Thursday, February 5, 2015

Chris Martin’s “Rags to Riches” Tale


Chris Martin has been showcased on the blog in Meet a Prospect but one subject we did not touch on in that post was what he did without baseball. Martin was drafted twice and never signed before hurting his arm pitching for a community college. Martin’s arm did not respond to the surgery and his baseball career and college career seemed over forcing Chris to take a job five years ago in a warehouse in Arlington, Texas pushing around 650 lbs. refrigerators onto dollies. Martin was living the American dream but it wasn’t his American dream.

Martin was working from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm in the lawn and garden section at Lowe’s and working from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm loading 53 foot trailers for UPS at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Martin has come a long way since then pitching in the Major Leagues with the Colorado Rockies and now coming to Yankees spring training camp in 2015 wearing #61. Martin has come a long way since that 2008 season when he couldn’t throw without pain in his arm and has a high school friend to thank for him trying out for baseball again.

Jordan Bostick was his name and was a warehouse manager at Texas Appliance in Arlington. Bostick suggested Martin work for him to try and get him out of having to work two jobs to make ends meet. One day in June of 2010 Bostick took out a catcher’s mitt in the warehouse and they started to play catch. Martin reportedly was throwing hard with no pain in his surgically repaired shoulder and even joined a friend’s men’s league team to pitch and reported no pain. Martin took this opportunity and tried out for an Independent team and caught the eye of Pete Incaviglia. Long story short Incaviglia was impressed with the velocity of Martin’s fastball, 95 MPH comfortably in the tryout, and signed him for $800 a month. Martin responded by going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA which led to Incaviglia calling a Red Sox scout to come check out what he had found.

The rest, as they say, is history. I loved reading this sort of rags to riches story and had to share it with everyone here. Martin is a Yankee now and we are damn glad to have him, his hard work and his character on the team.


6 comments:

  1. YOAN MONCADA.....the time is at hand to draw the line in the sand.

    The Dodgers want him big time.
    Multiple other teams want him also, if the price fits.
    The Yankees want him also. But, this time we have a real difference maker. And, I would
    hope the Yankees know it.
    A hybrid of Cano. Maybe not the power, but he has more talent.

    Young, raw, 20 year old, five tool talent. No, not Stephen Drew.

    And there he sits. With the line in the sand. A Dodger line in the sand.
    Don't let the Dodgers take away what you need. Screw them.

    Bottom line....plug this guy in early on in this season, and throw away players not needed.
    I keep repeating...but what if you have a Ricky Henderson type, playing second base ?
    Add another plus arm, and stranger things have happened.

    Don't let the Dodgers, or some dumb ass team, steal your future. Erase that F'n line in the sand.
    Get this guy, and ramp up this team. Just do it.

    I give you my word.
    If they cave, when it comes to getting Moncada...my mouse goes into the shit can.
    I have fifty miles of beaches to explore, and I will not waste my summer months on a
    " you could'a been a contender team."



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  2. patrick

    We honestly have the upper hand if we're willing to go all in fiscally. The Yankees are a huge brand worldwide. What we lack in other Cuban born players (for comfort and transitional purposes and all that) we make up for in everything else.

    This is ours to lose in my very bias and not so humble (on this matter anyway) opinion.

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  3. The Yankees held back from spending big money this year (no, 4 yrs and $52 million for Headley is not "big" in New York), so I believe they are willing to spend on this kid.

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    1. Moncada is different. They wont be hit with the luxury tax year in and year out on him, although the up front cost may be more in the long run I honestly do not know, which could really factor into the signing.

      Honestly I expected this signing to be done by now.

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    2. I too, Daniel! I can't understand the hold up with this signing at all! Why not spend the money NOW? We have some younger guys on the cusp right now that we can plug in (at very little cost) to play with him and our pitching will only get better with those on the way to the show.

      The Yankees use to do that all the time...a couple key big time players...the rest of the guys were good (not stars) but very well versed in the position they had on the team. The team can handle two or three big contracts (as long as they are not too long) and fill in with players of our own under control for a few years. Some of those players will turn out to be very good players, conversely, some will not!

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    3. I think Moncada is holding up the signing more than the Yankees are. If it were up to New York he would be getting fitted for a jersey as we speak.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)