| Ramón Martínez | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 22, 1968 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
|
| Batted: Switch | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 13, 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 1, 2001 for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–Loss record | 135–88 |
| Earned run average | 3.67 |
| Strikeouts | 1,427 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Ramón Jaime Martínez (b. March 22, 1968 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He won 135 games over a 13-year career, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the older brother of three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martínez, and is currently a senior advisor for Latin America for the Dodgers.
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Martínez was the youngest player in the league when he made his major league debut in 1988. He had a breakout season in 1990, when he won 20 games, struck out 18 batters in a game (on June 4), was selected an All-Star, and finished second in strikeouts as well as in the Cy Young Award balloting. He remained a solid pitcher for several years, throwing a no-hitter against the Florida Marlins on July 14, 1995 and pitching in the same rotation as brother Pedro in 1993.
Early in the 1998 season, Martínez suffered a torn rotator cuff and torn cartilage, which was surgically repaired on June 30. The Dodgers did not pick up a $5.6 million option after 1998 and he signed with the Boston Red Sox.
Ramón started the 1999 season in the minor leagues for rehabilitation. He was called up by the Red Sox in August, to pitch again alongside brother Pedro, making four starts for a 3-1 record with an ERA of 3.05. Martinez was less successful in 2000, with a record of 10-8 and a 6.03 ERA, and his option for 2001 was not picked up by the Red Sox.
After his two years with the Red Sox, he signed again with the Dodgers, but they released him at the end of spring training. He played briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001 before retiring.
While he was starting for the Dodgers, Ramón repeatedly asserted that his brother Pedro was an even better pitcher than he was. Nevertheless, Dodgers management thought Pedro was too small to be successful and traded him away. Pedro went on to become one of the greatest pitchers of his generation with the Expos and Red Sox. Ramón and Pedro were eventually reunited as teammates during Ramón's two years with the Red Sox.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tim Belcher Orel Hershiser |
Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day Starting pitcher 1992 1995-1998 |
Succeeded by Orel Hershiser Kevin Brown |
| Preceded by Kenny Rogers |
No-hitter pitcher July 14, 1995 |
Succeeded by Al Leiter |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Gregg Jefferies |
Youngest Player in the National League 1988 |
Succeeded by Rosario Rodríguez |
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