Norberto Enrique "Paco" Martin McDonald (born December 10, 1966) is a former

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. He played seven seasons in

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from 1993 to 1999.

Career

The White Sox signed him on March 27, 1984, though it would be nearly a decade before he made his MLB debut. Primarily a shortstop, Martin worked his way up through the minors but was plagued by injuries, which made him miss significant time in 1986. Entering 1991, he was ranked No. 4 on the White Sox top 10 prospect list (per Baseball America). In 1993, Martin had a great season, hitting .309 and being voted best defensive second baseman in the American Association by Baseball America. Martin’s MLB debut finally came Sept. 20, 1993 when he pinch ran for Frank Thomas and scored a run on a Robin Ventura double. The first hit came Sept. 28 – a single off Tim Leary. The next day, in only his fifth MLB game and seventh MLB plate appearance, he recorded his second hit - a walk-off single in the 12th inning, giving the White Sox a 3-2 win over the Mariners. He finished the season 5-for-14 (.357) in eight games. Martin’s first big league home run came on June 4, 1994 – a ninth inning grand slam off Jim Poole in Baltimore. He’s one of eight players in White Sox history whose first career MLB home run was a grand slam. The 1996 season was his best. In 70 games, Martin hit .350/.374/.421; that batting average was second in the AL to Alex Rodriguez among players with at least 140 at-bats. Frank Thomas was third with .349. In addition, Paco remains one of four players in White Sox history to hit .350 and steal 10+ bases in a season. Martin went on to play with the Angels and played a career-high 79 games, but he wasn’t the same player, hitting only .215. He played nine games for the Blue Jays in 1999 in what would be the end of his MLB career. He continued to play in the minors, in addition to a stint in Mexico, for a few more years. After his playing career, he became an instructor at the Academy of Pro Players in

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, where he taught for a few years. He served as the hitting coach for the

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwauke ...

in 2004 and from 2007 to 2008; Martin served in the same capacity for 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 ...

, the Class A affiliate of the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

from 2017 to 2019. ——— It has been claimed by Keith Bodie that Martin was involved in a triple play in a 1986 spring training game where no one touched the ball.

Personal life

Norberto is married to Judith Diaz-Carrero with whom he has three kids: Nicolle M. Martin, Norberto P. Martin Jr., and Michelle Y. Martin. He has four grandchildren: Sam, Tristan, Cai, and Stella Martin. He now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

References

External links

1966 births Anaheim Angels players Appleton Foxes players Calgary Cannons players Charleston Wheelers players Chicago White Sox players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Gulf Coast White Sox players Indianapolis Indians players Living people Long Island Ducks players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball second basemen Mexican League baseball outfielders Mexican League baseball second basemen Mexican League baseball third basemen Nashville Sounds players Niagara Falls Sox players Peninsula White Sox players Piratas de Campeche players Syracuse SkyChiefs players Tampa White Sox players Toronto Blue Jays players Vancouver Canadians players {{DominicanRepublic-baseball-second-baseman-stub