8
2012
Mets Prospect Spotlight: A Young Man Retires From Baseball
An article by 
Tyson Seng
One day not too long ago, I was thinking back to a footnote on a transactions page from early May that I saw and it was still troubling me. I don’t like unsolved mysteries, and I couldn’t understand why a guy who went 3-1 with a 0.90 ERA, two saves, and a 32/5 K/BB ratio in his professional debut, would retire six games into his second pro season? So I asked him.
Tyson Seng was drafted by the Mets in the 33rd round of the 2011 MLB Player Draft. Tyson a right-hander who hails from Norman, Oklahoma had evolved into a relief pitcher while attending college at the University of Oklahoma. His family was very proud of him when he was drafted and as a college senior it was a no-brainer for him to sign a professional contract and keep playing.
“It is always a dream. You always have thoughts of playing at the next level and playing as high as you can. It feels good when your dreams are realized.”
He did sign, and on the eve of being sent to join his new team the 2011 Brooklyn Cyclones he spoke to the Enid, Oklahoma News:
“I have gotten used to coming out of the bullpen. I believe being a short reliever is in my best interest but I’ll do whatever they want me to do. I’m looking forward to the challenge and it’s something I’ll work hard for. Any time you’ve been in college for four or five years and you get drafted, you are ready because you have gone through it. You have to go in with the attitude you’re going to make it to the bigs. This is my time and I’m ready to go.”
He reported to Brooklyn and had a terrific season coming out of the pen for the Cyclones. When spring training broke for the start of the 2012 season he was on the opening day roster of the Savannah Sand Gnats. But elbow problems began to undermine his plans of moving up the ladder.
He started this season pitching well in his first four games, a span of 6.0 innings where he gave up one unearned run on five hits, with five strikeouts and a walk. But he experienced problems in his next two games that were very much unlike his usual performances. In the final two games of his career, he pitched on April 19th and 24th. In 3.0 innings over those two games he gave up six earned runs on ten hits, with a walk and a strikeout.
Two days after the second rough outing on April 26th, the Sand Gnats put Seng on the 7-day D.L. with an elbow strain. After a week had passed Seng made a decision and on May 5th he announced his retirement from professional baseball. I reached out to Tyson and asked him what had caused him to decide on retirement, and this is what he told me:
“Pete, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. There were several different reasons why I retired. As you know I was on the D.L. with an elbow injury before I decided to retire. I ended the year last year in Brooklyn on the D.L. with a shoulder issue. I told myself from the beginning that If I didn’t stay healthy and I didn’t put myself in a position to move up quickly, I would get out. I didn’t want a career in the minors. Unfortunately for me I started my professional career when I was 24-years-old. If I would’ve been 20-22 years old and signed for a good amount out of the draft then I would be still playing. Living from pay check to pay check with nothing to fall back on is tough. I felt like it was time to move on and start the next chapter in my life. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I got from the Mets. You guys do a great job of covering Mets baseball. Keep up the good work.”
This is the part of professional baseball that is tough. Seeing guys you are rooting for falling short of their dreams can be disappointing to fan and player alike. Players who work hard and sacrifice for years only to find that they aren’t going to make it to the bigs, and they will soon fade away and be forgotten.
We forget sometimes how many of these young players never get to the point where they are being discussed as “prospects” or where they can display their talents for all the world to see. Their’s is an existence of toiling in obscurity, trying to separate themselves from everyone else so they can rise up to the top of the ladder, and someday get that call to head to the major leagues.
For Tyson Seng, he is a practical man who made a practical decision about his future. Rather than spending years spinning his wheels in the minor leagues, only to try and enter real life somewhere farther down the road, Seng decided that he wanted to start building his future now, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. From all of us Mets fans, and everybody here at MMO, we all would like to wish Tyson the best of luck in wherever his path takes him. And remember, once a Met always a Met!
Once A Met – Always A Met
About the Author: Peter Shapiro
The first time I went to Shea was not for a Mets game, it was for the Beatles concert there in August of '66. My first Met game was '67, a guy named Salty Parker was the interim-manager then. My first pennant race was 1969. As a 12 year-old that summer and fall, I managed to get to the park for 3 games. The first was the beginning of the Miracle which actually started on Tuesday July 8, 1969 with a day game against the Cubs. I was there a lot in '73. I saw games 3 & 5 of the 1973 NL Playoffs against the "Big Red Machine", from the upper deck behind home plate. It was from there that I witnessed the fight between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose, and the mayhem that ensued. And that sweet victory in game 5! I saw a couple of WS games at Shea that year against that legendary Oakland A's club. I was there in 1985 for every single game Dr. K pitched including his two 16 strikeout performances, and the day he one-hit the Cubs on an infield single and the Mets won 1-0. I loved being a Met fan in those days. Hopefully we are once again preparing to emerge from the darkness.
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Practical indeed. This young man sounds mature beyond his years. Sounds like he took an honest look at where he’s at now, what he had hoped to accomplish and decided he didn’t meet the goals he had set out for himself, might never in baseball – and decided to move on.
I hope no one sees this as ‘quitting. I certainly don’t. He went forward with a dream, one he decided for himself at this point was not the right path for him.
I’m sure he’ll always look back at this time in his life as something he can be glad of that he tried.
I wish him the best of luck with wherever he chooses to go from here.
I guess many the average fan does not realize just what a grind and hardship being a Minor leaguer actually is.
They don’t stay in the fancy hotels or get the chartered flights waiting for them to take them home, they usually get on a bus and drive for hours to get to their next destination.
Only the cream of the crop actually get paid a decent salary compared to you and me and unfortunatly there is a new wave of YOUTH MOVEMENT going on in this country that is going to push a lot of these guys out of baseball quicker.
We have already seen it quite clearly in the draft as the top players are all drafted out of High School and if you actually go to college your less likely to get the big bucks that the HS kids get.
They are forced to make a choice, Play Baseball and hope they make it or Go to college and put thier future career on hold, hoping they can be good enough quick enough to promote and get on average a 3 or 4 year half a mil payday per year career out of it.
Look at how many people feel that Age and experience is a minus on your resume.
These players can’t possibly give it the full shot because if they do stick it out in the Minors until they are 28+ they will have a hard time breaking into the career they have been trained /schooled for and so far removed from that learning that they will have a hard time getting a job over some other kid who left school, interned and went right to work in the career he majored in.
These are tough times to be an old guy!
Kids get paid less and experience counts for nothing these days. (to most not me!)
If they screw up there is always some other cheap kid to take your place!
You only live so long as we all know social security is not going to support you when your retirement age hits so we will see a lot more cases like this where a person says yes it’s a dream but dreams don’t put food on the table or rent over your head.
You have to live in the world and the world dictates you had better make your money early because if you wait it will never ever come!
Metsie,
I couldn’t of said it better, but I would like to piggback your comnment. My son plays for the minors…(won’t mention his name). Chasing a dream, one day hit the majors…We are born to guide our children..offer good advise in choices they make..how do you tell your son,.. stop dreaming the impossible…not trying to sound like Debbie downer..or doubting Thomas…I know in my heart, he has just as much as a good chance then any other player out there..so much talent, yet, not recognized, not even heard through the whispers of sounding fans. He once told me,” you can’t beat a player who won’t give up” Yes, these players sacifice years to have that one shot…His father played professional, even in a couple of major games…he says, it’s 90% luck that you make to the majors, not talent….I have traveled far with my son, with eyes wide open…..knowing that dreams are possible!!! Just don’t give up!!!
Well I will tell you perseverance is a as much a tool as a plus arm, speedy legs, and good batting swing.
And no you should not tell him to give up his dream even if you knew he really had no shot.
For one he wouldn’t listen anyway and two he would have regrets where if he came to that conclusion on his own he might not.
RA Dickey is a classic example of what is possible if you have the drive to succeed and that drive pushes you to make yourself better and good enough to reach the dream.
And you know to many who chase the dream it doesn’t really matter to them if they have a long and fruitful career in the MLB, Just wearing an MLB uni and playing a few games, getting a few MLB Abs and getting that 1st MLB hit is enough to satisfy the dreamquest.
Get a stat listing on Baseball Reference and Mission Accomplished!
My real concern is We are taking these kids out of school much younger than before to play a game that has at best 1280 Player/Employee positions at any given time.
It’s best to support their dreams but just as important to know they have that fallback option just in case.
Thank you Metsie for your response. Day to day I think to myself, should I offer my thoughts. Never quit making it thus far to the mouth.. never having the honor to be in his position..Not sure I would offer the best to him.. and having him living with regrets on something I said or didn’t say would leave me shattered….and yes, you are correct, these kids are being taken out of school much younger and have nothing to fall back on….They wanted to take my son out of Junior year of high school and sign…If I never made the right decission when it comes to him and his career, I did that day!!! No-way I said, then I figured I had at least 3 years of colllege before they could even look at him again…lol Thanks again!!!
Well remember Baseball is a good living up till about age 40 (if your REALLY good! LOL)
There is a much longer life after that (at least you hope there is) and the challenges of age 40-80 are much harder than anything you will face in Baseball!
People need dreams or what is the point of living?
As far as the education that helps not only post baseball but his baseball dreams as well!
Dummies can’t be coached! And talent can be overcome with smarts!
As I always say it isn’t the 95 MPH fastball that makes you a good pitcher it’s how and where your brain decides is the best place to throw it that makes you an ace!
You did the right thing. If he could make it out of HS he can make it out of college or after HS.
And the battle he is having to try and make it is an education unto itself!
The skills you need to persevere in baseball apply to persevering in ANY endeavor!
SO it’s not like he is hurting himself in a wasted endeavor!
I only hope that years from now he will still think he made the right decision. There’s nothing worse than regret. Pops
Hats off to a class act…. good luck in anything you do, Mr. Seng. I’m rooting for you.