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Horacio Martinez

Horacio Martinez
Nickname: Rabbit
a.k.a. Millito Martinez


Career: 1935-1947
Positions: ss, 2b, 3b
Teams: New York Cubans (1935-1936, 1939-1947), Cuban Stars (1937-1938)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Born: 1915, Santo Domingo
Died: 1992


A star shortstop for the New York Cubans during the 1940s, Martinez was selected to the East-West All Star squad every year between 1940 and 1945, except 1942. In All Star competition he averaged a rousing .545. In 1945 his sterling glovework and the skill and ease with which he executed his position earned him a description as "the perfect shortstop" and the distinction of being the best shortstop in the league. He had outstanding range, a strong and accurate arm, and exceptional fielding mechanics.

He was only an average hitter, batting .222, .240, and .171 in 1940-1942, but was a good bunter, fast on the bases, and good on either end of the hit-and-run play. Always a hustler, he broke in with the New York Cubans in 1935, registering batting averages of .244 and .216. A product of Santo Domingo, he played in the winter leagues of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and managed Caracas to the Venezuelan League championship in the playoffs of 1945-1946. In his latter years he suffered from Parkinson's disease before passing away in 1992.

Source: James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.