‘I never saw it coming’
Spalding’s Sean Miller ready to retire after being waived by O’s
Sean Miller knew from the outset the coronavirus pandemic could result in cancellation of the entire 2020 baseball season.
The Archbishop Spalding alumnus never imagined it would also mean the end of his career.
Miller was among a large contingent of minor league players released by the Orioles as a cost-saving measure in response to the pandemic. Matt Blood, director of player development for the Orioles, informed the utility infielder on May 20 that his contract was being terminated.
“I was really surprised when I got the call. I never saw it coming,” said Miller, who was coming off a solid 2019 campaign during which he was named a Carolina League All-Star as a member of the Frederick Keys, the Orioles’ Class AAdvanced affiliate.
Baltimore released 37 minor league players on May 20 with those at the higher end of the pay scale apparently being targeted. Miller, a five-year veteran who signed with the Orioles as a minor league free agent, would have made $5,000 per month if assigned to the Double-A level as expected.
“It’s tough. I put in so much effort during the offseason, worked out every single day to get ready,” Miller said. “From what I was told, I was going to be at Bowie. I was feeling really confident about the upcoming season.”
Now Miller has decided to hang up the cleats, ready to move on from baseball and take a new path. That decision was informed by the knowledge minor league baseball will be contracting between now and next season.
Major League Baseball previously announced plans to eliminate a slew of minor league franchises. That means many more minor league players will be out of jobs and free agents such as Miller will have a hard time getting signed.
“With the way things are going right now, I don’t think there will be an opportunity to sign with a team for two or three years. There’s no spots open, nowhere to put all these players,” Miller said. “I don’t have any bad blood toward the Orioles. They gave me an opportunity. What’s going down now in baseball is a bad situation.”
Miller was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft and made it to Triple-A in 2018 with that organization. The Crofton resident only got 33 at-bats in 10 games at Rochester of the International League.
After being released by the Twins, Miller signed with the hometown Orioles as a minor league free agent and was assigned to Bowie. He got off to a rough start at the plate and was demoted to Frederick, basically trading places with highly touted shortstop Mason McCoy.
Miller found his stroke while with the Keys, hitting .270 with16 extra base hits, 25 runs scored and 22 RBIs. That performance earned the 25-year-old a promotion back to Bowie for the Eastern League playoffs.
Baltimore re-signed Miller in February and planned to start him off with the
Baysox for the second straight season. However, coronavirus brought an abrupt end to spring training just two weeks after Miller arrived at the Orioles’ complex in Sarasota, Florida.
“I wasn’t ready to give up playing baseball. It’s just with the way the game is going right now, I don’t feel too good about the future,” said Miller, whohas enrolled in classes at the University of South CarolinaAiken and will resume pursuit of a criminal justice degree in September. “This is a tough way to end, but I don’t have any regrets for my playing career.”
Alas, Miller’s professional baseball career proved very similar to that of his father. Steve Miller, head coach of the Spalding baseball program from 2003 through 2010, had a six-year minor league career with the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. He reached Triple-A in the Pacific Coast League before retiring of his own volition.
“I’m proud of Sean. He accomplished a lot in pro ball. He was a good clubhouse guy who was well liked by his teammates,” said Steve Miller, now a part-time scout with the Kansas City Royals. “Sean worked at his craft every day. He was a very dedicated ballplayer.”
The elder Miller supported his son’s decision and agrees it will be virtually impossible for minor league free agents to find jobs. Steve Miller believes MLB will eliminate 40-plus minor league teams, which roughly translates to cutting 1,600 roster spots.
“There is going to be a complete change in the way baseball operates,” Steve Miller said. “It’s not a bad thing to move on. I made the choice myself. Sean had the decision made for him. He was hurting at first, but he’s better today than he was last week.”