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Ted Martinez
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 160 of 1252 players
Teodoro Noel Encarnacion Martinez
Born: December 10, 1947 at Barahona, Dominican Republic
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.00 Weight: 170

Ted Martinez was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on August 10, 2020, September 5, 2021, and January 27, 2023.

First Mets game: July 18, 1970
Last Mets game: October 2, 1974

Share your memories of Ted Martinez HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Howard Levy April 13, 2001 Mets Broadcaster Ralph Kiner used to tell the story of when Martinez reported to his first MLB training camp, no one ever saw him at the hotel. Apparantly, Teodoro didn't know that the hotel was included in the deal. The player was living on the streets and eating oranges in a park outside the spring training facility! Jim Snedeker November 26, 2001 Ted was my favorite player for a time. And he was one of the guys who got some key hits during the 1973 pennant drive. I remember one time he was on Kiner's Korner (maybe the only time), and Ralph began by saying, "Ted was reluctant to come on the show because he doesn't speak much English. Well, that's okay, Ted, because I don't speak much Spanish." Now with Teddy firmly on his side, Ralph proceeded to ask him mind-bending questions such as "Did you hit the ball well?" and "That was a good play you made, wasn't it?" But when he replied, Teodoro would start off in broken English and then start rambling in Spanish as a perplexed Ralph would try and break in with another question. Les November 29, 2001 Ted Martinez was a difficult man to find in the off season. Before the 1973 season, the Mets sent him a contract and never heard from him. Then, when the players' strike ended in spring training of 1973, the Mets called the players to inform them about reporting dates. They tried to locate Teddy in the Dominican Republic, but he was no where to be found. He showed up to Spring Training a few days later. He was a guy who Yogi could put at shortstop or centerfield and filled in admirably. Mr. Sparkle December 10, 2001 I gotta admit that when Teddy was playing I liked him too. But looking back on his numbers, he wasn't very good. I always thought of him as an exciting player but he didn't really have a lot of steals and no power. I was just a kid so what the hell did I know? RICH January 31, 2002 Our memories definitely play tricks. I was looking at some old Mets yearbooks from the early 70's and the offense was UGLY. My memory of Ted was a good hitter, but his numbers are pathetic. Glen April 4, 2002 I liked Ted Martinez. I remember that he was doing really well for the Mets during one point of one season, and he was the guest on Kiner's Korner. Ralph said to Ted that he's been on the show so often lately, we should probably change the name of Kiner's Korner to The Ted Martinez Show! Martinez laughed. bosslarry40 April 28, 2002 I remember Teddy as a guy you could count on to make a bonehead decision on the basepaths to kill a potential rally. Me: how did the game end? My Cousin: Ground ball to the shortstop, he threw out the runner trying to go from second to third. Me: Second to third on a grounder to short??? Who was the runner? Me AND My cousin in unison: Martinez! Jim Snedeker November 21, 2002 I saw Teddy as a pinch-runner for the Dodgers in the 1977 World Series. They brought him out in the final inning of the last game (which they lost). And Curt Gowdy pronounced his name incorrectly: Mar-teh-NEZ instead of Mar-TEEN-ez. Metsmind December 25, 2002 Teddy was a regular on Kiner's Korner, and the language problems were hilarious. Later,they would have Felix Millan on the show with him to act as a go between. Best memory was early in Teddy's career, he scored a winning run from third on a popup the Montreal catcher failed to catch directly in front of the plate. That day on Kiner's Korner, Martinez said he knew Coco Laboy was the Expos third baseman, so the whole way running home (I guess there were 2 outs)he kept yelling "lo tengo", fooling the catcher into thinking it was Laboy calling it. Kerry June 20, 2004 Teddy Martinez was one of my favorite Mets players of all time. He was Bud Harrelson's backup. I wear number 17 on my Mets jersey as a tribute to Teddy. John October 10, 2004 Greg Morris Mission Impossible look alike!! I also thought that he was better than he was, funny how that happens with a lot of the old Mets that I liked. benton August 27, 2005 He couldn't field a lick. Maybe it was because Harrelson seemed to catch everything, but I remember wincing every time the ball was hit to him. jochi November 23, 2005 This is my Uncle Teodoro. He wasn't a good player but he is a hell of a coach. Kaz911 May 31, 2006 I always thought of Teddy as the ultimate utility player, and despite his overall numbers, he was a key factor in the success of the 1973 season. Mitch July 17, 2007 Martinez was the consummate good-field, no-hit utility player. The Mets have had many of those through the years. Oliver September 23, 2007 Hey, guys! Ted was a good player at that time. You can't compare the past and present; it's different. Players from his time used to play by heart. Most of the players of today learn the techniques, then go to an academy. It's not the same. By the way you have to check his numbers in LIDOM (The Dominican League) Don Engbers May 9, 2008 In '69 and '70 I played with Teddy at Memphis and Tidewater. He was a fun guy and a good player. After reading some of the memories from others I was surprised about his having trouble with the English language. Maybe he was just nervous being on the air because when I knew him he was very easy to understand. Donnie April 11, 2011 I've just read all the memories the Mets fans have written about Teddy Martinez, and I can't believe not ONE has yet mentioned how he used to endear himself to fans by doing the Mexican hat dance in the dugout whenever the song was played! The fans all loved it! How I wish today's players had THAT kind of charisma! Frank the Met July 27, 2012 Teddy Martinez, like George Theodore, is one of those role players on the Mets teams of the early 70's who, for whatever reason, has endeared himself to Met fans who remember those days so well. I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but Teddy was a right-handed hitter who actually flirted with being a switch hitter for a time. I don't know if there are any stats showing his at bats as a left-handed hitter. Also, in the famous game of July 4, 1972, when Leron Lee broke up Tom Seaver's no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning (I was at the game), Teddy, a utility infielder, was placed in right field. He made a running catch toward the right field line that preserved the no-hitter for the moment. Great memories of a kid Met fan in the early 70's. Paul January 4, 2013 Frank the Met is right. Ted Martinez tried switch hitting for a while. I think it was early in the 1973 season. John Rodriguez January 10, 2014 I read in Tug McGraw's autobiography "Screwball" that in Teddy's rookie season Tug was pitching with a runner at second. Tug motioned to Teddy at short that he was going to try to pick off the runner. Teddy befuddledly cried out "No comprendo!" Manager Gil Hodges watching from the bench immediately called for time and chewed out Tug for potentially causing a disaster. RIP Gil Hodges and Tug. Joe Santoro August 11, 2015 Wasn't Teddy an emergency catcher at one point in the '73 season? The Mets had an emergency situation with Grote, and Dyer injured. They picked up Jerry May, and then he got hurt as well. Scoey July 20, 2020 Ted was the Mets' primary utility player during his time with the team. He was one who filled in nicely at three infield positions and anywhere in the outfield. Martinez was always the first choice for a pinch-runner when the need for one came along. He wasn't a slugger, but his speed made him beneficial to the team both offensively and defensively. Teddy was proof that a fast runner can be a much better asset on a ball club than a power hitter. I recall that Ted once tried his hand at batting left-handed in order to become a switch-hitter. That experiment didn't work out, but he had to be admired for giving it a shot. It would have increased his value had he been successful. Ted was the most versatile player in Mets history before Kevin Mitchell arrived in the 1980s. Mitchell played all over the field and had more power than Martinez, but I don't remember anything about Kevin ever trying to switch-hit. Teddy was everything a team could possibly want out of someone coming off the bench. Ralph Sassano July 7, 2021 My memory of Teddy Martinez is that he once doubled on a pitch that bounced up to home plate. I remember this vividly, and as I recall, it was a hit that propelled the Mets a rally late to come back against either San Diego or San Francisco. I also remember that this was in my grandmother's tenement in the Bronx. We'd driven down from "the country" to visit and when we went there I was always a) appalled with all the trash, abandoned cars and graffiti around her neighborhood, and b) dismayed by the boredom because my brother and I were not allowed on the streets! Also, I am fairly certain Teddy was on Kiner's Korner after the game. I seem to remember him saying "sec-UMM-base" and getting a little chuckle out of it.

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