Anastacio Euclides Martínez (born November 3, 1978) is a

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

. He played part of the 2004 season in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, and most recently played for the Calgary Vipers. He is listed with a height of 6'2" and a weight of 180 lbs., and he bats and throws right-handed. He graduated from Liceo Santa Cruz College in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

Career

Boston Red Sox

Martínez was acquired by the

as a non-drafted free agent in . The Red Sox assigned Martínez to the

Gulf Coast Red Sox The Florida Complex League Red Sox are a professional baseball team competing in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (FCL) of Minor League Baseball. The team is owned and operated by the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior ...

, their Rookie-level minor league affiliate, where in he made ten starts, posting a 2–3 record with an

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

of 3.18. The club promoted him to the Single-A

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major League ...

for the season, where he went 0–3 with a 3.68 ERA before being promoted to the Single-A

Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, which opened in April 2018. They previous ...

. While Martínez initially struggled at Augusta; over the next two seasons (1999–2000) he went 11–10 with an ERA of 5.96. Martínez improved however, and at the end of the 2000 season narrowly missed pitching a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

, giving up a one-out single in the 9th inning against the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differen ...

. Martínez's performance came just two days after teammate Eric Glaser threw a no-hitter against the

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...

. In the Red Sox promoted Martínez to the High-A

Sarasota Red Sox Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

where he went 9–12 with an ERA of 3.35. Following the 2001 season the Red Sox placed Martínez on their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

and promoted him to the Double-A

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Doub ...

. Following spring training Martínez spent the entirety of the season with Trenton, going 5–12 with a 5.31 ERA. One sportswriter, who considered Martínez a top prospect, said that Martínez showed "flashes of brilliance but also considerable inconsistency at Trenton." Martínez began what would be prove to be an unusual season with the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

, but the Red Sox soon moved him down to the Double-A

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...

, intending to convert him into a closer. In 34 relief appearances with Portland Martínez posted a 3–1 record with 14 saves and a 2.25 ERA. On July 22, 2003, the Red Sox traded Martínez and

Brandon Lyon Brandon James Lyon (born August 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New York ...

to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

for

Scott Sauerbeck Scott William Sauerbeck (born November 9, 1971) is a retired left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher. High school career Sauerbeck attended Northwest High School in Cincinnati, and played baseball, basketball, and soccer graduating in ...

and Mike González. The Pirates assigned Martínez to the Double-A

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...

, where he made three relief appearances before, in a strange twist, the Pirates sent him and Lyon right back to Boston on August 1, along with

Jeff Suppan Jeffrey Scot Suppan (; born January 2, 1975), is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current professional baseball coach who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, ...

, while Boston returned Gonzalez while adding

Freddy Sanchez Frederick Phillip Sanchez Jr. (born December 21, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Sanchez played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox (–), Pittsburgh Pirates (–) and San Francisco Giants (–). He ...

. The Pirates had raised concerns over the state of Lyon's elbow (Lyon would miss the entire 2004 season); the new trade effectively canceled the old one. Martínez finished out the season at Pawtucket. Martínez was a strong candidate to make the major-league team in but was optioned to Pawtucket in late March. The Red Sox called him up on May 22 to replace the injured

Scott Williamson Scott Ryan Williamson (born February 17, 1976) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed relief pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1999–2003), Boston Red Sox (2003-), Chicago Cubs (2005–2006), San Diego Padres ( ...

, and Martínez made his major-league debut with Boston on May 22, 2004, in relief of another Martínez -

Pedro Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning ...

. After a strong start, going 2–0 with a 1.12 appearances, Martínez was lit up in

interleague Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pri ...

play and the Red Sox optioned him back to Pawtucket in June when outfielder

Trot Nixon The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is somet ...

came off the disabled list. Boston manager

Terry Francona Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito", is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox fo ...

was optimistic about Martínez's future: "I think he'll go back to Triple A and be a better pitcher. He'll be back here." Indeed, the Red Sox recalled Martínez on July 2 as Williamson returned to the disabled list. His return was, however, short lived: entering the 12th inning of a 3–3 tie with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, Martínez surrendered a game-winning three-run

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

to Nick Green; the next day the Red Sox sent him back to Pawtucket and called up Jimmy Anderson. During his two stints with Boston, he made 11 relief appearances, going 2–1 with an 8.44

and a save. At Pawtucket, in 38 games, he had a 3.74 ERA. Martínez spent the entire season in Pawtucket, working as both a starter and reliever. He posted a 3–4 record with a 5.98 ERA and one save. At the end of the year the Red Sox granted him free agency.

Washington Nationals

On February 6, ,

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

signed Martínez to a minor league contract. Following minor-league

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

the Nationals assigned Martínez to the Double-A

Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...

, but he made just two appearances before being promoted to the Triple-A

New Orleans Zephyrs New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, where he went 5–11 on the year with a 4.48 ERA as a starter. The Nationals signed Martínez to a new contract for 2007 but initially sent him to Harrisburg. After six appearances the Nationals moved Martínez up to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

, where he made nine appearances, half of them starts, before being traded to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

organization for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

. The Tigers assigned Martínez to the Triple-A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

Detroit Tigers

Martínez made six starts but also worked out of the bullpen at Toledo during the season, going 4–4 with a 4.24 ERA. The Tigers signed Martínez to a new contract in and he returned to Toledo. The Tigers moved Martínez to the Double-A

Erie SeaWolves The Erie SeaWolves are an United States, American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving ...

in June to make room for

Aquilino López Aquilino López Roa (born April 21, 1975) is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball and the KBO League. He bats and throws right-handed. Professional career Lopez was first signed by the Seattle Mariners on Jul ...

, but recalled Martínez to Toledo in July to replace

Preston Larrison Preston Wade Larrison (born November 19, 1980) is an American retired professional baseball player. As a pitcher, Larrison played college baseball for the University of Evansville and in minor league baseball from 2002 through 2009. Career Larris ...

. He was released by the Tigers on August 30, 2008. Martínez pitched for the

Estrellas de Oriente Estrellas Orientales (English: Eastern Stars), also known as Estrellas de Oriente, is a baseball team in the Dominican Winter League. Based in San Pedro de Macorís, the team has historically struggled, winning championships only in 1936, 1954, 196 ...

in the

Dominican Winter League Dominican may refer to: * Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean ** People of the Dominican Republic ** Demographics of the Domi ...

but did not meet with success, going 0–1 with an ERA of 7.45 in seven appearances. After spending 2009 out of baseball, Martínez played for the Calgary Vipers of the independent

Golden Baseball League The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico. The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...

in 2010.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Anastacio 1978 births Living people Altoona Curve players Augusta GreenJackets players Boston Red Sox players Calgary Vipers players Columbus Clippers players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Red Sox players Erie SeaWolves players Estrellas Orientales players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Harrisburg Senators players Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic New Orleans Zephyrs players Pawtucket Red Sox players Portland Sea Dogs players People from Santo Domingo Norte Sarasota Red Sox players Tigres del Licey players Toledo Mud Hens players Trenton Thunder players