Nathan Winston Wants to Pitch Despite Prosthetic; Chris Martin Latest Indy Player in Majors

Longtime Independent scouting expert Nick Belmonte alerted me to a possible story when I ran across him in Florida in late February, then called a few days ago to explain that Nathan Winston, who had his left leg amputated when he was four because of a birth defect, had been a part of the intently run two-week instructional camp Belmonte created and runs in St. Petersburg.

“I vet everyone (of the 55 participants),” said Nick, who brings in the likes of Curtis Granderson and Bucky Dent as instructors and is proud to say “65 per cent” of the players were invited to professional spring training camps this year.

“He saw this as his opportunity to impress,” Belmonte said of Winston, an Ohioan who goes about 6-foot-2, 210 and played basketball and football in addition to baseball in his youth and, according to Belmonte, is so nonchalant about what others would see as a sizeable handicap that “he’s kinda like ‘by the way, I’ve got a prosthetic leg’.  He thinks he can pitch in pro baseball.”

The St. Paul (MN) Saints, who built a reputation in the early days of Independent play largely on their willingness to operate outside the box, agreed to give Winston a look during their preseason American Association camp.  Veteran Manager George Tsamis, already facing the need to trim other pitching candidates from the roster, got Winston into a couple of exhibition games this week, but did not see enough velocity or quality breaking pitches and determined “it would be tough (for him to succeed) at this level”.

Belmonte, who has handled player procurement duties for various Independent teams through the years and is a freelance color commentator for four different networks during the college baseball season, says another opportunity is awaiting Winston, this one with the Tiffin (OH) Saints, one of four teams in a new league calling itself the Independent Baseball League and starting a 36-game schedule in late May.

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Chris Martin Busy in First Major League Opportunity

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.

How About These Performances?

Another Grand Prairie product, southpaw Greg Smith, and third baseman Andy Marte (York, PA, Atlantic League) have to rank high up on the watch list of players now in Triple-A.  Smith owns a 3-0, 2.27 record, including one shutout, for Philadelphia’s top minor league team and Marte has been sizzling in the Arizona system.  He went on a 12-for-22 hitting spree the last few days, including four consecutive multiple hit games, and is hitting .297-2-11 in 28 games.

Catching Up With Andrew Albers in Korea

Andrew Albers (Quebec, Can-Am League), who elected a better paycheck in Korea this season after an uncertain future with Minnesota despite some solid outings late in his major league debut season, continues to show his sharp control with the Hanwha Eagles (one walk, 14 strikeouts) and is 2-1, 4.61 after five starts although he has given up an unusually high 40 hits in 27.1 innings.

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball.  Thirty-six columns are planned during 2014.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, enjoy added stories on the blog www.IndyBaseballChatter.com, or comment to RWirz@aol.com.  The authorhas 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)