Ty Quillin tried hitting, pitching, saw 6 seasons, high-A
Having started the 1991 season in a slump, Kingsport Met Ty Quillin turned to extra batting practice and help from his manager, Andre David, The Kingsport Times-News wrote.
Quillin then went out and went 3 for 4 en route to helping his team to the win, The Times-News wrote.
"Andre helped us a lot today," Quillin told The Times-News. "I've been trying everything lately. I spread out a lot more tonight to see if that would work, and it did apparently."
Quillin went on from there to see time in a total of six seasons - two of them as a pitcher. He topped out at high-A.
Quillin's career began in 1990, taken by the Mets in the 10th round of the draft out of Nickerson High School in Kansas.
At Nickerson, Quillin also played basketball, including on their 1988-1989 state championship team. Going into the next season, though the team's coach Don Moeckel had passed away at the age of 61 and worked to continue, The Wichita Eagle wrote.
"He taught us a lot of things," Quillin, then a senior, told The Eagle in November 1989. "To do our best, teach the kids, keep our grades up. He was just a friend really. There aren't many like him."
Quillin started with the Mets in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He saw 34 games as an outfielder and hit .134. He played 1991 at rookie Kingsport and hit .191 over 63 games, with two home runs and 22 RBI.
For 1992, he played between Kingsport and short-season Pittsfield. He started at Pittsfield and reacted to the team park's unusually large outfield dimensions to The Berkshire Eagle that June.
"I'm going to have to learn to take it the other way, I guess," Quillin marveled to The Eagle.
Quillin saw 15 games at Pittsfield and 20 at Kingsport. He hit .245.
He then tried pitching for 1993. He saw 17 outings in the GCL that year and went 3-1, with a 2.70 ERA and six saves. Back at Pittsfield for 1994, he went 0-1 in 20 relief outings, with a 7.30 ERA.
He's then recorded as making one last attempt at hitting with the Orioles at high-A Frederick in 1995. He saw 16 games and hit .122 to end his career.
- Wichita Eagle, Nov. 25, 1989: Trying to cope with loss
- Kingsport Times-News, July 22, 1991: K-Mets thrash Braves, 8-3
- Berkshire Eagle, June 15, 1992: New Mets face quirky outfield
Made the Majors:1,468-31.8%
Never Made Majors:3,153-68.2%-X