Playing Until You Can’t: Shane Tucker on Mental Health, Resilience, and Rediscovering Baseball

In the latest episode of On the Clock, Shane Tucker, a former FIU and LIU pitcher, opens up about his unconventional and often challenging college baseball journey, from COVID disruptions and Tommy John surgery to rediscovering joy in the game. 

The interview stems from Tucker’s viral Twitter thread chronicling his baseball and mental health story, which resonated widely. “I wasn’t attempting to try and go viral,” Tucker shared. “I thought I was just telling a story of a human experience… maybe the reason that it went viral was because everybody could relate to it.”

Throughout the conversation, Tucker emphasized the mental shifts he had to make as he matured as an athlete, especially learning to detach from metrics and results. “If you plant a seed and just expect any growth at all, the first sign of growth will excite,” he said, reflecting on the dangers of obsessing over velocity and spin rate. 

Instead, he grew to embrace the day-to-day process and the value of being a great teammate. “It was the happiest I’ve ever been playing baseball,” he said of his final year, despite throwing the fewest innings. “I wanted to show up because it was important to watch everyone succeed and everyone smile.”

Tucker also spoke candidly about the importance of therapy and mental wellness, particularly for athletes juggling performance pressures. 

“Mental health is a skill that we can learn to train,” he said. “We all do shoulder workouts… so why can’t we also get stronger mentally?” 

For Tucker, summer ball embodied the joy of baseball at its purest and served as a reminder of why he fell in love with the sport. “I wish I could just play summer ball for the rest of my life,” he laughed. “You got to play until you can’t, because you will miss it.”

As Tucker steps away from playing, his message resonates far beyond baseball: Success isn’t measured solely by innings pitched or miles per hour, but by growth, connection, and showing up with purpose. 

Whether it’s leaning on teammates during long bus rides or seeking help in the face of adversity, his story is a reminder that fulfillment often comes not from the stat sheet but from the relationships we build and the resilience we carry. 

“You’re never alone,” he said. “Everyone deals with something—but if you keep showing up and keep learning, that’s winning too.”