New York Yankees add Tino Martinez to Monument Park

Tino Martinez spent seven seasons with the Yankees dating from 1996 to 2001 and his career curtain call in 2005. Martinez played major league baseball for 16 seasons starting in Seattle. This year the Yankees will induct four players into their historical shrine.

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Earlier today the New York Yankees added former star Tino Martinez to their Monument Park.

In his seven seasons with the Yankees, Martinez drove in 100 or more runs five of those seven seasons. He finished 2nd in American League MVP voting in 1997 with 141 RBI’s. In his entire time with the Yankees, he never won a Gold Glove award and was a .233 lifetime hitter.

Yankee fans are still trying to figure out how Martinez is getting a plaque while players like Craig Nettles, Willie Randolph, and Bernie Williams are not. Williams is rumored to be getting his plaque next season. Of the Yankee players who are enshrined in Monument Park, only five have standing monuments. Miller Huggins, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and late owner George Steinbrenner.

In his seven years with the Yankees, Martinez had 4,244 plate appearances in 1,054 games. He had 3,770 at bats and posted 566 hits, 1,039 run, and 739 RBI’s. He had 192 home runs. Martinez ranks 49th in all time Yankee batting average with a .276 average. He ranks 39th in hits and 36th in runs. Martinez’s career rankings is one of the reasons fans are not sold on Martinez being worthy of such an honor. Later tonight the Cleveland Indians will induct Omar Vizquel into the teams Heritage Park. Vizquel is considered a serious candidate for Hall of Fame consideration and had 11 Gold Gloves.

Great Yankee? Not so sure.

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