Ramon Martinez is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on March 22, 1972, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Martinez began his professional baseball career in 1988 when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent. He spent several years in the Dodgers' minor league system before making his major league debut in 1992.
Martinez quickly established himself as a reliable starting pitcher for the Dodgers. He had a strong fastball and a devastating curveball that helped him strike out batters at a high rate. In 1993, Martinez had his best season, going 20-6 with a 2.92 ERA and 208 strikeouts. He finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting that year, behind only Greg Maddux.
Martinez continued to pitch well for the Dodgers over the next few years, but injuries began to take a toll on his performance. He missed significant time in 1996 and 1997 due to shoulder and elbow injuries. Despite these setbacks, Martinez was still a valuable member of the Dodgers' pitching staff when he was healthy.
In 1998, Martinez was traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Tony Armas Jr. He spent two seasons with the Red Sox, but his performance was inconsistent. He had some good outings, but also struggled with injuries and inconsistency. Martinez was released by the Red Sox in 2000.
After a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Martinez signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2001. He had a solid season for the Giants, going 10-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 21 starts. However, injuries once again derailed his career. He missed most of the 2002 season due to a shoulder injury, and was released by the Giants after the season.
Martinez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003, hoping to revive his career with his former team. He pitched well in his first season back with the Dodgers, going 14-8 with a 2.90 ERA in 33 starts. However, injuries once again became a problem for Martinez. He missed significant time in 2004 and 2005 due to various injuries, and was released by the Dodgers after the 2005 season.
Martinez signed with the New York Mets in 2006, but struggled in his first season with the team. He went 9-8 with a 5.66 ERA in 23 starts. He pitched better in 2007, going 6-4 with a 4.97 ERA in 15 starts. However, he was released by the Mets after the season.
Martinez signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2008, but struggled in his brief stint with the team. He went 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in four starts before being released. He signed with the Dodgers once again in 2009, but was released during spring training.
Overall, Martinez had a solid career as a starting pitcher in the major leagues. He finished his career with a record of 135-88 and a 3.67 ERA. He struck out 1,449 batters in 2,152 innings pitched. While injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential, Martinez was still a valuable contributor to several teams during his career.
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