José Martínez (infielder/coach) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José Martínez |
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Martínez, circa 1982
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: July 26, 1942 Cárdenas, Cuba |
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| Died: October 1, 2014 (aged 72) Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 18, 1969, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 28, 1970, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .245 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 16 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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José Martínez Azcuis (born July 26, 1942 – died October 1, 2014) was a talented baseball player from Cuba. He also worked as a coach, a team executive, and a scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 and 1970. José mostly played as a second baseman. He was right-handed when he batted and threw the ball. He was about 6 feet tall and weighed around 178 pounds.
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Playing in the Major Leagues
José Martínez was born in Cárdenas, Cuba. He went to high school there. In 1961, he signed a contract to play baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He made his big league debut in 1969. That year, he played in 77 games for the Pirates. He started 34 of those games at second base.
His Only Major League Home Run
On September 8, 1969, José hit his only home run in the major leagues. It was a very special hit! He hit a grand slam in the ninth inning. This means he hit a home run when the bases were loaded. His hit brought in four runs and helped the Pirates win the game 6–2 against the Montreal Expos.
Life After Playing
In May 1970, José Martínez went back to playing in the minor leagues. He played there for the rest of his career. In 1972, he joined the Kansas City Royals organization. He stayed with the Royals for 16 years.
Coaching Career
From 1976 to 1979, José was a manager for teams in the Royals' farm system. This means he coached younger players who were learning the game.
Then, he became a coach for the main Kansas City Royals team. He coached for eight seasons, from 1980 to 1987. During this time, the Royals won the American League championship in 1980. They also won the 1985 World Series championship!
In 1988, José joined the Chicago Cubs as a coach. He coached for the Cubs for seven years.
Working as an Executive
After coaching, José Martínez moved into a front office role. In 1995, he joined the Atlanta Braves. He worked as a special assistant for the team. He stayed with the Braves for 20 years until he passed away on October 1, 2014.
