Elk Grove’s Martinski has heart into baseball

Ryan Martinski was one of the first people to question his heart when he was on the baseball field.

There were times where he wondered if he could have extended himself a little more at shortstop for a grounder in the hole or up the middle. Or maybe he could have turned it on a little more to try and beat out a play at first base.

But the Elk Grove senior didn’t have a heart problem in the figurative sense. It was literally an issue that was becoming more and more troublesome.

Martinski was born with a condition known as SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). He found out he had it at age 8 after collapsing on the pitcher’s mound in a park district game.

Most sufferers of SVT are able to live a normal life, accoording to emedicinehealth.com. But what was happening to the athletic-minded Martinski wasn’t normal.

There was a scary episode at Hersey last spring where he passed out in front of the dugout and had to be taken to the hospital by paramedics. The occurrences increased during the summer and something needed to be done.

He had already stopped playing basketball, which was his main sport growing up. He opted not to play football even though it was one of his favorite sports

Not playing baseball as well would have been too much of a sacrifice. So, on Oct. 29 last year, Martinski went to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights to undergo surgery to correct the problem.

“It wasn’t a choice … that’s why I got the procedure done,” Martinski said. “I didn’t want to give it up.

“I’ve been playing baseball my entire life and it’s been my passion ever since I got to high school.”

The harrowing surgery to remove extra heart tissue causing the problem took nearly six hours. But now, nearly five months later, Martinski can finally play with the passion he needs to succeed.

“Once this was done there was a whole other level of aggressiveness and competitiveness he could get to,” said Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna.

“It was always in the back of my head that it was going to start up and I’d have to be taken out of the game,” Martinski said. “It was almost like I was playing scared because I didn’t want it to happen.”

Martinski joked “that he was the lucky one to get it” and only one in his immediate family. He said his grandmother and an aunt from his mom’s side of the family did have similar problems.

Martinski said the episodes varied and some were brief where his heart would take three quick beats and slow down right away. Every few weeks he would have one that was longer and worse.

They usually occurred after exerting himself physically but he also had learned certain techniques to get his heartbeat back under control.

Then last May he ranged far up the middle for a grounder at Hersey. He never made it all the way to the dugout after the inning ended.

“I don’t remember anything that happened before that, which is kind of scary,” Martinski said. “It was the first time I passed out from it.

“Other times I would feel it happening and slow down right away and sit on the bench.”

He came back a week later and hit a homer to help Elk Grove beat West Aurora in a regional game. But Martinski said the episodes, which also took a significant physical toll, started to happen almost every time he played a game in the summer.

“I couldn’t take it anymore and it got really frustrating,” Martinski said. “I talked to my mom (Rose) about it and it was a hard decision considering it changes your life.

“At first I wasn’t too sure about it, but I looked at the procedure more online and talked to my doctor more and felt comfortable about it.”

Martinski said there was a 98 percent likelihood the SVT episodes wouldn’t occur again after surgery. Still, to have heart surgery as a high school senior …

“It was pretty frightening and the night before I was a mess,” Martinski said. “I had all the support in the world from my friends and family but no one understands what I went through with it.”

But it was all worth it for Martinski, who hasn’t had a problem since the surgery. Nothing happened the first time he ran in the gym and he started hitting and throwing again about a month after the surgery.

“Now I’m able to pitch,” Martinski said. “Whenever I used to pitch it would happen. I love pitching so I’m excited for this year.”

And beyond, as Beyna said Martinski definitely has the ability to play college baseball.

Martinski said he’s talked a lot with Illinois Wesleyan and the honor roll student who wants to study special education has been accepted at Illinois State. Now he can finally show college coaches there are no limitations to his game.

“I’ve been waiting my entire life to go out on the field and not have to worry about it,” Martinski said.

To no longer have to question his own heart.