Martinez was a mainstay of the Orioles bullpen for nearly 10 seasons, leading the club in saves five times and saving at least 10 games each year from 1980 to 1984, with a career-high 21 in 1983. Originally drafted by the Senators, Martinez reached the majors with the Yankees in 1974, then was traded to the Orioles on June 15, 1976 in a ten-player deal that sent Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Rick Dempsey, and Dave Pagan to Baltimore in exchange for Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Grant Jackson, Elrod Hendricks, and Jimmy Freeman.
Martinez was primarily a set-up man for Don Stanhouse in 1978-79, then became Baltimore's lefthanded closer in 1980, teaming with Tim Stoddard and later Sammy Stewart to give the Orioles an effective lefty-righty bullpen combination. He won the final game of the 1983 ALCS with four shutout innings in relief and saved 17 more games in 1984, but his ERA swelled to 5.40 in 1985 and 5.63 in 1986. A comeback with the 1988 Twins lasted only four innings. (SCL)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 28, 1976: Yankees Ed Figueroa and Tippy Martinez beat the Tigers 9–5 and hold Ron LeFlore hitless for the first time since April 17th. LeFlore had hit safely in 30 straight games, tying the 3rd longest streak in club history.
»June 26, 1983:
Baltimore's Storm Davis holds the Tigers hitless for eight innings, then needs help from reliever Tippy Martinez to complete a 3–1 victory. Pinch hitter Rick Leach, who had been in a 3-for-35 slump, breaks up the no-hit bid with his first home run of the year leading off the 9th.
»August 24, 1983:
Making his only career appearance behind the plate, Oriole infielder Lenn Sakata catches the 10th inning against the Blue Jays and then hits a 3-run homer as the O's win, 7–4. Toronto goes ahead 4–3 in the top of the 10th after Cliff Johnson homers and Barry Bonnell singles. Tippy Martinez relieves Tim Stoddard and picks off Bonnell, walks Dave Collins and picks him off. Tippy then allows a Willie Upshaw single, and picks him off. Helped by the runners' eagerness to test Sakata, Tippy sets a never-to-be-topped ML record.
»September 25, 1983: Baltimore clinches the American League East title with a 5–1 win over Milwaukee, as Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combine on a 6-hitter.
»May 4, 1988: Joe Niekro, 43, is released by the Twins, joining Steve Carlton and Tippy Martinez as the 3rd veteran pitcher to be released by the club since Opening Day.
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