Randy Martz

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Randy Martz
Pitcher
Born: May 28, 1956 (1956-05-28) (age 52)
Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 6, 1980
for the Chicago Cubs
Final game
August 5, 1983
for the Chicago White Sox
Career statistics
ERA     3.78
Record     17-19
Strikeouts     78
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • none

Randy Carl Martz (Born: May 28, 1956 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who attended the University of South Carolina. He played for both Chicago teams in his career, the Cubs and White Sox.

In 1977, after being named the Most Valuable College Player (he went 14 and 0 for South Carolina), he was drafted 12th overall by the Cubs. This 6'4", 210 pound pitcher saw moderate success in the minors before making his Major League debut on September 6, 1980 at the age of 24 and wearing #34. In his first game, he pitched six innings, giving up five walks and five hits for the loss. Overall, he went 1 and 2 with a 2.08 ERA that year. Oddly, in 30+ innings of work, he struck out only five batters.

In 1981, he went 5 and 7 with a 3.68 ERA in 33 games, 14 started. He had a 4.21 ERA with 11 and 10 record in 1982, and he struck out only 40 batters in 147+ innings of work. Perhaps the highlight of his 1982 season was the two hitter he threw against the New York Mets. The hits he gave up were to Ron Hodges.

On January 25, 1983, Martz was traded with Scott Fletcher, Pat Tabler and Dick Tidrow to the White Sox for Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar.

He only appeared in one game in 1983, starting it. He wore #33 during that game. In 5 innings of work in that August 5 game, he walked four and gave up four hits but still managed to walk away with the no-decision.

Overall in his career, he went 17 and 19 with a 3.78 ERA in 290+ innings of work. Although he walked only 100 batters, he was definitely not a strikeout pitcher as he struck out only 78. As a batter, he hit .165 in 79 at-bats. He had a .988 career fielding percentage. According to Baseball-Reference, his career statistics are most similar to those of Bill McCahan and Daisy Davis.

Nowadays, Martz lives in East Alton, Illinois. He is the head baseball coach at Lewis and Clark Community College and also the pitching coach for the Gateway Grizzlies of the independent Frontier League.

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