Memories of Fernando Martinez

[Edgy MD]

Claimed of waivers by the Astros today.

Here's the thread noting his signing, with a side of Deolis, from July 2005. That month was also famous for marking the defection of Bret Sabermetric from the Mets to the Sox, the DFA-ing of John Franco, and the fallout form Kenny Rogers assaulting a cameraman.

Ends his Met career by inspiring a crackpot column at Yahoo.

[metirish]

Still only 23 but it feels like I've been hearing about him for years,and I guess I have been since he was 16. Feel bad for him , a lot of expectations but if you can't stay on the field it's hard to fulfill your promise.

memories?

IIRC he had a very undisciplined swing when he first came up, hacking away like crazy.

[Ceetar]

big 8th inning pinch-hit home run against the Astros as part of a 4 run inning to bring the Mets back from a 4-1 hole and win the game.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He was a big kid, and one to dream on, but didn't exhibit the powa they expected of him and he couldn't play center field and worst, got hurt too much. Am I telling you something you didn;t know?

Interesting to read that old article and see how hard the Mets tried to make it look like they knew what they were doing back then.

[Frayed Knot]

John Sickels goes through his year-by-year evaluations during Fartinez's prospect days.

[G-Fafif]

Attending his first MLB game, wondering how enthusiastic I should be in welcoming him to New York, maybe accelerating his first AB applause two notches over the norm in recognition of his top-prospect status, but not nearly as much as I would for Ike Davis in the same circumstances a year later.

The kerfuffle over him not running out a pop fly, which I tried to reason was a rookie mistake but now, with hindsight and narrative, see as a Sign of Something Sinister (these kids today...).

His first homer, against Milwaukee with two out and nobody on in the ninth and the Mets down by four, briefly cheering me up in the sullen summer of 2009. Then Omir Santos grounded out to end the game and I returned to moping.

Looking at the scoreboard on August 10, 2010, and taking note of the following lineup:

Reyes SS
Martinez RF
Pagan CF
Wright 3B
Davis 1B
Carter LF
Thole C
Tejada 2B
Pelfrey P

And recognizing it (with Beltran getting the night off and Castillo out of favor) as the first all born in 1980 or later lineup the Mets had ever fielded, thinking the youth movement was on, let's play the kids day in, day out for the rest of the year and see how it goes. F-Mart wouldn't start again in 2010 after August 17.

[ashie62]

Eager but star crossed.

[Edgy MD]

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves....

I don't dispute that the organization had come to a reckoning, or that they have a good clue what lies ahead. (Who knows? But they probably have a better notion than than Minaya's team did seven years ago when they signed him. I hope so.)

My main problem is that, in the end, he was essentially traded for Ronny Cede�o. And I don't care that he didn't work out. A $1.4 million bonus (in 2005 dollars) to a hot Dominican teenager that you believe in is still a better bet than a 2012 $1.2 million (plus incentives) deal for Ronny C. to be your backup shortstop.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves.... I don't dispute that the organization had come to a reckoning, or that they have a good clue what lies ahead. (Who knows? But they probably have a better notion than than Minaya's team did seven years ago when they signed him. I hope so.) My main problem is that, in the end, he was essentially traded for Ronny Cede�o. And I don't care that he didn't work out. A $1.4 million bonus (in 2005 dollars) to a hot Dominican teenager that you believe in is still a better bet than a 2012 $1.2 million (plus incentives) deal for Ronny C. to be your backup shortstop.

Ronny Cedeno, or D.J. Carrasco, or even Armando Rodriguez.

Ultimately it's probably not a big deal, but I don't agree with it.

This is obviously hyperbole, but I think Martinez would've provided more value to the Mets if they'd made him the backup SS instead of Cedeno. Even as a SS virgin. And he hits left-handed.

[seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves.... I don't dispute that the organization had come to a reckoning, or that they have a good clue what lies ahead. (Who knows? But they probably have a better notion than than Minaya's team did seven years ago when they signed him. I hope so.) My main problem is that, in the end, he was essentially traded for Ronny Cede�o. And I don't care that he didn't work out. A $1.4 million bonus (in 2005 dollars) to a hot Dominican teenager that you believe in is still a better bet than a 2012 $1.2 million (plus incentives) deal for Ronny C. to be your backup shortstop.

Especially for a kid who's only 22 years old.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: This is obviously hyperbole, but I think Martinez would've provided more value to the Mets if they'd made him the backup SS instead of Cedeno. Even as a SS virgin. And he hits left-handed.

It would be a good movie, anyway.

[Fman99]

He sucked.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: This is obviously hyperbole, but I think Martinez would've provided more value to the Mets if they'd made him the backup SS instead of Cedeno. Even as a SS virgin. And he hits left-handed. It would be a good movie, anyway.

So would the story of the fat Mets blogger that went to Fantasy Camp and became the backup SS.. I hit lefty too.

oh, I missed it already? shoot.

[nymr83]

I have to agree with Edgy on that, no matter how disappointing and injured Martinez has been, you'd have to think that, being he is still only 23, he would hold more value for a presumably last place team than would a backup SS or extra reliever because unlike them he has the potential to develop into something useful for the future rather than add 0.00001 marginal wins for this year.

If you give the Mets credit for being competent (you certainly don't have to given their recent "success", its just a hypothetical to set up my next statement), then you might think that either a) Martinez was such a huge personality issue that it was worth jettisoning his diminishing potential or the Mets' doctors know more about his knee and/or other ailments than we've heard and they aren't convinced he will ever stay healthy for long.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I'm thinking of conversations along the lines of:

Alderson: Jerry, congratulations on getting the big chair.

DiPoto: Thanks, Sandy. Sorry about how things are going back I my old club.

Alderson: Things will be fine. (Crosses fingers.) Don't believe everything you read.

DiPoto: To what do I owe the pleasure of a call from the architect of Moneyball.

Alderson: HAR! To tell you the truth, my guys are big on, um, this lefty you got. His name is... Robert Fish. That's the guy.

DiPoto: Fish, huh. Well, we like him, too. We stuck him on the 40 to keep him out of the Rule 5.

Alderson: Good thing, too. We were eyeing him.

DiPoto: Whoah. You know those picks cost $50,000, right?

Alderson: Ouch.

DiPoto: What were you thinking of offering?

Alderson: Well, if you're interested in talking, we're willing to discuss Fernando Martinez.

DiPoto: Really? You're ready to cut your losses with that guy?

Alderson: Still considered a top prospect as recently as pre-season 2010!

DiPoto: Yeah, we have our files. Could you fax over his medical records?

Alderson: You're breaking up. I can't hear you.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

People called him Fartinez. I didn't think he'd make it anywhere with a nickname like that.

[metirish]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: People called him Fartinez. I didn't think he'd make it anywhere with a nickname like that.

I think we can track his regression through his nicknames....started out as F-Mart, a real top prospect name ,and ended up as Fartinez.

[Edgy MD]

The regression happened almost immediately.

[Guest themetfairy]

Before it was named, my friend called the Shea Bridge the F-Mart Bridge in honor of a home run he hit there.