A man of many ballparks
Payton, who just had his number at St. Rita retired, wants to find a home with the Mets
Mark Payton has not been in as many towns as the truck driver in the old country song, “I’ve Been Everywhere.” But he could come pretty close.
Since 2014, the towns Payton has called home since becoming a professional baseball player is plentiful, never mind the cities he has seen as a visiting player.
The St. Rita graduate and Orland Park native started in Charleston, then Tampa, Trenton, Scranton, Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Syracuse.
In two stops at Cincinnati, he squeezed in 32 games and 44 plate appearances in the major leagues. The 29-year-old now wants to call New York home in 2022.
Payton was traded in July from the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Mets. In 40 games with Triple-A Syracuse, hit .305 with a .385 on-base percentage, a .477 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, four homers and 19 RBIs.
“I’m very motivated to get there,” Payton said. “It’s just about right time, right place and playing good at that time. I took a week off after the season and I’ve been working hard since then.
“Obviously, I thought I had a good year. I gave myself a chance to show the Mets or somebody else that I could go out there and prove myself in spring training and earn a job. Hopefully, it’s with the Mets.”
In the meantime, the lefthanded hitter was given a hero’s welcome Friday at his alma mater.
Figuring Payton will be a little busy in the spring, St. Rita’s baseball program retired his No. 7 at the football game before the Mustangs defeated Providence 35-0 in a CCL/ESCC crossover.
Payton will have a commemorative sign displayed in the outfield alongside former coach Mike
Zunica and former players Nick Etten, Ed Farmer, Jim Clancy and Tony Zych.
“It’s cool,” Payton said moments after the ceremony. “I enjoyed the heck out of my four years here. It’s a special place, and I’m very, very honored. There are a lot of great players who played in this program.”
After graduating from St. Rita, Payton went on to star in college for Texas, where he reached base in 101 consecutive games in 2013 and 2014. After that streak
ended, he reached base in four straight to close out his career.
Then, the traveling began. After being drafted by the New York Yankees in the seventh round, he climbed the ladder in the organization but was not protected in 2019. He was taken by Oakland in the Rule 5 draft.
Payton again was unprotected in 2019 and taken by Cincinnati, then was returned to Oakland but traded back to Cincinnati, where we worked his way up and debuted in the majors on Aug. 22, 2020 at
St. Louis.
That pingpong lifestyle can be dizzying, but he has accepted it.
“It’s what you sign up for,” Payton said. “You know exactly that you are in for. All of those little towns you go ... you understand how it works. You look for a break.
“I was lucky enough the Reds gave me a real opportunity to play in the major leagues, and obviously the Mets saw something they liked last year to make that trade.”
St. Rita coach John Nee was an assistant when Payton played for the
Mustangs. He said Payton was a great player, teammate and kid.
Nee, who has been following those travels over the years, believes another shot at the majors is in Payton’s future.
“I know how hard he works,” Nee said. “I just want him to get another opportunity because nobody deserves it more. He’s going to stick with it, and I think his best days are ahead of him.”