There are numerous boxers who have been the sons of boxers, and many ballplayers who have been the sons of ballplayers.
Less frequent, however, are the players who have been the children of boxers.
As far as I remember, there is the case of Nicholas ‘El Puma’ Ortiz, who was a welterweight of great promise and charisma in the seventies, even starring in billboards at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, and is the father of Nick Ortiz, an infielder who spent several years in organized baseball and 15 years in the Puerto Rico League and is now one of the San Francisco Giants’ coaches and, according to rumors, could be the next manager of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the winter league.
But now there is a similar case.
the vegabajeño Romanian ‘Rocky’ Martínez, who reigned three times as WBO junior lightweight champion and had a record of 30-4-3 and 18 knockouts before retiring in 2019, and now works as a trainer alongside his mentor, Papo Torres, in the Dorado gym, he is the father of Louis Martinez, a promising 18-year-old catcher and first baseman who stands out as a future ‘drafted’ by some Major League organization.
Luis is currently studying at the Shaddai Christian Baseball Academy in Dorado, where he will graduate from his fourth year in May and already has a commitment to start his college career in August with the Warriors at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.
“There have already been approaches to sign as a professional,” Luis said recently, “but in reality I prefer to do my studies first.”
“Indian Hills is a two-year college, where I plan to study to be a chiropractor and massage therapist, and then I could transfer to a four-year college,” said the 5-foot-9 right-handed slugger.
“That would be unless I got a big offer now and I was drafted, but I think I can still enter up to four drafts if I study, and get promoted to higher rounds depending on my college performance.”
In Puerto Rico, Luis has played in recent years with the Puerto Rico Fire Baseball Team (PRFBT), whose leader, Emanuel Rosario, is precisely the president of the Puerto Rico Scouts Association.
With PRFBT, Luis has played in the American Congress and will now play in the Palomino league.
The report of the analysts of Perfect Game, the organization that evaluates youth baseball players in the United States, says about him:
“He is of average height, but with the ability to add strength to his physique. He ran 7.24 in the 60 yards. He is mainly a receiver, he stays very compact, he releases the ball fluently and without much effort. They have solid instincts and economical moves that can come in handy in games. He shot 1.91 in testing with a solid 77 miles per hour on arm power. As a hitter, you start your swing level and the ball explodes off your bat, with a tendency to pull the ball. Good student”.
“When I was younger I played all positions, except catcher, because they wouldn’t let me,” Luis said. “But I insisted and the manager made me catch, I liked it, and that’s where I stayed.”
Although his father tried to interest him in boxing, it did not go well.
“I tried, but I didn’t like it,” said the boy.
His father has a similar confession, but in reverse.
“I never liked baseball,” he said, laughing. “I hated it”.
“But now, because of the baby, I’m starting to like it.”
At least Sofía, her nine-year-old daughter, although she practices volleyball, is beginning to take a liking to boxing.
“He’s already practiced it and he likes it,” Rocky finally said.
The author was part of the sports newsroom of El Nuevo Día from 1981 to 2008 and is the author of St-Titus, about the career of Tito Trinidad and the novel the last kamikaze, winner of the contest of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in 2016.
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