Víctor Martínez (baseball)

Infobox MLB player
name = Victor Martínez


width = 250
caption =
team = Cleveland Indians
number = 41
position = Catcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1978|12|23
birthplace = Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela
bats = Switch
throws = Right
debutdate = September 10
debutyear = 2002
debutteam = Cleveland Indians
statyear = September 1, 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .299
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 86
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 437
teams =
*Cleveland Indians (by|2002-present)
awards =
*Silver Slugger Award winner (by|2004)
*2x All-Star selection (by|2004, by|2007)

Víctor Jesús Martínez (born December 23, 1978 in Ciudad Bolívar, Bolívar, Venezuela) is a switch-hitting catcher and first baseman for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. He was signed by the Indians as an amateur free agent in by|1996 and after a pair of minor league MVP awards and batting titles in by|2001 and by|2002, he made his debut with Cleveland as a September call-up on September 10, 2002.

In by|2003, Martínez was busy between Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and the Indians. He finished with a combined .315 batting average, hitting at a .349 clip in August and September with the big club. Exhibiting knowledge of the strike zone and an ability to make contact, he reduced his strikeout totals and produced a combined .376 on base percentage. He also drove in 63 runs, hitting .323 with runners in scoring position, and was selected to participate in the All-Star Futures Game played at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field. From 2001–03, the Venezuelan slugger batted a combined .330 with 40 home runs and 194 RBI.

Showing defensive improvement, Martínez displayed an ability to call games at the major league level and began by|2004 as the Indians' No. 1 catcher. In his first full-season, he did a fine job defensively, hit .283 with 23 home runs, set a new record for Indians catchers with 108 RBI, earned his first All-Star selection, and shared the Silver Slugger honor as the top-hitting American League catcher with Iván Rodríguez. For the first time since the awards began in by|1980, there was a tie at one position. On July 16, Martínez also had the best offensive night by a Tribe catcher in franchise history, when he hit three home runs, singled twice, drew a walk, and drove in a career-high seven runs in a perfect 5-for-5 game.

In June by|2005, Martínez was batting .207, but he came into the season's final weekend batting .382 (96-for-251) after the All-Star break, the most for any ML player. He finished the season with a .305 average, 20 home runs and 80 RBI.

Since by|2006, the Indians started using Martinez occasionally at first base. In the field in 2006, he allowed 100 stolen bases, more than any other catcher in Major League Baseball.

In by|2007, he hit 25 home runs, had 114 RBI, more than any other catcher, and finished 7th in American League MVP voting.

In his career, Martínez has posted a .298 average with 86 home runs and 437 RBI in 703 games played.

ee also

* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/martivi01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/367942 CBS Sports Line]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6853 ESPN]
* [http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/list.htm Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers]