He might not have his normal vision anymore, but Juan Sandoval, who has been a phenom through spring training, could have a spot as a major league pitcher locked in his sights.
Sandoval has been putting forward an impressive spring training so far with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, enough so that it is looking likely that 32-year-old Sandoval could earn himself a roster spot with the Rays at some point in the season.
More impressive than the age at which he's doing it is the fact that Sandoval is blind in his right eye, the result of a tragic shooting in February 2006 that nearly cost him his life and almost ended his major league dreams.
In 2006, Sandoval was on pace to becoming a Major League Baseball pitcher after five seasons in the Mariners organization, where he worked his way up to the Double-A leagues.
Then on Feb. 4 of that year, Sandoval, who was at a restaurant with his then-fiancé and family in his hometown of Bonao in the Dominican Republic, had his world changed completely when a drunken man kicked out from the establishment returned with a shotgun and opened fire in the restaurant--several of the pellets embedding themselves in Sandoval's right eye.
He remembered well what he could see in the immediate aftermath.
"Black," he told Yahoo! Sports. "Nothing but black."
Despite losing the sight in his right eye, however, Sandoval persevered as he returned to the Mariners in 2007 to pitch in Double A and Triple A ballclubs for the team. However, learning to pitch without depth perception was a struggle and he bounced around from the Mariners to the Brewers, Phillies and eventually in Mexico.
Sandoval could have given up his dream, but he told the Tampa Bay Times that he still felt like he could reach his goal of pitching in the majors.
"Nobody knows what was going to happen. ... The only thing we know is that it hasn't happened until now. I didn't make it. Maybe a year out took a little of my tools. ...But I fought. I fought back. And, honestly, I'm 32 years old, and I feel like I'm at the best moment of my career," he said.
After going 7-3 with a 2.97 ERA through 67 appearances in 2012, Sandoval felt ready to try for the big leagues again.
So far, he's left Tampa Bay players stunned with his abilities.
"It's incredible," manager Joe Maddon told the newspaper. "He's got a really good arm. And I'm so impressed with his ability; you watch his balance, his delivery, his finish. And it looks like his command is really good.
"I'm certain the fact that he's 32 and has been blinded in one eye probably kept him out of pro ball for a while. ... (But) I haven't seen anything that would suggest to me he would not be able to do this. It's interesting to observe," he added.
So, how accurate is Sandoval?
Really accurate," Jake McGee, a reliever, told Yahoo! Sports. "You can't even tell when you're playing catch. He's got a really good arm. Comes out strong. And it jumps."
As he nears his goal of becoming a major league pitcher, Sandoval sounds like a man who isn't bitter about the tragedy in his past, but is looking forward to the promise of his future.
"Being honest with you, if I could change something that happened in my life, I would not change anything," Sandoval said. "Everything that has happened has made me the person that I am right now. And I'm a really happy person. ...
"This opportunity is something I was dreaming of. And I'm here."
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
