Gabriel Antonio Martínez Díaz (March 18, 1940 – August 24, 1991) was a Cuban-born

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 (AL), ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

who played in parts of four seasons for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

(1963–66), appearing in 73 career

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

. The native of Perico threw and batted right-handed, stood and weighed . Martínez' professional career began at the Class C level in 1960, but by his third pro season he was an All-Star shortstop in Triple-A, winning the 1962 Most Valuable Player Award in the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

at age 22 as a member of the pennant-winning Jacksonville Suns. He was named the Indians' first-string shortstop coming out of

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 ...

and started the Tribe's first 35 regular-season games. But he

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization in ...

only .167 with 21

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

. Finally, on May 26, Cleveland optioned Martínez back to Jacksonville and acquired his replacement at shortstop, Dick Howser, in a trade with the Kansas City Athletics. Martínez continued to struggle at Jacksonville, but was recalled in September for another eight-game trial. He spent the remainder of his pro career in the minors, apart from 30 more games with the Indians during sporadic call-ups from 1964–66. He was traded along with

Jerry Buchek Gerald Peter Buchek (; May 9, 1942 – January 2, 2019) was an American middle infielder and third baseman who played all or parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Buchek threw and bat ...

and

Art Mahaffey Arthur Mahaffey Jr. (born June 4, 1938) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–) and St. Louis Cardinals (). He batted and threw right-handed. In ...

from the St. Louis Cardinals to the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

for

Ed Bressoud Edward Francis Bressoud (May 2, 1932 – July 13, 2023) was an American professional baseball shortstop. Bressoud played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through for the New York / San Francisco Giants (1956–1961), Boston Red Sox (1962� ...

Danny Napoleon Daniel Napoleon (January 11, 1942 – April 26, 2003) was a Major League Baseball left fielder from 1965 to 1966 with the New York Mets. Napoleon batted and threw right-handed. Early years Napoleon played baseball, football, basketball and t ...

and cash on April 1, 1967."Mets, Cards Engage In 5-Player Deal," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Sunday, April 2, 1967.
Retrieved March 2, 2023. Martínez' 30 big-league hits included five doubles. He drove in ten runs.

References

External links

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Retrosheet
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Venezuelan Winter League

1940 births 1991 deaths Charleston Indians players Cleveland Indians players Florida Instructional League Cardinals players Jacksonville Suns players Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball shortstops Minot Mallards players Modesto Reds players Sportspeople from Matanzas Province Portland Beavers players Reading Indians players Baseball players from Miami Tigres de Aragua players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players International League MVP award winners {{Cuba-baseball-shortstop-stub