Luke Barker had few college offers. He made himself into an All-American at Chico State, leading the nation in saves. He went undrafted and played for the Palm Springs Power and the Traverse City Beach Bums, hoping to catch the eye of a Major League organization. He did. Barker has spent six seasons carving up the minor leagues in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
 
It all led up to Monday afternoon. Barker, now 30 years old, was told between games of a day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field in Chicago that he was officially a big leaguer.
 
"It was a pretty life changing moment," Barker said. "I came out of the office and went right to the hallway and had a little bit of a moment. I called my dad (Chico State Head Athletic Trainer Scott Barker) and we had a moment. It was pretty emotional." It was the first of many phone calls: they included his mother, Chico State Director of Athletics Anita Barker; his sister McKenna, a Chico State women's basketball alumnae; and his new wife.
 
Barker described his experience "from right field at Wrigley Field" while preparing for the game early Wednesday afternoon.
 
Barker has not yet made his big league debut, and he will not Wednesday night. He was sent back to Triple-A Nashville prior to the game to make way for another of his Nashville teammates, Jason Alexander, to make the start in tonight's game.
 
Before that news broke, however, and before ending the conversation, Barker wanted to be sure that people who have supported him during his rollercoaster of a journey understand "just how important it is to me that they are all in my corner. The road it's taken to get here is what makes it so special: from Chico, to indy ball, to here. It's a pretty overwhelming thing for it to have all worked up to this."
 
Barker was in Toledo just three days ago with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, preparing to take on the Toledo Mud Hens. Just prior to the game he was told that he would be on the taxi squad for Monday's Brewers twinbill in case he was needed. He flew out early Monday morning and "sat around and watched the game." The Brewers used five relief pitchers in that first game, and after it was over, they called upon Barker for reinforcements.
 
What had already been a whirlwind experience got exceptionally wild.
 
"I'm just trying to take it one step at a time for sure," Barker said. "There's a lot going on. I feel like I'm jumping on a bullet train trying to hang on for dear life."
 
But once the games begin, all Barker can do is wait.
 
"It's way easier said than done, but I just have to think of it as just another game as a reliever," Barker said. "I'm slotted into a certain role, and if the situation they want to use me in comes up, I'll do it. I'm ready to do it. In some ways it's the same as it was on Sunday in Toledo. In other ways, it's way different."
 
Now on the 40-man roster, Barker can be shuffled between the Brewers and the minor leagues as many as five times this season. In case any Northern Californians are wondering, they'll be at Oracle Park in San Francisco for a four-game series July 14-17.  
 
Barker may be there with the Brewers. He may be back in Triple-A. He might be with another organization all together. His advocacy for better workings conditions for minor leaguers (see links above) proves he has a pretty good feel for the business of baseball. He's thrilled the Brewers have officially made him part of theirs. And he's ready to get down to the business of helping his team win whenever that opportunity does arrive.
 
"Before this week, the Brewers have always been this intangible thing that I've always believed I would eventually reach," Barker said. "But today they need me to help them beat the Cubs. That's why they activated me and that's what I'm here to do."
 
Presumably on his way back to Nashville, Barker will be building on what has already been a brilliant professional career. He is 20-16 with a 2.36 ERA, 48 saves, and a WHIP of 0.952.