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José Dennis Martínez Ortíz (born May 14, 1955), nicknamed "El Presidente" (The President),[1] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.[2] He was the first Nicaraguan baseball player (pitcher or position player) to play in the majors.
Martínez pitched for the Baltimore Orioles (1976–1986), Montreal Expos (1986–1993), Cleveland Indians (1994–1996), Seattle Mariners (1997) and Atlanta Braves (1998).
During a 23-year baseball career, Martínez compiled 245 wins, 2,149 strikeouts, and a 3.70 earned run average. He is one of the top Latin American pitchers of all-time. On July 28, 1991, Martínez pitched the thirteenth perfect game in Major League Baseball history, pitching for the Montreal Expos against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the first Latin American-born pitcher to pitch a perfect game.[3]
On September 28, 1993, Martinez won his 100th game for the Expos, becoming one of nine major league pitchers ever with at least 100 wins in both the American and National leagues. Others to do that are Jim Bunning, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Orth, Gaylord Perry, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Cy Young.
On September 28, 1995, a wild pitch by Martinez broke the jaw of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. This would be Puckett's last official game of his career, retiring in 1996 due to glaucoma in his right eye, a problem unrelated to Martinez's pitch.
Martínez has the most career victories of any pitcher who has never won 20 games in a single season. Milt Pappas, Jerry Reuss, Frank Tanana, Charlie Hough, Chuck Finley, Kenny Rogers, and Tim Wakefield are the only other pitchers with at least 200 career victories who have done so. (Of these, Pappas, Reuss and Rogers had pitched no-hitters, with Rogers' also being a perfect game, three years to the day of Martínez's.)
During Martinez' time with the Expos, a variation of the Montreal hot dog topped with cheese and bacon called the Denny Dog was sold at Olympic Stadium.[4]
Martinez has worked as a spring training instructor for the Baltimore Orioles in 2005 and 2006,[5] and pitching coach for the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League.[6]
On November 5, 2012, the Houston Astros finalized their coaching staff for the 2013 season, naming Martínez as their new bullpen coach. He was fired on October 1, 2013.[7]
Martinez also is manager of the Nicaraguan national baseball team, and managed during the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament. The national baseball park in Managua (Nicaragua's capital city), Dennis Martínez National Stadium, was named in his honor.
Martinez runs his own organization, The Dennis Martínez Foundation, to help poor children around the world.
Italics denotes post-season perfect game
New York Yankees, Maryland, World Series, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics
National League, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington, D.C.
Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove, Cleveland Indians, Roger Clemens, Hal Newhouser
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New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Seattle, Milwaukee Brewers
Baltimore Orioles, Jim Palmer, Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays, Walter Johnson
Texas Rangers (baseball), Jim Kaat, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Mark Buehrle
Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners
1968 In Baseball, 1970 In Baseball, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, 1957 In Baseball