Marty Janzen

Martin Thomas Janzen (born May 31, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Janzen played in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays, in the KBO League for the Kia Tigers, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League for the Macoto Cobras.

Playing career Janzen played baseball at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Florida but did not plan to play baseball after high school and was considering, instead, pursuing a career as a professional bowler. However, after graduating, Janzen spent a summer playing American Legion Baseball with coach Kevin Maris, the son of Roger Maris, and added to his fastball. He signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent on August 8, 1991.

Janzen was assigned to the Gulf Coast League to start his professional career. By 1994, he had reached the South Atlantic League with the Greensboro Bats and was described in the Greensboro News & Record as one of the "Yankees' prized pitching prospects."

During the 1995 season, Janzen was considered one of the best prospects in the Yankees' system and was the centerpiece of a trade deadline deal to the Toronto Blue Jays for reigning American League Cy Young Award winner David Cone. The trade has been retrospectively regarded one of the most lopsided trade deadline swaps in league history.

Janzen made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays on May 12 of the following season, pitching three scoreless innings in relief of Tony Castillo and picking up the win at the SkyDome against the Boston Red Sox. Janzen made the first start of his Major League career on May 27 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed three runs over seven innings pitched. Janzen pitched 98.2 innings over 27 games in parts of the 1996 and 1997 seasons with the Blue Jays. He did not appear in the Major Leagues again after the 1997 season.