not appear in a game during the 2017 season. In 2018, as the term he had signed was a two-year contract, he was eligible to participate in minor league spring training as a member of the Nationals organization. During a spring exhibition against the Canadian national baseball team, he pitched against live action for the first time since 2015, and was drafted to the Short Season-A Auburn Doubledays to begin the 2018 season. On June 15, 2018, he made his first appearance in a professional game since 2015, knocking out three batters for a hold. He started free agency on November 2, 2018, but soon signed a new minor league deal with the Nationals that included a non-roster invite to major league spring training.

Barrett was sent to Class-AA Harrisburg to begin the 2019 season after spending part of spring training on the nationals camp in West Palm Beach, Florida. Barrett played as the Senators' closer in 2013 before progressing to the major leagues. With 41 games saved over the years, he became Harrisburg's all-time champion in games saved for 41 years, his 15th save of the season. Barrett developed arm strength and recovered some of his former velocity, as well as incorporating a changeup into a pitching arsenal that had mostly consisted of a fastball and a slider. During the 2019 season, the Nationals devised and implemented a strategy to prepare Barrett for a return to the major leagues. Barrett will be promoted to the Nationals for the first time in more than four years following the Senators' regular season, when Barrett had a 2.75 ERA and 31 saves (leading the minor leagues). Barrett's deal was officially announced by the Nationals on September 4, 2019. On September 7, Barrett pitched a scoreless inning in relief against the Atlanta Braves and his first strikeout since August 1, 2015, as he caught All-Star Ronald Acu Jr. looking on a slider. In 2019, he made 3 relief appearances with a 15.43 ERA.

With a 93-69 record, the Nationals finished the year with a wild card appearance and then winning the 2019 World Series over the Astros. Barrett did not participate in any postseason action, but he did win his first world championship while on the Nationals' 40-man roster at the time. In two games for the Nationals in 2020, Barrett struggled to a 10.80 ERA. Barrett was initially rejected from the Nationals 40-man roster on October 9, 2020, and the following day, he was elected free agency. On November 5, 2020, he rejoined the Nationals in a minor league contract.

Barrett spent the 2021 season in the minors, splitting time between the Triple-Aults, Double-A Harrisburg Senators, and the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals, with a 2.13 ERA in 33 appearances. He was a member of the Tigres del Licey (Dominican Winter League) after the conclusion of the MiLB season. Barrett was elected free agency on November 7, 2021, at the age of 2021.

Barrett signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 8, 2022. He resigned at the end of the season.

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