Samuel Isaac Dyson (born May 7, 1988) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
for the
Toros de Tijuana
The Toros de Tijuana (or Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican Baseball team based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They are members of the Mexican Baseball League and play their home games at Estadio Chevron.
Team history
Original Attempt
The fr ...
of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. He previously played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB) for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
,
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The fra ...
,
Texas Rangers,
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
, and
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. He played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
at
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. Dyson is one of the few people to have won both a
College World Series
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
and a
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
.
Early life and education
Dyson was born in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough ...
, to Sid and Gwenn Dyson.
He attended
Tampa Jesuit High School,
pitching all four years on the school's baseball team and finishing with a 10-1 record in his senior year.
He was selected by the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in the 19th round of the
2006 MLB draft, but elected to attend college instead.
At the
University of South Carolina, he was sidelined with an injury in his freshman year and received a medical redshirt.
He posted an 8–0 record with a 4.09 ERA in 2008.
At the end of his sophomore year, he was selected in the 10th round of the
2009 Major League Baseball Draft, but decided to continue in college.
Following his senior year, in which he posted a 6–5 record with a 4.25 ERA,
he was drafted by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in the fourth round of the
2010 MLB draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
First-round selections
The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team p ...
.
Minor League career
Dyson did not pitch professionally in 2010 after undergoing
labrum repair surgery, and he missed the entire 2011 season recovering from
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...
on his right elbow. In 2+ seasons in the minor leagues, Dyson posted a 2–0 record with 3 saves, a 2.56 ERA, 13 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 52.2 innings.
Major League career
Toronto Blue Jays
Dyson was called up to the MLB on July 5, 2012.
[ He was the first Blue Jays player from the 2010 draft to reach the MLB. He made his MLB debut later that day to get the final out in the 7th inning. After walking Billy Butler, Dyson struck out Yuniesky Betancourt. On July 19, ]Yan Gomes
Yan Gomes (; ; born July 19, 1987) is a Brazilian-American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and Oakland At ...
was called up to the Jays, and Dyson was sent back to Double-A New Hampshire after making 2 appearances over 2 weeks. In of an inning, Dyson allowed 3 earned runs and struck out 1. He was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
on January 22, 2013, to make room on the 40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...
for Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2013. He played for the Atlanta Braves (1998–2004), Texas Rangers (2005–2006), Chicago Cu ...
.
Miami Marlins
On January 30, 2013, Dyson was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The fra ...
. Dyson was assigned to Double-A Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
to begin 2013. On July 7, Dyson was placed on the disabled list with a lower back strain after a start against Chattanooga. Dyson was elected to participate in the Southern League All-Star Game
The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the teams of the Double-A Southern League. Each division, North and South, fielded a team composed of players in ...
, but didn't play because of the injury. In 16 games (15 starts) before the break, he went 3–7 with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 41 in 75.1 innings. After making one rehab assignment with the GCL Marlins
The Florida Complex League Marlins are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Miami Marlins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Marlins. The team plays ...
, he was assigned to Triple-A , where he made 5 more starts. In the minors in 2013, Dyson went 4–11 with a 2.67 ERA, striking out 62 in 111.1 innings. On August 29, Dyson was recalled by the Marlins, replacing Arquimedes Caminero
Arquímedes Euclides Caminero Ordóñez (born June 16, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners. He also played in Nippo ...
. He made his Marlins debut that day, pitching 2 innings, while giving up 5 hits and 3 earned runs. After making 2 more relief appearances, Dyson made his first major league start on September 16 against the Phillies, lasting only 2.2 innings, giving up 7 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks, striking out 1. In 5 games (1 start) for the Marlins in 2013, Dyson went 0–2, giving up 11 runs in 11 innings while striking out 5 and walking 5.
Texas Rangers
On July 31, 2015, the Marlins traded Dyson to the Texas Rangers for Tomás Telis and Cody Ege. Dyson would finish his 2015 season with a 3.69 ERA. On October 8, 2015, Dyson made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the ALDS
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
against his former team, the Blue Jays, earning the save. On October 14, Dyson gave up the go-ahead three run homer to José Bautista
José Antonio Bautista Santos (born October 19, 1980), nicknamed "Joey Bats", is a Dominican special advisor for the general manager of the Leones del Escogido and former professional baseball right fielder and third baseman. He played in ...
in the bottom of the 7th inning of the deciding Game 5, which the Rangers lost, 6–3, thus losing the series in 5 games. In that inning he also got into a couple of altercations with Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Clevela ...
and Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Trevor Tulowitzki (born October 10, 1984), nicknamed "Tulo", is an American retired professional baseball shortstop, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Colorado Rockies. He also played for the Toronto B ...
, which caused both benches to clear. The altercations were a direct reaction to Bautista's go-ahead home run and events that took place in the top of that inning.
Dyson would take over as the Rangers' full-time closer halfway through the 2016 season, after a lackluster performance from Shawn Tolleson. Dyson was pivotal for Texas, as he finished with 38 saves in 43 opportunities and a 2.43 ERA, 55 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP.
After starting the 2017 season with a 10.80 ERA over 17 appearances, Dyson was designated for assignment on June 2.
San Francisco Giants
On June 6, 2017, the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
announced they had acquired Dyson from the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
. With Mark Melancon heading to the disabled list, Dyson became the new closer.
Minnesota Twins
On July 31, 2019, the Giants traded Dyson to the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
in exchange for Jaylin Davis, Prelander Berroa, and Kai-Wei Teng. Dyson underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder at the end of the 2019 season. Dyson elected free agency following the 2019 season.
On March 5, 2021, Dyson, a free agent at the time, was suspended for the entirety of the 2021 season after violating the off-the-field personal conduct policy, regarding a domestic violence case stemming back in 2019.
Toros de Tijuana
On April 18, 2022, Dyson signed with the Toros de Tijuana
The Toros de Tijuana (or Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican Baseball team based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They are members of the Mexican Baseball League and play their home games at Estadio Chevron.
Team history
Original Attempt
The fr ...
of the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
.
International career
Dyson pitched for the United States team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic
The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to March 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts ...
. He helped the U.S. win the tournament by pitching six perfect innings.
Controversy
While playing for the Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...
's New Orleans Zephyrs
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
, Dyson was involved in a fight with Zephyrs' teammate Chris Hatcher at a Nashville bar on April 29, 2014. Hatcher broke Dyson's jaw in the fight, resulting in surgery which put Dyson on the injured list for six weeks and a 5-game suspension for Hatcher for conduct detrimental to the team.
After giving up the series-clinching home run to Toronto Blue Jays' right fielder José Bautista
José Antonio Bautista Santos (born October 19, 1980), nicknamed "Joey Bats", is a Dominican special advisor for the general manager of the Leones del Escogido and former professional baseball right fielder and third baseman. He played in ...
in game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
, Dyson confronted Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Clevela ...
of the Blue Jays and informed him that he did not approve of Bautista's subsequent bat flip. Dyson also became involved in a confrontation with Blue Jays' shortstop Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Trevor Tulowitzki (born October 10, 1984), nicknamed "Tulo", is an American retired professional baseball shortstop, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Colorado Rockies. He also played for the Toronto B ...
over his displeasure. The exchanges led to both dugouts emptying and a long delay in completing the game. In explaining his actions afterwards, Dyson told reporters, "(Bautista)'s a huge role model for the younger generation that's coming up and playing this game. He's doing stuff that kids do in whiffle ball games and backyard baseball."
On November 26, 2019, Dyson was accused of domestic violence
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...
by an ex-girlfriend, prompting an investigation by Major League Baseball. The alleged victim, Alexis Blackburn, said in two lengthy Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
posts that Dyson had bullied her and was violent towards both her and her cat during the time they were a couple. On March 5, 2021, MLB suspended Dyson the entire 2021 season as a violation of the league's personal conduct policy.
On December 29, 2021, Blackburn accused Dyson of rape, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. In the complaint, Blackburn alleged that Dyson pointed a loaded gun at her in February 2017 and raped her two years later. The filing also accused Dyson of emotional distress towards Blackburn and stated that he frequently used racial slurs when referring to other MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
players.
References
External links
South Carolina Gamecocks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dyson, Sam
1988 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Baseball players from Tampa, Florida
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Gulf Coast Marlins players
Jacksonville Suns players
Jesuit High School (Tampa) alumni
Major League Baseball pitchers
Miami Marlins players
Minnesota Twins players
New Hampshire Fisher Cats players
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Salt River Rafters players
San Francisco Giants players
South Carolina Gamecocks baseball players
Texas Rangers players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Toros de Tijuana players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2017 World Baseball Classic players