The former PawSox hurler has battled through problems and been selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game tonight.

08:15 AM EDT on Wednesday, July 14, 2004

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET -- Marty McLeary was running on the treadmill during a workout this past winter while playing in Puerto Rico when he heard some devastating news.

During his workout he was watching SportsCenter when it was reported that Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson was murdered. McLeary and Stenson were teammates in Pawtucket in 2001 and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The shock was too much and he had to stop his workout.

While that was a difficult time for McLeary, playing winter ball probably saved his baseball career.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander was originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 1997 draft and spent the first six years of his pro career in the organization, but was released at the start of last season.

He was having arm troubles and couldn't quite get things going in the right direction. After missing a month of the season, the Florida Marlins signed him and he was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque. He figured he had a good opportunity with the Marlins' organization, but he was traded on opening day of this season to the San Diego Padres.

As a result of his 2-4 record with a 3.53 E.R.A. in 25 games (seven starts) with Portland, the 29-year-old Ohio native was selected as a Pacific Coast League All-Star and returns to McCoy for the first time since he was released.

"I had a good six years when I was with the Red Sox," said McLeary. "It was just one of those things, it's baseball. They didn't see me in their plans, so there's 29 other Major League teams out there and hope you can get to the big leagues."

He signed with Florida last season, and re-signed with them for this year. But, San Diego liked what they saw in the right-hander and traded for him on opening day.

"It's been good," he said. "I think I have a good opportunity to get to the big leagues with these guys, and hopefully they think that, too. I'm just going to give myself the most opportunities I can. I'm going to fight and I'm going to scratch and I'm going to claw until they rip the jersey off my back. So far this year, everything has been clicking."

In the past, injuries hampered McLeary's development, but surgery a couple of years ago, combined with playing winter ball, has really pushed his career into high gear.

"That helped me out a lot," he said. "I think going there really helped. I stayed the whole time and got a lot of innings in and that really helped build my arm strength. When I came to spring training, it was the best I had ever felt as far as my arm. I've just tried to carry it over into the season and it's been working."

His offseason, obviously, wasn't really an offseason. Some players like to shut it down during the winter to rest and recuperate, but others, like McLeary, find playing for the majority of the year has its benefits.

"Florida wanted me to go to winter ball and keep throwing," he said. "I needed innings after missing the first month of the season after being let go (by the Red Sox). Winter ball was a big key. It's starting to come back, so knock on wood. My velocity is back up there, and my arm strength has been able to bounce back."

This isn't his first professional All-Star game. McLeary was a member of the Double-A All-Star team in 2001 when he played for the Trenton Thunder, which was then a minor-league affiliate of the Red Sox.

"This is a fun time," he said. "You get to relax and everything."

To be able to relax wasn't something he was able to do while in the Red Sox organization, because he wasn't successful or healthy enough to settle into a comfortable situation. He's in one now, and is hoping to make it to the show very soon.

"I just wasn't healthy," said McLeary of his time in Pawtucket. "Now, that everything is healed, I haven't had any setbacks."