A former Los Angeles Dodger has decided to hang up his cleats and instead enter a new field, though he’s doing so with a nod to his baseball roots.
Sheldon Neuse, who played for the Boys in Blue in 2021 and also spent parts of a couple seasons with the Oakland Athletics, announced his retirement on social media.
Neuse, 31, announced he’s leaving professional sports for his Texas roofing business, which he named Grand Slam Roofing.
“I have retired from baseball and started a roofing company in DFW,” he wrote on social media. “To those who supported my baseball career, thank you! I started this company with the idea of giving homeowners someone who is honest and trustworthy. If I can be of any service, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Sheldon Neuse’s baseball career
While Neuse only played briefly for the Dodgers, he also appeared in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, where he homered off of future Dodger Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 2023 Japan Series, as reported by J.P. Hoornstra of The Big Lead.
His big moment, however, came in Game 7, when he blasted a three-run home run to break a scoreless tie on the way to a 7-1 victory for the Hanshin Tigers on their way to a series win.
For his MLB career, he hit seven home runs and had 37 RBIs to go with a slash line of .212/.262/.296/.558.
Fans show appreciation for Sheldon Neuse
Given his big impact on NPB, it’s no surprise that Neuse’s announcement was met by plenty of comments from Japanese fans.
“I’ve been waiting for your update,” wrote @Tokiwamatsu41. “No matter where you go, we Hanshin Tigers fans will never forget your massive contribution to our 2023 championship. We miss you so much!”
Others expressed a bit of disappointment seeing Neuse retire at only age 31.
“I’ve been keeping tabs on you ever since you signed with the Hanshin Tigers, and I’d been suspicious because there’d been no updates on baseball-related activities since last year, but it’s disappointing to hear that you’re quitting baseball altogether,” wrote @umaokai. “I figured that since you’re still young, even after leaving the Hanshin organization, you’d continue playing baseball in the minor leagues or something.”
There were other fans, though, who wished him success in the next stage of his life.
“Your new challenge of running a roofing company back in your hometown of Texas—We’re cheering you on from Japan!” wrote @kaorukarasawa. “Good luck with your new business!”
