Humming Byrd

No one could have expected what Byrd gave the Red Sox in his first major league start in 11 months. Not even Byrd, who said he came in anticipating nothing. The pitcher had been far enough away from the majors just a month ago that his preparation involved slowing his already slow fastball to the mid-70s, pitching to kids who topped out at 13 years old on his son’s team, the Georgia Roadrunners.

He was no longer a major leaguer, shunted off to an early retirement. And then he was back, making his way through the minors, pitching in Pawtucket, and yesterday in Fenway Park. Not just pitching, either. Byrd outdueled Roy Halladay, throwing six shutout innings and allowing three hits, getting the win as Boston finished off a sweep of Toronto that put it 3 1/2 games up on Texas in the wild-card race.

“The kids now, 13, they throw around 70 to 75, so when I was throwing to them, I was throwing about 75,’’ Byrd said with a laugh. “I only throw 82 anyway, so there wasn’t much for me to turn it up and get to where I needed to get to.’’

But Byrd had nearly given up hope. He had turned down offers in spring training after making a deal with his wife to take off the first half of the season. Speaking in the offseason, Byrd had said he likely would try to find a team to sign him after the June draft, when the team didn’t have to give up compensation to sign a Type B free agent. June came and went. The All-Star break came and went. He had gotten to the point where he felt like “maybe that part of my life was over, that chapter closed.’’

Clubs would call, would do their due diligence, and never follow through.