Kyle Snyder
Encyclopedia
Kyle Ehren Snyder is an American baseball
player, who is a former relief pitcher
.Snyder played with the Kansas City Royals
and the Boston Red Sox
(-). He is listed at 6-8 and 220 pounds, is a switch hitter
, and throws right-handed.
, Texas
. He graduated from Riverview High School
in Sarasota
, Florida
in 1996. While in high school he lettered
in baseball
, basketball
, swimming
and golf
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
in the amateur draft but chose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill
instead.
Snyder played three years for UNC-Chapel Hill, and also played for the Chatham Athletics
of the Cape Cod Summer league
where he was named the top prospect. In the summer of 1997, Snyder played in the Valley League (wooden-bat league in Virginia for pro prospects) for the Winchester Royals.
(7th pick overall) of the Kansas City Royals. He played for Spokane Indians
in and was named top prospect in the Northwest League
by Baseball America
.
His career with the Royals was hampered by several injuries. He only pitched 2 games in and missed the entire minor league season recovering from Tommy John surgery
. Between and he was on the disabled list
four times including two stays on the 60 day disabled list, missing the entire season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Despite his history with injuries, he was named the 7th-best prospect in the organization by Baseball America in 2003.
Snyder started the season with the Royal's minor league affiliate, Omaha Royals
, and was promoted to the majors on June 8, 2006 to face the Texas Rangers. After giving up
nine runs
(five earned
) and ten hits in a two inning start, he was designated for assignment
.
In June 2006, he was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox. He split the remainder of the season between Boston and the Pawtucket Red Sox
.
Snyder is perhaps best known in Boston for his 4 1/3 inning relief effort for the Red Sox in a July 31, 2006 game against the Cleveland Indians
. Entering the game with Boston trailing 8-6 in the 5th, he held the Indians scoreless before David Ortiz
hit a walk-off 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Red Sox a stunning 9-8 victory. He allowed only 1 hit while walking none and striking out 6.
Snyder's first full season in the majors was in , when he appeared in 46 games, one more than his previous three professional years combined. In January 2007 he signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox avoiding the arbitration
process.
In April , Snyder was designated for assignment
to make room for Josh Beckett
, who was returning from the 15-day disabled list
. Later in the month, he accepted an assignment to remain in the Red Sox organization with Triple-A Pawtucket. He was granted free agency after the 2008 season and signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in January .
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, who is a former relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.Snyder played with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(-). He is listed at 6-8 and 220 pounds, is a switch hitter
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
, and throws right-handed.
Background
Kyle Snyder was born in HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He graduated from Riverview High School
Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida)
Riverview High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Sarasota, Florida, United States. Riverview educates students from ninth grade to twelfth grade. The school has 2,654 students and 161 teachers...
in Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1996. While in high school he lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the amateur draft but chose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
instead.
Snyder played three years for UNC-Chapel Hill, and also played for the Chatham Athletics
Chatham Athletics
The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, MA. Prior to the 2009 season, the team changed its name to the Chatham Anglers due to Major League Baseball Properties' trademark of...
of the Cape Cod Summer league
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in which many college baseball stars play during the summer. Many future Major League Baseball players have started there during their college years; MLB has provided...
where he was named the top prospect. In the summer of 1997, Snyder played in the Valley League (wooden-bat league in Virginia for pro prospects) for the Winchester Royals.
Professional career
In 1999, he was a first round MLB draft pick1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
(7th pick overall) of the Kansas City Royals. He played for Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
in and was named top prospect in the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
.
His career with the Royals was hampered by several injuries. He only pitched 2 games in and missed the entire minor league season recovering from Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. Between and he was on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
four times including two stays on the 60 day disabled list, missing the entire season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Despite his history with injuries, he was named the 7th-best prospect in the organization by Baseball America in 2003.
Snyder started the season with the Royal's minor league affiliate, Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
, and was promoted to the majors on June 8, 2006 to face the Texas Rangers. After giving up
nine runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(five earned
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
) and ten hits in a two inning start, he was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
.
In June 2006, he was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox. He split the remainder of the season between Boston and the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
.
Snyder is perhaps best known in Boston for his 4 1/3 inning relief effort for the Red Sox in a July 31, 2006 game against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. Entering the game with Boston trailing 8-6 in the 5th, he held the Indians scoreless before David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
hit a walk-off 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Red Sox a stunning 9-8 victory. He allowed only 1 hit while walking none and striking out 6.
Snyder's first full season in the majors was in , when he appeared in 46 games, one more than his previous three professional years combined. In January 2007 he signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox avoiding the arbitration
Pendulum arbitration
Pendulum arbitration, otherwise known as final offer arbitration , is a type of interest arbitration in which the arbitrator chooses one of the parties' proposals on each disputed issues. For example, in the case of labor collective bargaining, a trade union may demand a wage increase of 7% and...
process.
In April , Snyder was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
to make room for Josh Beckett
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A...
, who was returning from the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Later in the month, he accepted an assignment to remain in the Red Sox organization with Triple-A Pawtucket. He was granted free agency after the 2008 season and signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in January .