Daniel Paul Bard (born June 25, 1985 in Houston, TX) is a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies in MLB. He previously played for the Boston Red Sox from 2009 to 2013. In 2011, Bard set a Red Sox team record with 25 consecutive scoreless appearances. His highest velocity pitch was 102 miles per hour.

Pre-professional, Daniel was named to the Baseball America All-Freshman second team, and was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. He was also Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshman of the year, and earned first-team all-conference honors. For the 2005 season, Bard was named preseason first-team All-America by Baseball America and was named preseason third-team All-America by Collegiate Baseball and by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

On May 13, 2009, he made his major-league debut against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, pitching two scoreless innings in an 8–4 loss. Bard began 2010 as the set-up man for Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon. He pitched in 73 games, maintaining a sparkling 1.73 ERA, with a record of 1-2 and 3 saves. He struck out 76 batters in 74 2/3 innings, while walking 30 and giving up a mere 45 hits (a .176 opponent average). He tied Joba Chamberlain for 5th in the American League in appearances.

He continued in the same role in 2011 and put up another solid season. In subsequent years, however, Daniel experienced a loss of control over his pitches, derailing his playing career. After pitching in only two major league games during 2013, he played for several minor league teams before retiring in 2017 to become a player mentor. In 2020, Bard returned as a player after regaining his control, earned a spot on the Rockies' MLB roster, and went on to win the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award as their closing pitcher.

Daniel's younger brother is Luke Bard, a right-handed pitcher who reached the majors in 2018 after a long minor league apprenticeship, having been a supplemental first round selection in the 2012 amateur draft. Daniel's father, Paul Bard, played minor league ball in the 1980s in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles chains. His grandfather, Fran O'Brien, was head coach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and College of the Holy Cross. His uncle, Kevin O'Brien, played minor league baseball.

His cousin John Andreoli made his MLB debut for the Seattle Mariners on May 23, 2018.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)