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Chito Martinez
He is yet to become the subject of one of those “Whatever Happened To?” stories. No one has compared him to some one-season flashes, or even half-season flashes, in recent Orioles’ history.
But the memorable summer of 1991 has turned into a forgettable spring of 1992 for Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez. In the what-have-you-done-for-us-lately world of major-league baseball, Martinez is merely struggling to survive. It is an ongoing battle and, unlike the Orioles, he is not winning.
“To me, the most important thing is that we’re winning,” Martinez was saying in the quiet of the Orioles’ clubhouse Sunday morning. “It’s difficult. Of course, I’d like to be in there more, but there’s no sense getting down.” Later that day, Martinez made his sixth start — subbing for Sam Horn as the Orioles’ designated hitter — in a 5-2 defeat to the Chicago White Sox. He went 0-for-3, and saw his average tumble to .080 (2-for-25) going into tonight’s game in Texas. The disastrous start to Martinez’s second season with the Orioles is in stark contrast to the way he ended his first: the final home run at Memorial Stadium, his 13th in 67 games, to go along with 33 RBIs and a solid .269 batting average.
“I enjoyed last year, being that it was my first year in the big leagues and doing as well as I did,” said Martinez, 26. “When I got called up, I was hitting the ball well [in Rochester] and my swing was in a groove. It’s hard to keep a good swing when you’re not playing. I don’t care how much time you spend in the [batting] cage or hitting off a tee, it’s a totally different situation when you’re facing a pitcher. I don’t have my swing right now.” - Baltimore Sun
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