Lakewood Ranch graduate’s life in minor leagues takes unexpected turn

He was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to the Philadelphia Phillies organization on July 31.

By Ryan Kohn
| 8:00 a.m. August 2, 2017

Seth McGarry signs a jersey for the Miracle League of Manasota.

East County
Sports

It was the top of the ninth inning at LECOM Stadium on July 29, and Bradenton Marauders closer Seth McGarry delivered a perfect strike.

Not with a baseball, though.

The Marauders were losing to the Palm Beach Cardinals, 12-3, and McGarry, the team’s all-star closer, was not getting in the game.

McGarry and catcher John Bormann were in the midst of a sunflower seed flick-off, and McGarry was getting the best of him. It was an example of what happens in a minor league bullpen when games are all but decided.

For minor league players, life doesn’t come with the glitz and glamour of Major League Baseball. So as players chase the dream of those perks, life can be a grind, and activities like seed wars help keep things light.

Grade A season

As of July 29, Lakewood Ranch High graduate Seth McGarry held a 1-0 record with 14 saves and a 1.34 ERA for the Bradenton Marauders. He was named a Florida State League All-Star in June. His 12-straight converted saves to begin the season is a Marauders' record.

What they're saying about Seth McGarry

Matt Ford, Bradenton pitching coach: He's doing a better job of pounding the strike zone aggressively. He knows how to use his weapons more than ever. He controls the pace and tempo."

Christian Kelley, catcher: "His velocity is up, that's probably the biggest thing, and he is getting ahead of batters a lot better than last year. He's able to land his off-speed stuff for strikes consistently. That's a recipe for success."

Daniel Zamora, pitcher: "Everything's a lot more simplified. He's not trying to strike guys out, he's trying to get ground balls and get guys out. I think, compared to last year, it's a much more simplified approach. It's kind of taken off to a whole new level."

Things can get a lot heavier for minor league players, as they did for McGarry on July 31 when he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Before that day, the 23-year-old McGarry had it easier than most. He was born and raised in the area, attending Lakewood Ranch High before graduating in 2012 and enrolling at Florida Atlantic University. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2015, and began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Pirates.

He has lived with his wife, Clare McGarry, in Bradenton and is just 10 minutes from his mother, Donna McGarry. His mother went to Marauder games often, and he and his brother, Hunter McGarry, went fishing once a week. The proximity to family made the transition to professional ball easier, McGarry said. It’s not something he took for granted.

“To be able to go home and have a home-cooked meal, when other guys are away from home for six months out of the year, at least, I caught a lucky break,” he said.

Whether his lifestyle changes now is questionable. McGarry will report to the Phillies’ Clearwater Single A team after being traded to the Phillies for major league right-handed reliever Joanuin Benoit.

“It was just really unexpected,” he said. “It’s a new opportunity, but it was a little sad to have to say goodbye to the guys and coaching staff. I’m going to miss playing at home, but thankfully I’m not too far away.”

At a news conference July 31, Phillies General Manager Matt Klentak said McGarry would fit well into their system but gave few clues about any future plans.

If only from a food standpoint, McGarry has to be a little concerned about the future. Minor league teams seldom offer five-star food, and McGarry was able to shield himself from a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and overcooked chicken and pork by eating at home.

He might now be experiencing more of what he had heard about minor league life from his friend, Michael Suchy, who was drafted by the Pirates in 2014 and now plays with the AA Altoona Curve.

“I heard it was a lot of long bus trips, late nights, getting to the field early and being there all day,” McGarry said. “That’s just an everyday thing. It’s not like college, where you played four games a week. It’s every day.”

The bus trips warning was true. The Marauders had plenty of three-hour bus trips as they traveled around the Florida State League.

His traveling habits aren’t likely to change. He rarely brings headphones on the bus, instead choosing to take up his time by looking at scenery or texting with friends. Napping is difficult because he still hasn’t figured out the secret to sleeping on a bus.

Whether with the Pirates or the Phillies, he said the minor league experience is not like the “Bull Durham” movie with groupies waiting for players after games. There’s not much nightlife at all, McGarry said. Part of that has to do with being located in Bradenton, but McGarry noted he goes home to his wife anyway.

There is one thing “Bull Durham” had right. Baseball is ripe for joking around.

“It’s poking fun at each other,” McGarry said. “It’s laughing at someone else’s expense, maybe from something they did the day before.”

He might not be laughing much for the time being as he gets used to his new teammates, but he isn’t afraid of it, either.

“It’s important to fit in with everyone and show empathy,” McGarry said. “You have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and connect. To get where you want to go, you’re going to want to try to become friends with guys who have similar goals.”