Veteran first baseman Victor Martinez ended a 16-year career with a final hit for the Detroit Tigers in Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
Martinez knocked a perfect hit in the first inning in a game the Tigers lost 0-1 to the Royals. Manager Ron Gardenhire called the 39-year-old Venezuelan off the field to bring an end to a career that has been nothing but incredible.
A 5-time all-star member, Martinez hit 246 home runs in his career, appeared in the top 10 MVP list twice and collected 2,153 hits. Formerly a Red Sox and Indians’ player, “V-Mat” walked the field to a standing ovation and honor by team members. The 39-year-old had also been treated to a feting ceremony prior to the game, with his retirement already announced last week.
After the match, Martinez held a press conference to thank his family, friends, and fans for being with him throughout the career.
“From the bottom of my heart, I can only say thank you. Thank you for being behind us all these years, supporting my teammates, supporting myself. Thank you very much.”
Although his last two seasons weren’t exactly great, Martinez was part of a terrifying midfield together with Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera in his early days at Detroit.
