| Tyler Herron | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1986-08-05)August 5, 1986 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
| Died: October 22, 2021(2021-10-22) (aged 35) Wellington, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
Tyler Daschiel Herron (August 5, 1986 – October 22, 2021) was an Americanright-handedprofessional baseballpitcher.
As a senior atWellington High School in Florida, Herron led the nation with a 0.25ERA. He was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals in the First Round of the2005 Major League Baseball Draft. Herron was ranked theMidwest League # 11 prospect in 2007, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 10 prospect, byBaseball America. He pitched for theHonolulu Sharks in the Rookie 2008Hawaii Winter Baseball League, and led the league with a 0.69 ERA. Pitching for theIndios de Mayagüez in the winter of 2014, he was a post-season Puerto RicoLiga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente All Star and aCaribbean World Series All Star. He pitched as high as Triple–A in 2014 and 2016, for the Washington Nationals and New York Mets farm teams. In 2016, pitching for theFargo-Moorhead RedHawks, he led the independentAmerican Association with a 0.80 ERA.
Herron pitched forTeam Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
In total, at all levels he pitched 16 seasons, and had a record of 103-95. Herron died on October 22, 2021, aged 35.
Herron was born and grew up inWest Palm Beach, Florida.[1][2] He later lived inWellington, Florida.[3] He was of Puerto Rican descent, andone of his grandmothers was Jewish—as a result of which he was eligible to play for Team Israel.[4]
He attendedWellington High School, in Wellington, Florida.[1] Initially, in high school Herron playedshortstop andthird base.[2] As a senior for the Wellington Wolverines, Herron led the nation with a 0.25 ERA, and struck out 81 batters in 57 innings.[5] He was named to the 2005ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Second Team, along with among others future major leaguersIke Davis andScott Van Slyke.[6]
Herron was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals in the first round (46th, overall) of the2005 Major League Baseball Draft.[1] His agent was Jim Munsey, his formerT-ball pitcher.[5] He received a $675,000signing bonus.[7]
He began his professional career in 2005 with theJohnson City Cardinals of the RookieAppalachian League, going 0–3 in 13 starts with a 5.62 ERA and 49 strikeouts in49+2⁄3 innings as he kept opponents to a .245 batting average.[8] Herron was ranked the Appalachian League # 20 prospect, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 12 prospect, in 2005 byBaseball America.[9]
The following season, pitching for Johnson City, on August 13, 2006, Herron was voted Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week.[1] In 13 starts for Johnson City he was 5–6 with one complete game and a 4.13 ERA, and he lost his one start with theState College Spikes of the Low–ANew York-Penn League while giving up two runs in six innings.[1] He was ranked the Appalachian League # 13 prospect, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 18 prospect, in 2006 byBaseball America.[9] Pitching for Johnson City and State College, he averaged 8.88 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, third-best among Cardinals' minor leaguers.[2]
In June 2007, pitching for the Single–ASwing of the Quad Cities, Herron was named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month.[7] On July 2, 2007, Herron was votedMidwest League Pitcher of the Week.[1] For the season he was 10–7 with a 3.74 ERA, and in137+1⁄3 innings gave up 26 walks while he had 130 strikeouts (6th in the league) as he kept opponents to a .240 batting average.[1][10] He averaged 1.69 walks per nine innings as a starter, which was 4th-lowest among Midwest League starters, and his strikeout/walk ratio of 5.00 led the league.[7][10] He threw primarily a mid-90s sinkingfastball, a solidchangeup, and acurveball with a good break.[2][11][12] He was ranked the Midwest League # 11 prospect in 2007, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 10 prospect, byBaseball America.[9]
Pitching for the High–APalm Beach Cardinals, on August 4, 2008, Herron was votedFlorida State League Pitcher of the Week.[1] For the season for the team, he was 2–2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 starts, and in56+2⁄3 innings he gave up 11 walks as he kept opponents to a .234 batting average.[1] Pitching for theSpringfield Cardinals of the Double–ATexas League, Herron was 5–5 with a 5.20 ERA.[1] He was ranked the St. Louis Cardinals # 23 prospect after the 2008 season byBaseball America.[9] He pitched for theHonolulu Sharks in the Rookie 2008Hawaii Winter Baseball League, and led the league with a 0.69 ERA.[13]
Pitching for the Springfield Cardinals in 2009 he was 2–4 with a 4.34 ERA in 9 starts.[1] Herron was released by the Cardinals organization on June 3, 2009.[9]
On June 12, 2009, Herron signed a minor league contract with thePittsburgh Pirates.[9] Pitching the remainder of the season for theAltoona Curve of the Double–AEastern League, he was 0–2 with a 4.50 ERA.[1] He was released by the Pirates organization on October 30.[9]
In 2010, Herron pitched for theKalamazoo Kings in the independentFrontier League, primarily as a reliever, throwing between 89 and 93 mph with his fastball, and was 1-3 with three saves and a 3.50 ERA.[14][15] He did not pitch in 2011 due to rehabilitation from surgery for an arm injury.[15][16]
In 2012, Herron pitched for theFargo-Moorhead Redhawks of the independentAmerican Association, going 12–3 with a 3.29 ERA (6th in the league) in 23 games (17 starts) over 123 innings with 105 strikeouts (6th in the league) and 30 walks.[15] His 12 wins tied for second-best in the league, and his strikeouts/walks ratio of 3.50 was 7th-best in the league.[17]
On December 7, 2012, theWashington Nationals signed Herron as a free agent to a minor league contract.[1] In 2013, he pitched for thePotomac Nationals of the High–ACarolina League, for whom he was 1–1 with one save and a 1.70 ERA. Herron struck out 32 batters in20+1⁄3 innings as he kept opponents to a .222 batting average. With theHarrisburg Senators of the Double–A Eastern League, he was 6–2 with fivesaves and a 3.11 ERA as he struck out 58 batters in46+1⁄3 innings and kept opponents to a .247 batting average.[1]
Pitching for theIndios de Mayagüez in the winter of 2013, in thePuerto RicoLiga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, in 19 games (third in the league) in relief Herron was 1–0 with 12 saves and a 0.84 ERA (leading the league, for all pitchers with 20 or more innings pitched).[18][19]
In 2014, Herron returned to Double–A Harrisburg, for whom he was 3–2 with six saves and a 2.73 ERA in 48 relief appearances (tied for 6th in the league), and also pitched for theSyracuse Chiefs of the Triple–AInternational League (for whom he pitched1+2⁄3 innings).[1][20]
Pitching for the Indios de Mayagüez in the winter of 2014, he was a post-season Puerto Rico Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente All Star.[1] Pitching for Puerto Rico in 2014, Herron was aCaribbean World Series All Star.[1][21]
In 2015, Herron pitched for theFargo-Moorhead RedHawks of theAmerican Association, and was 6–7 with a 4.47 ERA in 20 starts, tied for second in the league with fourcomplete games and twoshutouts, and was third in the American Association with 119 strikeouts in 131 innings.[22][17] Pitching for the Indios de Mayagüez in the Puerto Rico Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente in the winter of 2015, he was 5–2 with a 1.96 ERA in 18 relief appearances.[18]
In 2016, Herron returned to Fargo-Moorhead, and led the American Association with a 0.80 ERA in 56 innings in which he walked 12 batters, had a 5–1 record with two shutouts, and held opponents to a .161 batting average.[23][24]
On June 28, 2016, Herron signed a minor league contract with theNew York Mets.[1] He spent the remainder of the campaign with theBinghamton Mets of the Double–A Eastern League, for whom he was 2–6 with a 6.32 ERA in 11 starts, and theLas Vegas 51s of the Triple–APacific Coast League, for whom he was 1–0 with a 2.70 ERA.[1] Herron elected free agency following the season on November 7.[25]
On March 28, 2017, Herron signed with theTigres de Quintana Roo of theMexican League. He made 12 starts, finishing with a record of 3–5 and a 5.52 ERA before he was released on June 11.[26]
Herron re-signed with theFargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association on June 20, 2017, and logged a 9-3 record with three complete games and an ERA of 2.92.[27]
On January 30, 2018, Herron was traded to theLincoln Saltdogs of theAmerican Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Pitching for Lincoln in the first half of 2018, he registered a 4-5 record and a 7.33 ERA.[18]
On July 12, 2018, Herron was claimed off waivers by theWinnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association.[28] Pitching for Goldeyes in 2018, he compiled a 2-4 record with two complete games, one shutout, and a 3.19 ERA in36+2⁄3 innings.[18] He was released following the conclusion of the 2018 season.
On May 1, 2019, Herron signed with theHigh Point Rockers of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 17 starts for the team, he was 2–7 with a 6.05 ERA over93+2⁄3 innings.[18]
On July 31, 2019, he was traded to theSioux Falls Canaries of theAmerican Association of Independent Professional Baseball. In seven starts for the team, he was 1-3 with one complete game and a 3.78 ERA over 50 innings.[29] Herron was released by the Canaries on February 4, 2020. However, he later re-signed with the team on May 21. In 2020 for the Canaries, Herron posted a 7-1 record with one complete game and a 4.60 ERA in76+1⁄3 innings, while also serving as the team’sbench coach.[18][3]
On May 4, 2021, Herron was released by the Canaries.[30]
On June 15, 2021, Herron signed with theFargo-Moorhead RedHawks of theAmerican Association of Professional Baseball.[30] Herron struggled to a 15.26 ERA in 3 appearances, in which he pitched a total of7+2⁄3 innings. Herron was released by the RedHawks on June 30.[30]
Herron's career eight-season minor league record was 38–41, with a 4.12 ERA, and 588 strikeouts in 667 innings.[23] His career foreign league record over nine seasons was 16–13 with a 3.77 ERA, and 192 strikeouts in 234 innings.[18] In addition, his career independent league record over 10 seasons was 49–41, with a 4.03 ERA, with 640 strikeouts over800+2⁄3 innings.[18] In total, at all levels he pitched 16 seasons facing 7,323 batters, had a record of 103-95 with 38 saves and a 4.10 ERA, and 1,420 strikeouts in1701+2⁄3 innings.[18]
Herron was on the roster forIsrael at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier, but did not pitch.[31][32]
Herron pitched forTeam Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in March 2017.[33] He said it was: "The best experience I've ever had in baseball for sure... It was the coolest experience I've ever had."[24]
Herron died of unknown causes at his apartment inWellington, Florida on October 22, 2021, aged 35.[34][35]