In 2011, the Detroit Tigers made the American League Championship Series and they had even higher hopes for 2012. However things changed that off-season when first baseman/designated hitter Victor Martinez suffered an ACL injury that would put him out of action for the entire 2012 campaign. Martinez’s absence would hurt the Tigers as the team needed a bat in the lineup to protect third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Tigers general David Dombrowski didn’t waste anytime in addressing the issue as the team signed free agent first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal. In Martinez’s absence, Fielder and Cabrera went on a tear as they helped the Tigers win the American League Pennant. After recovering from his knee injury, the Tigers have now welcomed Martinez back with open arms.
Martinez got off to a slow start this season as he finished the month of April with a .221 batting average and zero home runs. This was to be expected as he was still working his way back from the injury. At the end of May, Martinez was only batting .235 with a pair of home runs on the season, but Tigers manager Jim Leyland decided to stick with him. Leyland knows that the Tigers lineup is deep and talented which would allow Martinez the time that he needed to get his swing going.
Leyland’s patience has paid off as Martinez is now batting .285 with 10 home runs and his 68 runs batted in are third on the team behind Cabrera and Fielder.
The Tigers are 13-8 this month and in those games Martinez has had 9 multi-hit games.
Prior to joining the Tigers, Martinez was a four-time All-Star with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. When Martinez was a member of those teams, more was expected of him as he was looked at as a potential leader, but at 34-years of age that has changed in Motown. Martinez’s teammate and fellow Venezuelan in Cabrera is the reigning AL MVP and he his a hitting machine as he won the Triple Crown last season and he is once again a candidate this year. The Tigers had six AL All-Stars this season so Martinez’s presence will only add to a potent lineup as he can now just be one of the guys.
The Tigers are currently leading the AL Central by 5 games over the Indians with their eyes set on a third consecutive division title. Since 2006, the Tigers have had three trips to the postseason and two World Series appearances. Getting there is one thing, but winning is another. Leyland’s faith in Martinez’s bat and his overall production in the lineup could be the defining factor in the Tigers winning the World Series for the first time since 1984.
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