The rumor making the rounds on the internet is that LHP Nathan Vineyard has retired. The Mets picked Vineyard out of GA HS in the supplemental first round, 42nd overall in 2007. Vineyard pitched just two games in 2008 for the Savannah Sand Gnats before shutting it down for shoulder surgery.
I believe I’ve found the origin of the rumor with a hattip to reader Darin. Over at Scout.com, the site administrator wrote in a message board post:
Vineyard did “retire” or quit, whatever you want to call it so early in a career.
Maybe he returns down the road, but for now, he’s out of the system.
…..
I found this out from my sources.
The author then follows that up with this:
I’ll have to leave it at this, but all I can say is Vineyard’s departure from the organization was not because the kid couldn’t pitch.
This is clearly unconfirmed, but now I’m inclined to believe that Vineyard will not be at Spring Training in 2009. … Still looking for official confirmation.
Wonderful – the kid’s pulling the ol’ Ryan Jaroncyk (sp?)!
Is this really a big loss? I know the kid was a 1st round pick, but he already had a pretty extensive procedure on his shoulder, which would have caused his stuff, which was already average, to dip even further.
Still, if he’s retiring for a legitimiate reason then so be it, but if he’s retiring because the work is too hard then pay for his taxi and send him home.
is this true? I need to know. Rumors suck!
So he had shoulder surgery, hes young & full of energy, he will bounce back! I think everything just happend so quickly & he needed some time to think. His shoulder will be fine, look at all the old major leauge players who are in the 40′s haveing the same kind of surgery & they are still playing! ie: John Smoltz, Tom Glavin (up until recently). Work isn’t too hard, I would like to see yall out there trying to do what these men do.