Blind Pitcher May Make Tampa Bay Majors By L. Iwamoto

By Author: eTicket Central
Total Articles: 18
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This is the stuff of heroes and legends. This is the kind of story we love to tell our children.
This is about Juan Sandoval, a pitcher who never made it into the majors. He now has a chance with the Tampa Bay Rays… at the age of 32, and with one blind eye.
Sandoval lost the vision in his right eye on February 4, 2006. He was dining at a restaurant where a drunken man was forced to leave the restaurant, only to return with a shotgun and start shooting. Three buckshot pellets lodged into Sandoval’s right eye. Three months later he learned that he would never see again from that eye.
Prior to the accident, Sandoval was an excellent pitcher in the Seattle Mariners system, but was never able to make it passed Class AA.

After recovering from the accident, Sandoval found that he could play still catch, and he could still throw strikes. He said, “My stuff was there. Ground balls were the toughest part because I didn’t have depth perception. It took a little time to get that.” He had to learn all over again the basics of how baseball-- to catch a ball, how to field a comebacker... ...
... It was like learning to walk again. During this time Sandoval spent four more seasons in the Mariners, Brewers and Phillies but was never able to pass Class AAA.
Needing to support his wife and kids, Sandoval joined the Mexican League in 2001and pitched two seasons. In 2012 he made 67 appearances in 103 games and produced the best results of his career: a 7-3 record, and a 2.97 ERA.
Just two months ago, Rays pitcher Joel Peralta saw Sandoval pitching during the Dominican Professional Baseball League, and was impressed. Sandoval was throwing 94 mph with ease and was a ground ball machine. Peralta convinced the Rays general manager Andrew Friedman to view video clips of Sandoval throwing, and that was it. Friedman called Sandoval and offered him a minor league contract.
The Tampa Bay Rays have a slew of excellent pitchers; so making it into the majors is almost impossible for Sandoval. But who knows? During the 162 games of a season, casualties are common place, and if Sandoval continues to pitch well in AAA and continues to throw ground balls, he could find himself an injury replacement.
Sandoval feels that he is 100% ready to make it in the big leagues. He says he has more speed and more control in his arm and that his pitches are much better. He has high hopes of making it with the Tampa Bay Rays. “I like what I've done,” he says, “I'm cool with it. If I make it, I'm going to be happy because I know it's a story many people in the world can use to work for something they want."
The Tampa Bay Rays’ decision will be made after spring training is over. Sandoval has climbed from the pits of hopelessness to become a player with a chance to fulfill his lifetime dream: to wear a major league uniform. It will be his first time in the majors. At the age of 3. With one blind eye.
“And that,” you say to your kids, “is the story of the Little Engine That Could.”