Damaso Marte is a former professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on February 14, 1975, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Marte began his professional baseball career in 1993 when he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Seattle Mariners. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Mariners in 1999. However, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001, where he spent the next four seasons.
During his time with the Pirates, Marte established himself as a reliable left-handed relief pitcher. He had a career-best season in 2003, where he recorded a 1.58 earned run average (ERA) and 66 strikeouts in 51.1 innings pitched. His performance earned him the Pirates' Pitcher of the Year award.
In 2005, Marte was traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he played a crucial role in their World Series championship run. He appeared in 12 postseason games, allowing only one earned run in 10.1 innings pitched. His performance in the World Series was particularly impressive, as he pitched in all four games and did not allow a single run.
Marte continued to play for the White Sox until 2009 when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second time in his career. He spent the remainder of his career with the Pirates, appearing in only 21 games over two seasons due to injuries.
Overall, Marte had a successful career as a relief pitcher in MLB. He finished his career with a 3.48 ERA, 570 strikeouts, and 22 saves in 570 innings pitched. He was particularly effective against left-handed batters, holding them to a .218 batting average over his career.
After retiring from baseball, Marte returned to his hometown in the Dominican Republic, where he started a baseball academy to help young players develop their skills. He also worked as a coach for the Dominican Republic national baseball team.
In 2020, Marte was inducted into the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the sport as a Dominican player.
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