A chance to help.

Eduard Pinto is a 21-year-old outfielder in the Rangers minor league system. He signed a pro contract with the organization the same day that Nomar Mazara did.

No teenager had ever signed a contract out of Latin America for as much as Mazara got. Most of them fortunate enough to sign get a fraction of that. Pinto got a fraction.

The Venezuela native doesn’t hit for power and isn’t a burner on the bags. If he makes it to the big leagues, it will be because he’s able to square up on the baseball. He’s a career .305 hitter in five seasons on the farm, with more walks than strikeouts. One of his heroes is Endy Chavez, and if Pinto makes it to the big leagues, that could be the kind of player he turns out to be.

Pinto has left his teammates in Hickory to be with his family in Venezuela. Maria was expected to give birth to their first son in July. Five days ago, Gael was born — three months premature. He was born with respiratory complications that were too much to overcome. Gael passed away yesterday.

Minor league baseball players make very, very little money. Pinto is in his fifth year in the system, and his third in Hickory. His road is long, and in the meantime he and his family are faced with sizable medical bills for Maria and Gael’s care and treatment.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help raise funds to help Eduard and Maria out. I’d encourage you to read this. If you’re inclined to help out with a few dollars, every little bit would help.

I hope you’ll give some thought to helping out a member of the Rangers family.

Thanks.

Tracy Proffitt