On June 14, Ryan Nutof nailed down his league-leading 10th save for the Kane County Cougars.
Nutof lowered his ERA to 2.25, continuing a dominant season that saw him strike out 23 in 16 innings and put him on the radar for a return to affiliated baseball, maybe even the majors.
The next morning, he walked away from it all.
The South Elgin graduate announced his retirement at age 28, leaving behind the game he loved to pursue a career outside of baseball.
“It was a real struggle,” Nutof said Wednesday. “I pitched really well, throwing 97 (mph) still. People ask me, ‘Why did I go out like that?’ Sometimes, you just get tired of the battle.
“I got some good offers internationally, but I was intrigued by this job. I made the leap of faith.”
The MLB Players Association offers programs to help athletes transition to life after baseball. That’s how Nutof got the idea of perhaps moving on from the playing field.
After some interviews, Nutof was intrigued by an offer from Chicago-based technology company AHEAD. Nutof took some time to think about it, then took the plunge.
“If you would have told me that come July I would be working in tech, I’d think you were crazy,” Nutof said. “I’m just going to work hard and climb my way up this new ladder I’m on.
“The goal remains the same, for sure.”
Cougars manager George Tsamis knew for a couple of weeks before Nutof’s announcement that this move could be on the horizon.
“You can’t blame him,” Tsamis said. “He had to do what was best for him and his family. It’s too bad because he still throws 97 and he could be in Triple-A. We totally get it, though. It was good that he got to come back and pitch at home for a while. It was a real good opportunity.
“We wish him the best. We still reach out to him and say, ‘Why don’t you come pitch for us for a month?’ We’d love for him to still pitch.”
Instead, Nutof will work out of the New York office for AHEAD from his home in Jupiter, Florida, where he moved four years ago to train during the offseason.
“I’m still not fully mentally used to not going to a stadium every day,” Nutof said. “But you wake up every day with an agenda and it brings you back to reality.
“I don’t regret the decision. It’s definitely interesting.”
South Elgin coach Jim Kating said Nutof came back and spoke to his program several times throughout his time in college at Michigan and in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
He was impressed with how Nutof handled this situation.
“It’s been very fun following him through the years,” Kating said. “He was doing well, but he had a time frame on it. If he’s not going to get picked up, then he needed to get on with his life.
“He was a tough competitor. Seeing his maturity and discipline, he’s grown into a solid young man. Whatever he chooses to do, he’ll succeed.”
Former South Elgin pitcher Ryan Nutof throws for Michigan in a 2015 Big Ten game against Iowa. (Jim Mone / AP)
Nutof said he nearly reached his dream of reaching MLB last summer with the Reds.
The letdown of that not happening — and his ensuing trip through free agency in the minor leagues before signing with the Cougars — was on his mind as he contemplated this move.
“I don’t want to say I lost belief in myself,” Nutof said. “You get tired of the fight. I felt like I was always battling the decision-makers, especially when you reach free agency.
“When you’re not getting picked up, you’re going without a paycheck for eight or nine months. It rocks you a little bit. You don’t realize how fragile it is until you’re on the outside looking in.”
Nutof decided to be proactive and go out on his terms. He’s now facing his next challenge with the same intensity as he approached his baseball career.
“I’m very interested in this work,” Nutof said. “It’s the way of the future.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
