Domingo Martínez (baseball)

Domingo Emilio Martínez Lafontaine (born August 4, 1965) is a former professional baseball player who played for the Toronto Blue Jays in the major leagues, and the Seibu Lions and Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball. He currently works as a scout for the Chunichi Dragons.

Biography

Martínez was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984, and spent several years in the minors before making his major league debut in 1992. He played in 8 games that year, and 7 games in 1993 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. He did not play in the major leagues with the White Sox, and was signed by the Seibu Lions in 1997.

He was expected to become the team's cleanup batter, replacing Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who had signed with the Yomiuri Giants. Martínez showed little promise during pre-season games, and Lions manager Osamu Higashio even requested that the team sign another player as a replacement. However, Martínez gradually made improvements, and established himself as a stable power hitter at the start of the regular season. He went on to play the entire season as the team's designated hitter. He was awarded the Best Nine award in 1997, and his round appearance made him a popular figure among fans, who gave him the nickname Maruchan. He continued his success the following year, hitting over 30 home runs with 90 RBIs, but was fired during the 1998 off-season for his slow speed and poor fielding. The Lions would miss Martínez's presence the following season, as the team's lack of power prevented them from winning consecutive league championships.

Martínez spent the beginning of 1999 playing in the Mexican League, but was called back to Japan by the Yomiuri Giants, who signed him in June. Martínez was ineffective as a pinch-hitter, but contributed greatly after becoming the regular left fielder. He continued his hitting prowess, but his extremely poor fielding prompted the Giants pitching staff to request that he be taken out in later innings. He also played first base while Kazuhiro Kiyohara was injured, and played extremely well at the beginning of 2001 filling in for Kiyohara. However, he was demoted to the bench after Kiyohara's injuries healed, and he packed on some extra weight after being unable to find playing time. He retired after his contract expired at the end of 2001, and became a scout for the Chunichi Dragons in 2006.

References

External links

• Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics
• Major league career statistics