Before He Popped Up on TV Every Time There's a Big Snowstorm . . .

Before He Popped Up on TV
Every Time There's a Big Snowstorm . . .

Nick Martino, star football/baseball player for St. John Neumann in the
1981-82 school year, gets lots of TV face time every time there's a big
snowstorm in the Philadelphia area. Reason: He's a maintenance bigwig
for PennDot in this area and the go-to guy when reporters want to know
how quickly/well the roads will be cleared. It's always good to see him
break things down. More than three decades later, he's still a leader!

This story appeared in the Daily News in April 1982.

NEUMANN GETS CALL THANKS TO MARTINO'S BLAST

By TED SILARY

Nick Martino's biggest supporter was absent with leave yesterday as St.

John Neumann opened the Catholic League Southern Division baseball season by

topping St. Joseph's Prep, 4- 3.

Nick Martino 's biggest supporter was hardly left in the dark, however.

The moment reliever Joe Sinatra whizzed a fastball past Ed Crane to finish

an impressive five-up, five- down performance, Sal Martino made a wild dash

through fans and parked autos in search of an empty phone booth.

When little brother poles a three- run homer to win the game, big brother

tends to reach out and touch someone. In this case, Sal Martino knew that his

father, Sam, would lend an attentive ear.

" I'm sorry my father couldn't come to this game," said Nick Martino . " He

had a gall-stone operation and spent two weeks in the hospital. He's home now

and out of danger, but he has to stay inactive for another two weeks.

" It felt strange not to have him here. He's seen almost every game I've

played in my life. "

Despite the fact that Nick Martino is only a high-school senior, he has

played in countless baseball games (since second grade) and football games

(since fourth grade). More often than not, Nick has departed the field to

slaps on the back and words of congratulation.

Last fall, the Daily News tabbed Martino a second-team All-Catholic

linebacker as Neumann advanced to the playoffs. He also played in the recent

City All-Star Game. Yesterday, baseball Coach Bob Santore called Nick Martino

his " undisputed leader. "

MARTINO'S HOME run, meanwhile, was an undisputed blast.

Following one-out walks to Jim Candelora and Mike Roccato, Martino quickly

dug himself an 0-2 hole against John Bodalski. Three pitches later, the ball

sailed to dead-center at Capitolo Playground, the Buccos' new home, crashing

on top of a building about 360 feet away.

" I was really jumping around. It was a great feeling," Martino said.

Nick's left arm had absorbed a fastball in his first at-bat and he'd walked

in his second, not the stuff of which write-ups are made. However, Sal, a

shortstop for Neumann in the mid-'70s, already had put a bug in Nick's ear.

" I was too close to the plate in that first at-bat," Nick said. " The pitch

was not too far inside, but I couldn't get out of the way. Sal told me, 'Stand

more off the plate. You'll still get the outside pitches. '

" When the count hit 2-2, I backed off even more and looked for the

fastball. I was almost sure he would throw one. Coach Santore had pointed out

the pitcher's pattern early in the game. He would start off with a fastball,

go to the curve, then come back with a fastball. "

On Sunday night, Nick Martino faced an hour's worth of artificial fastballs

in Neumann 's gym - as delivered by an inhuman pitcher from the ungodly

distance of 18 feet.

" We have had the machine for two years," Santore said. " It's invaluable.

Nick was having trouble with his timing. When you place the machine 18 feet

from the batter, the ball comes in at 75 or 80 miles an hour. The balls are

whiffle balls. The machine helps Nick's catching, too. We can set the machine

so the balls hit the floor. Nick scrambles all over the place. "

DUE TO PRACTICES for football, Martino made infrequent pre-season

appearances. Even now, Nick is not completely comfortable playing baseball.

" I don't know where we'd be without Nick," Santore said. " He missed our

first two games because of football and the field was like a morgue. He came

back and made us a whole different ballclub.

" He tasted success with ( football Coach ) Bill Brannau. To say the least,

he likes the feeling and wants to experience it again. "

" To me, catcher and linebacker are similar," Martino said. " You are

right in the middle of everything. Both positions indicate leadership. Coach

Santore has the opinion that catchers make baseball teams go. He says, 'When

the catcher is in the game, everyone is in the game. ' "

Martino hopes to play football and baseball in college, although he might

need a year of prep school beforehand. Junior college also is a possibility.

" I can't make up my mind which sport is my favorite one," Nick said. " When

the time comes to make the decision, it'll be hard. Hopefully, I won't have to

make it for a long time.

" Where to go could also pose a problem. I love South Philly. I'll probably

die here. But I would like to get away - my mom doesn't want to hear about it

- and experience new things. I'm always up for challenges. Like hunting. I

have never been hunting, but I'd like to do it. "

Conversely, yesterday was not the first time Martino flirted with opening-

game heroics.

" I hit a home run last year against Roman which put us ahead," Nick said,

" but we wound up losing the game. "

This year, an opening-day homer helped Nick Martino wind up in the

limelight.

EXTRA BASES: John DiPietro hurled no-hit ball for 4 2/3 frames until Ed

Crane rapped an RBI single . . . Shortstop Scott Sladek chased DiPietro with

an RBI double in the sixth . . . Joe Sinatra registered three strikeouts

. . . John Bodalski allowed three hits and six walks, whiffed nine. Neumann

scored in the first on a bases-loaded walk to John DeStefano .