Talented fan and ballplayer designs Martin's cleats for Players' Weekend

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO – Paris Head won’t be physically present in Kansas City when Davis Martin is scheduled to start during Sunday afternoon’s series finale at Kauffman Stadium against the Royals.

The 14-year-old just began his studies at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, located 23 miles from the home of the White Sox at Rate Field, so he has important activities of his own to manage. But Head’s connection to the White Sox hurler will be on display through Players' Weekend attire.

Martin’s cleats were specially designed by Head, a talented player from the White Sox Amateur City Elite youth baseball program, with the expert assistance of Edo, a Chicago-based visual artist who took Head’s ideas and made them reality. Head and Martin first met during the Beyond the Diamond White Sox charity event on May 1, and the 28-year-old veteran has since served as a mentor.

In fact, “Thank you for being a mentor” is stenciled across the right side on one of Martin’s Players' Weekend cleats.

“It’s really just crazy because I can think back when I was younger, my goal was to meet someone I could look up to and someone who could help throughout my career,” Head told MLB.com during a recent phone interview. “It’s nice I got to do that.”

“My wife [Jenna] and I always wanted to get involved with something. Nothing seemed to present itself. Being up here for the full season, this was kind of right in front of our faces,” said Martin of his overall work with ACE. “It’s something we both really enjoy and the incredible people we’ve gotten to meet. We want to be close to them and tied to them and bring some light to an organization doing phenomenal things for those players.”

Martin knew nothing about the cleats until meeting with Head and his family on the field before Monday’s series opener against the Tigers and was thrilled with their look.

Along with the mentorship reference on the cleats, there’s Martin’s Major League debut date (May 17, 2022), his son’s name, Doak, and a reference to Texas Tech where he played collegiately. About the only thing missing was a hat tip to the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champions and Martin’s favorite team outside the White Sox.

One week after that White Sox charity event, Martin was reunited with Head and other players from ACE’s 14U program for a day of service at HelloBaby, a non-profit play space supporting families with young children on Chicago’s South Side. These young players also played baseball with Doak during the community event.

“That was a really cool moment to step away from baseball and realize you are bigger than just being part of the Chicago White Sox,” Martin said. “You are part of this community in Chicago.”

But their connection really began at Beyond the Diamond, where Martin was the White Sox player at their table. They talked about baseball, with good questions being asked, according to Martin, including what player became his first strikeout and who hit the longest home run against him.

Head and one of his ACE teammates had to give a speech at the event. Martin, who regularly deals with nerves pitching in front of 30,000 fans, helped calm down Head to do the job.

“As a 14-year-old, you are standing in front of an entire big league team and some of the 2005 World Series champions, Jerry Reinsdorf,” Martin said. “It’s a group of people anyone under the sun would be very nervous to talk to and Paris had the honor to talk about ACE, and the whole night we were rehearsing with him.

“I get nervous before I pitch and all that stuff, and he looked at me like, ‘Oh, my gosh. You are a human just like me.’ I was like, ‘I would be just as nervous, go get them.' Just enough laughing and fun to make him go up and have a good time and execute his speech really well. It was a really cool moment.”

A baseball component also exists within this mentorship, as Martin and Head stayed in contact via Instagram direct messages until they met again Monday. Martin has talked through his kick-change with Head, and the rising prospect has incorporated it into his repertoire.

“So, that’s something we have in common,” said Head, who also plays shortstop, second and third. “I asked him what he thinks when he’s throwing it, where’s pressure at and stuff like that. It’s actually been working. It’s been really good lately.”

“It’s cool to get with younger players like him and have a normal conversation and realize 'I’m just like you: I grew up and wanted to become a baseball player,” Martin said. “There’s nothing stopping you from doing the same thing.' Giving those guys the realization they have the opportunity to do everything they've ever wanted.”