INTIMIDATORS INSIDER Sam Long Earns Second Chance on the Diamond with the White Sox
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INTIMIDATORS INSIDER Sam Long earns second chance on the diamond with the White Sox After growing up as the only person With the all-important junior year in a different organization and I felt video.” @PitchingNinja is ran by in his large family (six siblings) to coming up, a season in a collegiate like I did enough to satisfy myself Rob Friedman, a MLB and ESPN play baseball, Sam Long had one baseball player’s life where you with baseball.” Pitching Contributing Analyst. goal; to use his left arm to get a good can move your way up the MLB Done with baseball, Long Before Long went to bed that night, education to help pay for college, First Year Player Draft board, Long went back to school to take the video had 800 views. The next while getting to play the game he spotted some discomfort in his summer classes and get his EMT morning, 80,000 people had seen loved. back during a start. He had two certification. the tweet. After that, 15 MLB scouts Sacramento State herniated disks. “I was working as an EMT and one were wanting to be in on his next gave him that Despite all the discomfort, Long day around late September or early workout. opportunity.Going knew that if he wanted to go play October, I was just sitting there “The White Sox didn’t even see me into his freshman pro ball, he would have to pitch thinking about what I wanted to throw in person. I think they just season with the threw pain to prove to scouts that do, and baseball was in the back of saw the video on Twitter. The White Trevor Wilt Hornets, Long’s he has Top-10 round stuff. my head the entire time. The end Sox area scout called me and asked Kannapolis head coach Reggie “I stuck with it and pitched goal for me is to one day become Intimidators me what my thoughts were on not Christiansen told him through it,” Long said. “It was a firefighter but I just couldn’t get having my big workout in front that he was going to have the ball tough. It was a battle. Trying to baseball out of my head at the of those teams and just signing a for the team’s first mid-week game rehab and pitch at the same time time.” Sam Long. Photo by Tami Pope. contract with the White Sox.” against the Bulldogs of Fresno State. isn’t for everybody but I knew While growing up in California, After a few days, Long signed the all at the same time. It was going Despite Fresno State being ranked how bad I wanted to play pro ball. one of the most challenging states contract but not before he had to take some serious work for the #24 in the nation and the start Heck, there were some days where in the country to play baseball, some discussions with his agent Sacramento native to get back to top coming as a complete surprise to the I had to get my roommates to help Long had many friends who went and family. “I didn’t get back in shape. freshman, Long went 5.0 innings on get me out of bed.” on to play pro ball as well, guys that this to do the whole negotiating “I had to start from scratch. All of the bump at a hostile Bob Bennett Pitching through discomfort his he kept seeing move up through with money and teams,” Long said. October, November, December, Stadium in Fresno, allowing only two entire junior season, Long posted the professional ranks. And with all “I got back in this because I just January and February, leading up runs on six hits, capturing his first a 3.99 ERA through 85.2 innings respect to his friends, Long knew wanted to pitch again. I just wanted to Spring Training, I was doing collegiate win. on the mound, while going 5-8 in he could compete with his friends. an opportunity. And the White Sox everything I could every day,” Long Sam’s first and second year in college 15 starts, proving to be his worst “I saw a lot of my buddies moving gave me that opportunity.” said. couldn’t have gone any better to statistical season in college. that I knew I could compete with After signing with the White Sox, Using his release from the Rays as assure himself he made the right Hoping to go in the top 10 rounds, in professional baseball and it was Long had just two months to show a “blessing in disguise” to help his decision to attend Sac State. In his Long dropped to the 18th round of just eating away at me. I knew I why he belonged on one of the back heal, Long started training at a freshman season (2013-2014), Long the draft to the Tampa Bay Rays. had a chance to get back out there. White Sox’s minor league affiliates facility called Optimum Athletics in went 8-2 with a 3.03 ERA, including After pitching all of 2016 and 2017 October comes and I sit down right out of Spring Training. Sacramento. Optimum is headed by being named a Louisville Slugger in the Rays’ farm system, making with my girlfriend and call my Dad “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind Casey Weathers (drafted 8th overall Freshman All-American and the his way up to the Bowling Green and tell them I’m going to give it that I wasn’t going to make a team,” in the 2007 Draft by the Colorado WAC Freshman of the Year. Long Hot Rods (Class-A) and posting an another shot.” Long said. “I don’t know exactly Rockies) and another former MiLB also captured a spot on the All-WAC impressive 1.08 ERA in six games At this time, Long had not been why but I just felt that everything player, Ryan Matthews. Second Team. out of the pen, the Rays released training for roughly six months. that I was working so hard for, I “Once I started training with Casey After a great freshman campaign, Long the following season on the To say this journey back to had to make it work. I went in guns and Ryan, they would post all my Long’s numbers got even better last day of Spring Training 2018. professional baseball was going to blazing and that first bullpen, I just bullpen videos. There was one during his sophomore year. “I went home and I was just be hard was an understatement. let it eat,” Long said while laughing. video where I was throwing 92-95 Compiling a 2.81 ERA through 89.2 shocked. I actually ended up Baseball isn’t like riding a bike. You “My goal was just to get a uniform. mph and everything looked really innings, Long collected six wins coming to a decision to just stop can’t just get back on the mound I didn’t care where I was sent. I just sharp and a twitter account called while using a 6.32 strikeout-to-walk playing. I figured it would be and start throwing 92-94 mph wanted to get out there and get @PitchingNinja retweeted the ratio to do so. tough to make a name for myself while being able to hit your spots back to what I was doing before.”.