Luis Manuel Martinez (born April 3, 1985) is a Colombian-American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

. He played 32 games in

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 ...

(MLB) for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

and Texas Rangers.

Career

New York Mets

Prior to playing professionally, he attended Coral Park High School, Jackson State Community College, and then

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...

. He was originally drafted by 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 ...

in the 11th round of the 2005 amateur draft, however he opted not to sign.

San Diego Padres

He was next drafted by the Padres in the 12th round of the 2007 amateur draft, beginning his professional career that year. Martinez played for the

Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays ...

and

Fort Wayne Wizards A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

in 2007, hitting a combined .253 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 45 games. In 2008, he hit .223 with three home runs and 19 RBI with the Wizards. With the

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team based in Lake Elsinore, California. The Storm compete in the California League as the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond, w ...

and

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...

in 2009, Martinez hit .286 with four home runs and 41 RBI in 94 games. He hit .282 with two home runs and 31 RBI with the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

in 2010.

Texas Rangers

On December 21, 2011, Martinez was traded to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Ryan Kelly. Martinez was recalled from the Triple–A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

on August 11 when Mike Napoli was placed on the disabled list He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on December 26, 2012 and removed from the Rangers' 40-man roster.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

On November 19, 2013 Martinez signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

.Rangers Designate Luis Martinez For Assignment
/ref>

Boston Red Sox

On January 23, 2015, Martinez signed a minor league deal with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. He became a free agent on November 7, 2015.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Luis 1985 births Living people Baseball players from Miami Bowie Baysox players Cumberland Phoenix baseball players Estrellas Orientales players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne Wizards players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball catchers Norfolk Tides players Pawtucket Red Sox players Peoria Saguaros players Portland Beavers players Portland Sea Dogs players Round Rock Express players Sacramento River Cats players Salt Lake Bees players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Texas Rangers players Tucson Padres players Jackson State Generals baseball players Miami Coral Park Senior High School alumni