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(Photo: Jonathan LeBlond)
The Southern Illinois Miners announce that they have re-signed a key cog of their offense from last year, inking free agent second baseman Frank Martinez for the 2015 season.
The switch-hitting Martinez is coming off a tremendous season for the Miners in 2014 in which he was the sixth-leading hitter in the Frontier League, finishing with a .317 batting average over 80 games with 20 doubles, five triples and nine home runs. He also drove in 64 runs, a total that ranked him among the top-10 hitters in the league, and compiled a .393 on-base percentage.
A key piece of the offense all season for Southern Illinois after joining the team in late May, Martinez truly shined in the second half of the season. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .241 in the first half, but turned it on in a big way after the All-Star break, hitting a robust .365 with five homers and 46 RBIs in 45 games to help the Miners surge to a 31-14 record in that span en route to their second 60-win season and the East Division title.
“Frankie is simply a professional hitter,” Miners manager Mike Pinto said. “He had a great season for us last year. His daily preparation for success and selfless team play was a great lesson for our younger guys as well. Frankie is a gentleman off the field and a fierce competitor on the field. I am so happy that he decided to return to us when he finishes in Mexico this year and help us towards our goal.”
Martinez will be entering his 11th season of professional baseball, having started his career with the Oakland Athletics organization in 2004. Over six seasons with Oakland, Martinez advanced as high as Double-A Midland in 2008. He has spent the last four years in the Frontier League with Normal (2011), Evansville (2012-13) and the Miners, and will have “Veteran” status with the league again in 2015.
Be sure to follow the Miners this offseason at southernillinoisminers.com and also on social media on Facebook and Twitter (@SIMiners) as they prepare for 2015!
