Independent Baseball Chatter – by Bob Wirz
Vol. 12, No. 10 – May 8, 2014
Chris Martin feared his career might be over when he partially tore the labrum in his pitching (right) shoulder as a second year player at McLennan Community College in Waco, TX several years ago, but the 27-year-old is making up for lost time after getting his first major league call from the Colorado Rockies April 26. The mid-90s throwing 6-foot-8 hurler has been used seven times in his first 12 days, allowing two runs (2.70 ERA) in 6.2 innings.
“It wasn’t fun, but it motivated me,” Martin said of a three-year layoff in which he worked in some manual labor jobs. An open tryout with Grand Prairie, TX in 2010 led to his first paying job in baseball, and Boston signed him for the next season after he had registered a 4-0, 1.96 record in 13 games for the American Association team. Boston liked Martin so much it sent him to the prestigious Arizona Fall League after he finished last season in Triple-A, and used him in a trade that netted the World Champions current backup infielder Jonathan Herrera.
Martin is the second player to start his career in the American Association to debut in the majors this year, joining southpaw Ian Thomas (Winnipeg), recently sent to Atlanta’s top farm club in Gwinnett, GA, to try developing a slider. “I want them (Braves) to trust me, and when that time comes to call down on the farm to bring me back, I’ll be ready,” Thomas told The Atlanta Journal-Consitution, then promptly made his first start in Triple-A, going three innings without allowing a hit or a walk and striking out five.
