Ramón Martínez (infielder)

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Ramón Martínez
position=Infielder
team=New York Mets
number=22
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1972|10|10
birthplace=city-state|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania
debutdate=June 20
debutyear=1998
debutteam=San Francisco Giants
statyear=September 4, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.265
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=29
stat3label=On base percentage
stat3value=.324
teams=
*San Francisco Giants (by|1998–by|2002)
*Chicago Cubs (by|2003–by|2004)
*Detroit Tigers (by|2005)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2005)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2006–by|2007)
*New York Mets (by|2008–present)

Ramón E. Martínez [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6034|title=ESPN - Ramon Martinez Stats, News, Photos - Los Angeles Dodgers - MLB Baseball|accessdate=2007-09-16|publisher=ESPN] (born October 10, 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a utility infielder in the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He is the cousin of Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto.

Early career

Martínez graduated from Escuela Superior Catolica High School and then attended Vernon Regional Junior College in Texas, where he played baseball and graduated in 1992. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Royals on January 15, by|1993.

Major League career

Martínez made his professional baseball debut with the Gulf Coast Royals in the rookie leagues in 1993 and rose through the Royals farm system with stops in Wilmington, Wichita, and Omaha.

On December 9, by|1996, Martínez was traded by the Royals to the San Francisco Giants for Jamie Brewington. He played with the Giants Double-A team in Shreveport and Triple-A teams in Phoenix and Fresno before finally getting his first shot at the big leagues.

Martínez made his major league debut on June 20, mlby|1998, as the starting second baseman for the Giants against the San Diego Padres. He went 3 for 3 in his debut, with his first hit being a single off Mark Langston. He was the first Giant since Willie McCovey to register at least 3 hits in his first Major League game.

He remained on the Giants roster through mlby|2002. The Giants used him as a utility player primarily, with occasional starts at second, short or third.

He left the Giants as a free agent following the 2002 season and signed with the Chicago Cubs, where he was their top infield reserve/pinch hitter for two seasons.

Martínez started the mlby|2005 season with the Detroit Tigers and was traded on June 9 to the Philadelphia Phillies alongside Ugueth Urbina for infielder Plácido Polanco. He hit. 286 for the Phillies, who used him as their backup first baseman. Ramon's only home run with the Phillies was a grand slam off Horacio Ramírez on September 14, 2005, in a 12-4 Phillies win.

Martínez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the mlby|2006 season and spent the next two seasons as a utility player for the Dodgers, playing solidly in 2006 during injuries to starting second baseman Jeff Kent. His option was not picked up by the club after the by|2007 season [ [http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071030&content_id=2289022&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la The Official Site of The Los Angeles Dodgers: News: Dodgers decline options on two players ] ] , but on January 29, by|2008, they signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training [ [http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080129&content_id=2359642&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la The Official Site of The Los Angeles Dodgers: News: LA inks Martinez to Minor League deal ] ] . He wound up assigned to the minor league Las Vegas 51s to start the 2008 season, but was injured and spent several months on the DL. He eventually returned to the 51s, but was released by the Dodgers on July 24 and was signed by the New York Mets to a minor league deal.

Through September 27, 2008, Martínez has connected with several crucial base hits with the New York Mets in the last week of the team's chase for the postseason.

References

External links

*Baseballstats | mlb=134002 | espn=3873 | br=m/martira03 | fangraphs=1120 | cube=M/Ramon-E-Martinez