- 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 run s
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 inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania ) is a utilityinfielder in theNew York Mets ofMajor League Baseball . He is the cousin ofChicago 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 playedbaseball and graduated in 1992. He was signed as an undraftedfree agent by theKansas City Royals onJanuary 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 theSan Francisco Giants forJamie 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 startingsecond baseman for the Giants against theSan Diego Padres . He went 3 for 3 in his debut, with his first hit being a single offMark Langston . He was the first Giant sinceWillie 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 onJune 9 to thePhiladelphia Phillies alongsideUgueth Urbina for infielderPlácido Polanco . He hit. 286 for the Phillies, who used him as their backupfirst baseman . Ramon's onlyhome run with thePhillies was a grand slam offHoracio Ramírez onSeptember 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 basemanJeff 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 onJanuary 29 , by|2008, they signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation tospring 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 leagueLas 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 onJuly 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
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