He was a fixture at first base and one of the most feared hitters for the New York Yankees dynasty of the late ‘90s and 2000. Now, Tino Martinez is giving back his knowledge of the game and 16 years of Major League experience to the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Martinez will serve as an assistant coach for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks this summer, according to Cape League reporter Daniel Curren. He’s expected to spend five weeks with the team, which is full of young college ballplayers looking to eventually break into the pro ranks.
Martinez, a University of Tampa alum, played in the league in 1986 while he was still in college. Current Hyannis skipper Eric Beattie is also a Tampa alum and broached the idea of joining the staff to Martinez.
“For some reason, I had been thinking about it for a few years,” Martinez told Curren. “But I never did anything about it. I never committed to it.”
”We’re all here for the players,” Beattie said. “Anytime you can bring in a player that has accomplished what all these players are trying to get to, it’s an obvious great situation for them.”
Martinez, who spent one season as the Miami Marlins hitting coach in 2013, played in the Cape League after his freshman season at Tampa and it spring-boarded him toward becoming a first round pick in 1988.
“It was a great experience,” Martinez said. “It made me a better player, I met a lot of great people and I loved my entire summer.”
Thirty-seven years later, he’s back in the Cape. He comes with four World Series rings in tow and more than 2,000 Major League hits under his belt. Martinez belted 339 career home runs and nearly won the 1997 American League MVP award, finishing second to Ken Griffey Jr.
“If I could make a difference in one or two kids’ college careers, their approach, helping them become a better hitter, a better player, I would be satisfied with that,” he added. “But just to be here, to lend an ear and answer their questions about my career.”
“They find him very available and approachable,” noted Beattie. “Just teaching the guys through handling failure, handling adjustments, what adjustments they need to make, and when they need to make them.”
Martinez is expected to remain with the club until late July.