By Jaylon Thompson
The Kansas City Star
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sam Long took a moment to find his composure.
On a hot February afternoon, Long took the baseball and walked onto the mound at the Kansas City Royals’ spring training complex in Surprise, Arizona .
Opportunity stood in front of him. Long, a non-roster invitee, had just signed a minor-league deal with the Royals last December. Now, he was tasked with making another MLB roster — a journey he was all too familiar with.
“I look at the batter and say, ‘It’s me vs. you,’” Long said.
It’s a mindset Long has carried for a while. He’s experienced ups and downs from the moment he was drafted.
Long was selected in the 18th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays . Things started well but quickly began to unravel. Long, who starred at Sacramento State, found himself back on campus two years later.
He was out of baseball. His dream of making his MLB debut was on hold with no signs of continuing.
“The timing of it, when I was released, was kind of tricky because I couldn’t take any college credits until the fall,” Long said. “I was released during the spring semester and so I kind of had like a six month gap.”
Long contemplated his next move. Once again, he needed to find a path forward.
So he decided to explore a longstanding passion and pursued a career as an emergency medical technician (EMT).
A new career path emerges
Long took an accelerated program through Sacramento State. His goal was to learn the necessary emergency skills to help people. He was drawn to emergency service from a young age and wanted to be a firefighter.
That passion ran in his family, too.
Long’s uncle, Wes, is a veteran firefighter and would take him on ride-alongs. Long enjoyed being around the fire station and watching the firefighters lend a helping hand in the community.
“It always appealed to me to potentially be able to do that after baseball was over,” Long said. “I kind of had my mind set on that as a possible plan B. And so, when I was released, I felt like baseball wasn’t gonna happen for me. I just figured I’d go to that next.”
Long didn’t have any EMT experience. So the accelerated course was the perfect way to jump-start his potential second act.
EMTs provide out-of-hospital emergency care and transportation for medical patients. It’s common for EMTs to also help stabilize and assist patients, alongside paramedics, en route to the hospital.
There are different levels of EMTs. Applicants can receive certification and pursue a career in the field.
Long completed the accelerated program and received his EMT certification in 2018. He was able to take more ride-alongs with the Sacramento City Fire Department . Additionally, he made a few trips to help out at nursing homes.
“I thought EMT was a perfect fit for me to get my feet wet and learn a little bit about what I was gonna be asked to do,” Long said.
Along the way, Long had another revelation. He found a new perspective regarding his situation outside of baseball.
Staying connected to baseball
When he wasn’t attending his EMT program, Long was instructing pitching sessions and helping young kids learn the game. Long was content with his new reality but decided to give baseball one last shot that fall.
He trained at Optimum Athletes in Sacramento in 2018. He regained his pitching form and was eventually hearing from MLB teams again. Optimum was a big help in posting his bullpen videos to X/Twitter.
The Chicago White Sox caught wind of his training sessions and offered him a minor-league contract.
In 2019, Long was back in organized baseball. He posted a 3.06 ERA in 30 games for the White Sox’s Single-A affiliate.
Two years later, he made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants . Long had previously joined the Giants after COVID-19 shut down the 2020 minor-league season.
Long appeared in 12 games with the Giants in 2021. He bounced between Triple-A and the majors before landing with the Oakland Athletics last season.
In Oakland , Long had a 5.60 ERA in 40 games. He was once again a free agent and decided to try to latch on with the Royals.
The decision has worked out this season.
A landing spot with the Royals
Long is 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 26 relief appearances. Despite not making the Royals’ opening-day roster, Long has settled into a high-leverage role in the bullpen.
“I think he has been really consistent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, we’ve talked about how he could’ve easily been on the team coming out of spring training. He had a great spring and his stuff held up very well. He’s very consistent getting righties and lefties out. He throws a lot of strikes. I would say he’s really developed just in the fact that he’s getting more opportunities.”
And he has developed a good relationship with Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney .
Sweeney has helped Long improve his pitching arsenal. He also shares a unique connection with Long as a volunteer firefighter himself. Sweeney’s father has been a firefighter for 36 years.
So, he understands the perspective Long gained from being an EMT. It’s been key in helping Long perform at a high level.
“His heartbeat — I said that about a few guys on this team — the heartbeat is pretty calm,” Sweeney said. “Not unlike responding to a call as a firefighter or EMT, but they’re able to channel that energy and execute the task at hand.”
Execution is key for any reliever. Long leans on similar EMT principles to help him find success on the mound. He knows his job depends on his ability to perform. There are people depending on him to administer help and support.
Just like his teammates when he steps on the mound in a tough relief jam.
“You have a job to do,” Long said. “You have something where you know what you need to get the job done. Whether you are trying to save someone’s life or trying to get out of a jam late in the game, it’s almost the same approach. You’ve got to focus on what you need to do.”
Perspective
“In some ways, it helps you kind of manage what’s going on and helps you look at things a little bit differently throughout the year,” Long said.
Long still thinks about his EMT chapter. He is no longer certified, but still enjoys helping his brother, Jake Schmit , as he goes through firefighter training.
“My focus is 100% on baseball and doing what I need to do to stay in the game,” Long said. “And so that’s not on the radar quite yet. But there are people in my life where that is something they are pursuing.”
For now, Long channels all that he has learned to a different kind of relief. One that could help the Royals make a postseason push after an eight-year drought.
“He really showed when he went to Omaha that he belongs here,” Sweeney said. “You know, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in without him.”
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