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Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Madera becomes a force in New Jersey

by Melissa Chodan
June 24, 2005 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals


Sandy Madera, New Jersey Jackals catcher, is quickly making a name for himself in CanAm baseball as his solid defensive skills and sweet power stroke are turning heads all over the league.

Madera, 24, joined the Jackals this season with seven years of affiliated minor league experience where he enjoyed a productive .298 batting average.

Madera is enjoying his first season of independent baseball and has continued to put up competitive numbers. In 22 games this season Madera is batting .330 with 19 RBIs.

"Before I came here I didn't know what was going on in independent ball but now I came here and I know we've got a lot of good players in the league," Madera said. "They're people that can play and they're here for a reason, only God can know."

Madera added: "I feel good here, I feel fine. They treat me really good here. They give me my opportunity to play and that's what I want. I want to play because I know that if I play everyday I can do my job."

MaderaMadera has also hit with a surprising amount of power this season. In his previous seven years of experience the line-drive hitter only tallied 17 homeruns, compared to the six he has already hit this season.

He credits much of the power surge to his work out regiment during the regular season as well as the off season and taking extra batting practice.

But Madera also brings many intangible qualities to the game. His ability to read errant balls, block the plate and quick footwork have become invaluable.

"I love the situation when I have a man on third, one out, nobody out, blocking balls, keeping everything in front," Madera said. "That makes your pitcher confident to throw a breaking ball in the dirt and not leave the pitch right in the middle ‘cause he knows you can block the ball."

Before coming to the Jackals, Madera spent time in the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies organizations.

He was originally signed as an amateur free agent in 1998 out of the Dominican Republic by the Athletics and played rookie ball for two seasons in the Dominican Summer League alongside up-and-coming stars like Angel Berroa, the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year, and hitting a commanding .338.

He then split the 2000 campaign between the Arizona Athletics of the Arizona State League and the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League, where he would spend the next two seasons.

While with Vancouver his offensive numbers lacked and he was released during the 2002 season.

MaderaMadera was picked up by the Yankees for the 2003 season and spent the majority of the time with the Battle Creek Yankees of the Midwest League where he rebounded with a .299 batting average.

In 2004 Madera advanced to Double-A ball for the first time in his career with the Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League. He played 12 games with the Thunder before being sent to the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League.

There he said he decided to go on a brief hiatus from baseball and left the Yankee organization to return home to Arizona for the birth of his son. He said that at that time he didn't want to play any more and went home.

"It's not the best decision I made, but it happens," Madera said.

But Madera said the break did not last long as he missed baseball and returned with the Colorado Rockies organization and played Single-A ball with the Visalia Oaks of the California State League. He finished the season with the Oaks hitting .302.

He returned with the Rockies this season for spring training only to find there was no roster spot for him.

"I prepared myself really, really good this year," Madera said. "When I got to spring training this year with the Rockies organization I was really ready to go. They released me... That happened and there was nothing I could do about it."

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