On Friday Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez added another milestone to his baseball career. The Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 in his debut as manager. Before Martinez earned a World Series ring as a bench coach with the Chicago Cubs, and before he played 16 seasons as a MLB player, before he played baseball at Valencia College, he played high school ball at Lake Howell in the Orlando area.
I also went to Lake Howell and played baseball, but graduated two year before Martinez so we didn’t play on the same team. (And if I recall correctly, I think he transferred to the school his junior year.) But the year after I graduated from high school I worked as a 19-year-old sports reporter and photographer for the Sanford Herald and covered several games when Martinez played varsity baseball. (The above clippings are from two of those games.)
Now 1981 was a few years ago, but they way I recall it is in Dave Martinez’s first at bat at Lake Howell he hit a home run over the right field fence. Like Tim Raines (also from Central Florida) you knew Martinez was special.
Way back in 1998 Martinez got the first hit in a regular season game for Tampa Bay Rays in their inaugural season.
Best wishes on his career as a manager in what’s already been a heck of a ride in professional baseball.
I appreciate your baseball posts. Baseball always puts a smile on my face. Go Rockies!
Maybe I should just start blogging about baseball. My wife’s from Denver so Go Rockies.