Call to the pen
Fansided

Yankees: What Tino, A-Rod, and Clemens Tell Us About Stanton

By Manny Gómez

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 04: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a third inning three run home run against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 04: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a third inning three run home run against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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New York Yankees
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 31: New York Yankees’ Tino Martinez raises his fist in celebration after his two-run homer in the ninth inning tied Game 4 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks went on to win the game, 4-3, in the ten innings, and even the Series at two games apiece. (Photo by Howard Earl Simmons/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) /

Bamtino

After helping to eliminate the Yankees from the 1995 postseason, Tino Martinez was traded to the Bronx later that winter. Tasked to replace Yankees legend Don Mattingly, Tino saw his stats drop slightly in his first season in New York.

However, like Giancarlo Stanton, Tino’s first season with the Yankees wasn’t all that bad.

While Tino’s OBP remained virtually the same from 1995 to 1996, his SLG dropped from .551 to .466. He hit 7 fewer 2Bs, 3 fewer 3Bs, and 6 fewer HRs in his first season in New York compared to his last season in Seattle, despite playing in a ballpark that suited his swing better.

Things really got bad for Tino Martinez when the postseason rolled around.

In his first postseason with the Yankees, Tino posted an atrocious BA of .188, a .278 OBP and a .250 SLG. He looked so lost at the plate that Joe Torre decided to bench him the World Series against the Atlanta Braves for Cecil Fielder.

That wouldn’t last long, however.

For the rest of his tenure with the Yankees, Tino Martinez delivered some of the biggest moments in postseason history.

Who could forget the 1998 World Series upper deck grand slam against the San Diego Padres?

How about game 4 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when Tino drilled a game tying 2-run HR with one out left in the bottom of the 9th?

Now, Tino Martinez is hailed as one of the greatest players to don the Yankees pinstripes. So much so that a plaque was dedicated in his honor in Monument Park.

And then, there’s the curious case of the “Rocket” Roger Clemens.

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