| Andy Marte | |
|---|---|
 Marte with the Cleveland Indians | |
| Third baseman /First baseman | |
| Born:(1983-10-21)October 21, 1983 Villa Tapia,Dominican Republic | |
| Died: January 22, 2017(2017-01-22) (aged 33) San Francisco de Macorís,Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: June 7, 2005, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| KBO: March 28, 2015, for the KT Wiz | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: August 6, 2014, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| KBO: August 6, 2016, for the KT Wiz | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .218 |
| Home runs | 21 |
| Runs batted in | 99 |
| KBO statistics | |
| Batting average | .312 |
| Home runs | 42 |
| Runs batted in | 163 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Andy Manuel Marte (October 21, 1983 – January 22, 2017) was a Dominican professionalbaseballthird baseman. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theAtlanta Braves,Cleveland Indians, andArizona Diamondbacks. He also played in theKBO League for theKT Wiz. On January 22, 2017, Marte was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Marte signed as a free agent with theAtlanta Braves at the age of 16 in 2000, and succeeded at every level of thefarm system.[1] He was selected to appear in theAll-Star Futures Game in 2003 and 2004.[2] Marte began 2005 with theTriple-ARichmond Braves.[3] On June 6, he was recalled by Atlanta afterChipper Jones was placed on thedisabled list.[4] Marte made his major league debut the next day on June 7, finishing 0-for-3 with anRBI in Atlanta's 3–2 win.[5] He was optioned back to Richmond on June 25.[4] He spent three total stints at the major league level in 2005, returning to the active roster in July and September.[6]
In 2005, Martehit .275 with 20home runs and 74 RBI in 109 games with Triple-A Richmond.[3] With Atlanta, he hit only .140 with 4 RBI in 24 games.[7] Marte was also blocked at third base by Jones, who had recently signed a contract extension.[8]
Marte was traded by theAtlanta Braves on December 8, 2005, to theBoston Red Sox forshortstopÉdgar Rentería and cash considerations.[9] Later that off-season, on January 27, 2006, the Red Sox traded him to theCleveland Indians along withrelief pitcherGuillermo Mota,catcherKelly Shoppach, Randy Newsom, and cash considerations forcenter fielderCoco Crisp, catcherJosh Bard, and relief pitcherDavid Riske.[10] While a member of Cleveland'sTriple-A affiliateBuffalo Bisons in the summer of2006, Marte was selected for theTriple-A All-Star Game played atFifth Third Field inToledo, Ohio, where he also won the Home Run Derby.[11]
Marte initially received little playing time with the Indians, and split time between Cleveland and Buffalo in his first two seasons with the team. In the majors, he batted .226 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 50 games in 2006, and hit .193 with a home run and 8 RBI in 20 games in 2007.[7]
After the Indians tradedCasey Blake on July 26, 2008, it was announced that Marte would take over as the startingthird baseman.[12] He batted .221 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 80 games,[7] and the Indians traded forMark DeRosa after the 2008 season to play that position in 2009.[13]
On February 19, 2009, Marte was designated for assignment by the Indians to make room for newly acquiredrelief pitcherJuan Salas.[14] Marte cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-AColumbus Clippers of theInternational League on February 25.[15]
In 82 games for the Clippers, he batted .327 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI.[3] Following the trade ofRyan Garko on July 27, Marte was recalled to the Indians.[16] He spent the remainder of the season with Cleveland, batting .232 with six home runs and 25 RBI in 47 games.[7]
On July 29, 2010, Marte made his first and only career pitching appearance,[7] pitching a perfect inning with one strikeout ofNick Swisher.[17] Marte hit .229 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 80 games with the Indians in 2010.[7]
On November 5, 2010, Marte was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, removing him from the 40-man roster, thus making him eligible to become a free agent.[18]
On December 1, 2010, Marte signed a minor league deal with thePittsburgh Pirates ofMajor League Baseball.[19][20] He played for the Triple-AIndianapolis Indians of the International League in 2011, batting .202 with seven home runs and 37 RBI in 97 games.[3][21]
Unable to find a contract, Marte sat out the 2012 season.[22] He began the 2013 season with theYork Revolution of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball, anindependent baseball league.[23] In 96 games, Marte hit .301 with 19 home runs and 74 RBI.[3]
Marte signed a minor league deal with theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 4, 2013.[24] He played the remainder of the season for the Triple-ASalt Lake Bees of thePacific Coast League.[25] Marte continued his solid hitting prowess in Salt Lake, batting .362 with six home runs and 18 RBI in just 26 games.[3]
Marte signed a minor league deal with theArizona Diamondbacks on December 13, 2013.[26] He began the 2014 season with the Triple-AReno Aces of the Pacific Coast League.[2]
The Diamondbacks promoted Marte to the major leagues on July 31, 2014,[2] and hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run in his firstat bat with the team offJeff Locke of thePittsburgh Pirates.[27] He was designated for assignment on August 7, when the Diamondbacks promotedJake Lamb.[28] Marte returned to Reno and elected free agency in October 2014.[29] He posted three hits in 16 at bats (.188 average) in six games with Arizona.[7]
Marte's final plate appearance was a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning of a game on August 6, 2014, against theKansas City Royals; Marte and the Royals' starter that day,Yordano Ventura, both died in unrelated car accidents on the same day in 2017.[30][31]
Marte spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with theKT Wiz of theKBO League.[32]
Marte was killed when his car crashed into a house, betweenSan Francisco de Macorís andPimentel,[33] in theDominican Republic on January 22, 2017. He was 33, and left behind four sons.[22] Marte, who in the Dominican Republic was a team member of theÁguilas Cibaeñas, died the same day asYordano Ventura, who died in a separate car crash in the Dominican Republic at the age of 25.[30]
The Indians continued to get their off-season roster in shape Friday, outrighting the contract of 3B Andy Marte to Triple-A Columbus, thus making him free agent eligible. The Tribe's 40-man roster is now at 35 players counting two players on the 60-day Disabled List in C Carlos Santana and CF Grady Sizemore.
