MU| F e a t u r e s
Michael Salazar ’98
Athletic trainer got a major league education at MU
And it all started at Manchester, through
either ill fate or what Salazar calls “dumb
luck.” Or perhaps both.
An injury ended his wrestling days, but
before it did, Salazar became quite familiar
with the workings of the athletic training
room. That sparked an interest in athletic
training, and he “became fascinated with it.”
He credits Manchester with providing a
nurturing learning environment whose tight-
knit sense of community placed a premium
on personal student-teacher relationships.
“I think being in a small community and a
small group setting definitely was a great
experience at Manchester,” Salazar recalls.
“If it wasn’t for Manchester and the class
sizes, I don’t know if I would be in the
position I’m in today.”
Certainly it opened some doors.
Salazar, who speaks both English and
Spanish, interned first with the Single-A
Fort Wayne Wizards, and then with the
Atlanta Braves while getting his master’s
degree from the University of Alabama-
Birmingham. The Braves had no full-time
position when Salazar completed his
master’s, and so eventually he wound up
with the Indians, starting out as the athletic
trainer for the Indians’ Single-A affiliate,
the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New
York-Penn League.
By 2011 he was with the Triple-A club
in Columbus. When he applied a second
time for an opening with the Indians, he
was accepted.
“You never know if you’re gonna get that
opportunity again,” remembers Salazar,
who first interviewed for a spot on the
big club in 2009. “So when I got granted
that (interview) ... I was very humbled
and very excited about that possibility to
join a Major League team.”
That process was helped by the fact
Salazar rose through the minors
with many of the same players. As
at Manchester, it was all about personal
relationships.
“One of the things I definitely learned early
in my career is ... at the minor league level,
you treat everybody the same just because
you’re not sure who’s gonna make it or who’s
not,” Salazar says. “You try to develop those
relationships and that trust early on in your
career so that by the time you get to the major
league level, hopefully that trust is already
instilled in them.”
By Benjamin Smith
Manchester University graduate Michael
Salazar ’98 (back row, far left) made it
to the World Series last fall, posing with
the athletic training staff of the Cleveland
Indians and (below) talking with a member
of the team.
Manchester | 19