Tino Martinez: Making the Case for the Hall of Fame in 2011
December 26, 2010 · Anthony Lifrieri · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Tino Martinez was one of the greatest Yankee first basemen and should be in the Hall of Fame. He had a career that spanned 16 seasons, including four World Series titles. He is eligible for the Hall of Fame this season, and the voters should consider him.
Tino Martinez’s stats were not outstanding. However, he did drive in over 1,000 runs over the course of his career, and was consistently one of the best overall first basemen in the game.
Martinez was also the most underrated defensive first basemen in the league. He never won a Gold Glove award, but was a vacuum cleaner of a first basemen. His defense was not appreciated until Jason Giambi replaced him.
The main reason Constantino Martinez should be in the Hall of Fame is his intangibles. Tino was a great teammate, who brought four World Series titles back to the Bronx, while replacing Yankee legend Don Mattingly. Given the circumstances, no other player in baseball could have succeeded the way Tino did, and that is what endears him to the hearts of every Yankee fan.
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