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

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played part of the 2004 season in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

, and most recently played for the

Calgary Vipers The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, ...

. He is listed with a height of 6'2" and a weight of 180 lbs., and he bats and throws

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...

. He graduated from Liceo Santa Cruz College in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

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 t ...

, 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. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

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 Leagu ...

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. History Augusta was a member of the S ...

. 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 or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

, 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. It is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in different ...

. 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 (baseball), Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They pl ...

. In the Red Sox promoted Martínez to the High-A Sarasota Red Sox 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, an ...

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 D ...

. 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 Yor ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

for Scott Sauerbeck 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 ...

, 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. 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, meanin ...

. After a strong start, going 2–0 with a 1.12 appearances, Martínez was lit up in interleague play and the Red Sox optioned him back to Pawtucket in June when outfielder Trot Nixon came off the disabled list. Boston manager

Terry Francona Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito", is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously managed the Cleveland Indians/G ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

, Martínez surrendered a game-winning three-run

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

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. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

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

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

the Nationals assigned Martínez to the Double-A

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

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

New Orleans Zephyrs New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

, 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, merch ...

, 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

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 baseball team nicknamed the ...

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 American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Ti ...

in June to make room for

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

, but recalled Martínez to Toledo in July to replace Preston Larrison. He was released by the Tigers on August 30, 2008. Martínez pitched for the Estrellas de Oriente in the

Dominican Winter League The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League ( or LIDOM) is a professional baseball Winter league baseball, winter league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the highest level of professional baseball played ...

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 org ...

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 Baseball players from Santo Domingo Province Sarasota Red Sox players Tigres del Licey players Toledo Mud Hens players Trenton Thunder players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Sinon Bulls players