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 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 ...

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

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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

(1963–66), appearing in 73 career

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. The native of Perico threw and batted

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 ...

, 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 (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

at age 22 as a member of the pennant-winning

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

. He was named the Indians' first-string shortstop coming out of

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 ...

and started the Tribe's first 35 regular-season games. But he hit only .167 with 21

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. Finally, on May 26, Cleveland optioned Martínez back to Jacksonville and acquired his replacement at shortstop,

Dick Howser Richard Dalton Howser (May 14, 1936 – June 17, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach, and manager who was best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s and for guiding them to the franchise's first ...

, in a trade with the

Kansas City Athletics The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...

. 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 and Art Mahaffey from the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

to the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

for Ed Bressoud, Danny Napoleon 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
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 Baseball players 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