Melvin Martinez lost all hearing in his right ear, but after a year away from coaching Grand Street baseball, his energy and passion for the game have returned along with him.
He was forced to leave the bench last season because of a long list of medical issues. Along with the hearing problem, he had a seizure and tore a muscle in his arm. But Martinez, who is now in his 19th season, has moved past it all and is back with the signature smile and upbeat nature he is known for.
“I am doing great,” he said. “I am so happy to be back. I am permanently deaf in my right ear, but my wife says hearing is overrated. I am happy. I am strong.”
Martinez didn’t waste time getting back to business as head coach after his brother Steve took the reigns for a year. During spring break, he took the team to Florida for a week to participate in spring training. The trip gave him a chance to show them he meant business after watching Grand Street lose in the Public School Athletic League Class AA semifinals last season.
He said that his wife would tell him to come home for dinner because he was spending too much time practicing with the kids.
“Now they know why I came back, on such a mission and with energy,” Martinez said. “Also to expose them to experience something they never would have experienced if I didn’t do that. I think we should be all right. We should definitely make the semi-finals, and hopefully the championship this year.”
Steve Martinez is happy to see his brother back around the team full time. The experience of losing in the semifinals, a game Melvin was there to watch, should leave both him and the returning players hungry to go further.
“A good of amount of kids from last year are still left over this year,” Steve Martinez said. “The way we lost last year left a bad taste in our mouths and the kids are looking forward to a second chance.”
Grand Street is 7–1 in the AAA Southeastern Division, with its lone loss to James Madison. The Wolves had success despite losing key players Joseph Caba, Julian Fernandez, and Brandon Sinche to injury. Marcus Chavez and Chris Mondesi have stepped up to keep Grand Street among the city’s elite clubs.
“Thank goodness we have a roster of 38 players,” Melvin Martinez said. “We’ve been able to put some kids in there to take their place and hope they pick up the slack, and they have.”
Grand Street entered the season with four consecutive semifinal appearances and a city title in 2012. This season, with Melvin Martinez back, the Wolves will look to get to Yankee Stadium and win the crown again.
“Pitching and defense is the key,” Martinez said. “We have really good pitching and I like our defense, so I like our chances.”
