By JOEY JOHNSTON
Tribune Sports Writer
(c) Tampa Bay Times. Originally published April 16, 1985.
The chase continues. It will probably never end. Tino Martinez is pursuing excellence — as a baseball player and person.
“You can sum up Tino Martinez like this: he strives to be the best in everything he does,’’ Jefferson coach Pop Cuesta said.
The term “student-athlete’’ has significance here. Martinez, a senior first baseman for the Dragons, carries a 3.5 grade-point average and is a member of the National Honor Society.
But Martinez has other impressive numbers. He is completing a high-school baseball career unmatched in Hillsborough County. He has 103 career RBIs and 98 runs scored, each fourth-best on the all-time state list. He has committed just three errors (one a throwing error) in four years at first base.
Martinez’s senior year has been special. After four sizzling weeks at or above the .600 mark, Martinez is batting .548 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. He leads the Western Conference in all categories.
“I didn’t anticipate this type of year,’’ said Martinez, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder. “I’ve been working hard, but one thing nobody look at is I’ve got a guy named Luis Gonzalez (second baseman, batting .421) who gets on and helps me get a lot of the RBIs.
“The main thing with me is the success of the team. That’s why I think RBIs are the best statistics. That shows you’re helping your team out by driving in runs.’’
The Dragons, 17-4, can win their third consecutive Western Conference title with victories against King and Chamberlain this week. Martinez won’t make any predictions, but he will have plenty to say about each game’s outcome.
“Tino is the kind of player who can win a game for you,’’ Plant pitcher Scott Erwin said. “He hits the ball so well. He can take a great pitch and just drive it.
“It’s a challenge to face a higher like that. You can’t make any mistakes or you’ll be sorry. Tino’s a super ballplayer, he really is.’’
Martinez, a left-handed hitter, is a prime candidate or the June free-agent baseball draft or a Division I scholarship. However, he’s not ready to think ahead.
“It seems like I’ve always been playing in front of scouts, so I’ve been able to just concentrate on the season this year,’’ Martinez said. “I’m going to way and see what happens. There’s no rush. Right now, I’m just going to school and playing baseball.’’
Growing up in tradition-rich West Tampa, Martinez was quickly steered toward baseball at age 6. Even then, he was a natural hitter.
Martinez emerged as a 14-year-old freshman first baseman at Tampa Catholic. On a team that included pitchers Richard Monteleone and Lance McCullers, each currently playing Triple-A ball, Martinez wasn’t in the spotlight. But he was the hero of the Class 3A-District 7 tournament with an 8-for-12 performance.
After another year at TC, Martinez transferred to Jefferson, saying he wanted to play at a Class 4A school. He has been a welcomed addition.
“I remember seeing Tino play when he was a little kid at West Tampa (Little League),’’ Cuesta said. “Everybody knew he was going to be a special player.
“The thing special about Tino is the respect he gets. When someone is on top, there’s usually some jealousy. But everyone knows that Tino has worked harder than anyone else. When it comes to baseball, Tino is strictly business.’’
Martinez’s future plans are undecided. Speculation is he’ll be taken early — perhaps in the first round — during the free-agent draft in June. Martinez, obviously, is interested in professional baseball. But he has other options.
“Every major college in the universe would like to have Tino Martinez,’’ Plant coach Jeff Vardo said.
Martinez has already visited South Carolina and Oklahoma. He has been contacted by most of the country’s major colleges.
“I’ve talked to my parents and we agreed that it’s OK to sign with professional baseball if the offer is right,’’ Martinez said. “College is important. The (signing) bonus would probably have to be about what the cost of a four-year college education is.’’
Clearly, Martinez is headed for bigger things.
“No matter where he goes, he’ll do fine,’’ Cuesta said. “That’s because of his attitude and his desire to improve. Tino’s going to be a big success.’’
