Jason Tyner worked with my son a little bit in 2005 at the Southeast Texas Baseball Academy. My son wasn't hitting. His poor hitting numbers had bounced him all the way to the back of the lineup. Baseball is a game of numbers. I am certain that his problems were mostly psychological. Tyner said that sometimes things have to get to their lowest before a batter will release all his poor habits and techniques. One is not encumbered by his pride once he hits rock-bottom.
The past few years have tested the former Aggie's philosophy as well as his character. He was the 21st pick in the First Round of the 1998 Draft, by the Mets. The former All Big 12 Selection from Beaumont West Brook High School played from 2000-2003, providing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with quickness in the leadoff spot and base-stealing ability. As an outfielder with great range, his career .980 fielding percentage is quite sturdy. One can only assume that the absense of power numbers was the reason for his demotion after 2003. During his three years with the Rays, Tyner never hit a home run, striking only 29 extra base hits in 778 at-bats.
Tyner is a married man, with a small child. It would have been easy to gather his winnings from a three year stint in the bigs and retire happily to life after baseball. Most athetes' pride would certainly not allow them to start again at the bottom. In 2004, Tyner signed a minor league contract with the Rangers. He languished there, performing well at the AAA level. But, my beloved Rangers missed on him, never intending to give him a real shot. (Come to think of it; a lot of Rangers outfielders go on to greatness with somebody else. See Travis Hafner, Adrian Gonzalez, Craig Monroe, etc.)
Undaunted, Jason signed the next year with the Twins, hoping to earn another shot for a call up. At the time, to say it was crowded in the Minnesota outfield is putting it mildly, as Rondell White, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, Shannon Stewart, Jason Kubel and others all sought playing time.
Aside from a brief call-up last year, it's been roughly three years since Major League Baseball has recognized the talents of our own Jason Renyt Tyner. A miraculous confluence of injuries gave Tyner the chance he's been toiling for in Rochester, NY the past two years. Stewart, Hunter, Ruben Sierra and Rondell White have all been off and on the DL in the past month.
Jason played his first game July 14th, going 2 for 4 with an RBI. He's played the last 11 games, and is hitting a voracious .372 with a very tidy .400 OBP. His speed has provided dazzling defensive gems against the likes of Cleveland's Casey Blake and Chicago's Joe Crede over the past two weeks. And, since he planted his feet in Minnesota's outfield, the Twins have been baseball's hottest team at 10-1.
But, baseball is a game of numbers. The absense of those almighty power hitting statistics may again spell the end of another few sublime frames of the game that he loves. And, if that be the case, he'll give us just one more lesson. He'll show what a man can do when he gets sent down, but is not encumbered by pride. Armed with his own unique combination of confidence and humility, he'll quietly start going about the business of yet another call up.
