Dennis Martinez, 1981 Donruss #533

September 14 is a good day for an anniversary. On this date in 1976, Dennis Martinez earned the win in his major league debut with 5.2 shutout innings of four-hit, five-strikeout relief in a 9-7 victory over the Tigers. He bailed the Birds out after Ross Grimsley and Dave Pagan combined to cough up seven runs in three and one-third innings, stranding a pair of inherited runners. By the time he entered, the O's had already come most of the way back from an early 6-0 deficit, thanks in large part to a Doug DeCinces three-run homer, but he arrested Detroit's momentum and kept the score tight until the offense broke through with a four-run burst in the bottom of the seventh. Dennis sealed the win with a perfect ninth inning, inducing a trio of ground ball outs to make history as the first-ever Nicaraguan-born player in the major leagues. To this day, he's still one of just 14 players from his native country to play in the bigs, and is by far the most accomplished. (Take THAT, Everth Cabrera.)

September 14, 2015 is also the second anniversary of my wedding day. She's still putting up with me, and often doing so with a smile. I'm forever grateful.

Dennis Martinez, 2001 Topps Archives #78

The 2001 Topps Archives set consisted of reprints of classic Topps cards, but they took some creative license with this re-imagining of a Dennis Martinez rookie card. In the original 1977 Topps set, "El Presidente" shared a four-player card with three other rookie pitchers: Mike Dupree of the Padres, Craig Mitchell of the A's, and Bob Sykes of the Tigers. You can see the real deal here. For the Archives card, they just cropped the Martinez quadrant and zoomed in on it. It's funny to see Dennis without his customary mustache, isn't it?

Dennis Martinez, 1984 Fleer #11

It's the big 6-0 today for Dennis Martinez! El Presidente was born on a momentous day. Other May 14 birthday boys include Hall of Famers Ed Walsh, Earle Combs, and Tony Perez, as well potential future Cooperstowner Roy Halladay. Dick Howser, who managed the Royals to their only World Series triumph in 1980, was another member of the 5-14 Club. I'd also like to give an honorable mention to ex-Blue Jays catcher Pat Borders, who belongs in the Hall of Fame of bad, wispy mustaches.

Dennis Martinez, 1982 Topps #712

Dennis Martinez will return to the major leagues next year as the Houston Astros' new bullpen coach. "El Presidente" was most recently an instructor in the Cardinals' organization, but now he'll be answering the phone when manager Bo Porter calls for a reliever. Not a bad gig, all things considered.

Dennis Martinez, 1983 Donruss #231

It seems incredible, but it's been 35 years since Dennis Martinez made his major league debut with the Orioles. On September 14, 1976, the skinny righthander made baseball history by becoming the first Nicaraguan-born player in MLB. It was a baptism by fire, as Earl Weaver summoned Dennis from the bullpen with one out in the fourth inning and runners on first and second. The visiting Tigers had bolted out to a 6-0 lead in the first 3 innings against Ross Grimsley and Dave Pagan, but the O's came right back with 5 runs in the bottom of the third; Doug DeCinces' 3-run homer was the key blow. With the Birds having new life, Weaver didn't hesitate to yank Pagan after Alex Johnson's single bumped the score to 7-5. The 21-year-old Martinez announced himself with back-to-back strikeouts of Mickey Stanley and Bill Freehan to strand both inherited runners.

Baltimore's rookie pitcher looked like a veteran, as he scattered four hits and a walk in five and two-thirds shutout innings, sparing the rest of the bullpen. But Detroit reliever Dave Lemanczyk also quieted the O's bats after the DeCinces blast, keeping them off the board in the middle innings. The Orioles finally woke back up in the bottom of the seventh, with back-to-back doubles by Reggie Jackson and Lee May chasing Lemanczyk. New Tiger hurler John Hiller couldn't blunt the rally, as Ken Singleton coaxed a walk and DeCinces bunted for a hit to load the bases. Brooks Robinson, batting for first baseman Tony Muser, tied the game with a run-scoring groundout, and Mark Belanger drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to right fielder Rusty Staub. Staub's wild throw from foul territory allowed DeCinces to score an insurance run.

Martinez seized the opportunity to earn his first career win by tossing a perfect ninth inning, coaxing three straight ground ball outs. The O's were victorious by a 9-7 margin, their sixth win in a row and the first of 245 wins in the remarkable 23-year major league journey of "El Presidente".

Dennis Martinez, 1985 Topps #199

I am into my fourth year of operating this blog, and I have never posted a Dennis Martinez card on President's Day. If it weren't for Ryan's suggestion in the comments to yesterday's post, it wouldn't have occurred to me this year, either. Sometimes we miss the obvious. President's Day and "El Presidente"...I guess you guys are going to have to keep me on my toes. If you were fortunate enough to have off today, I hope you had a restful and enjoyable day. I slept in, bought groceries, and started reading "The Bullpen Gospels" by ex-Padres and Blue Jays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst. Viva todos de los presidentes!

Dennis Martinez, 1986 Fleer #280

Things I learned from this photo:

1) Dennis Martinez donates his hair to "Locks for Labradors", a pet wig service that I just made up.

2) El Presidente's head was disproportionately large for the rest of his body.

3) Martinez used a Mizuno glove with his name embroidered on it.

4) The large blurry gentleman in the light blue shirt at top right must really enjoy watching Dennis pose for baseball card pictures.

Dennis Martinez, 1982 Fleer #170

Oh, I am eating this card up with a spoon. Dennis Martinez has one of the best smiles in baseball, but there weren't a whole lot of cards from his time with the Orioles that showed off that smile. Maybe that's poor photo selection from the card companies, or maybe he was actually smiling less, as he was dealing with an alcohol addiction at the time. Either way, I'm glad to see "El Presidente" flashing a mischievous grin here. The cherry on top is the bat-and-helmet pose, which you don't get to see on a lot of pitcher cards, especially for American League teams between the beginning of the Designated Hitter era (1973) and the inception of Interleague Play (1997). It's clear that Dennis and/or the Fleer photographer decided to have a little fun, especially since the stadium in the background looks to be Fenway Park (Fleer did most of their work in Boston in those days). It's unlikely that Earl Weaver was auditioning the Nicarauguan hurler as a pinch hitter. Of course with Earl, you never know!

Incidentally, on this date in 1981, Dennis pitched 8 and 1/3 innings, holding Texas to three runs on seven hits and outlasting Fergie Jenkins for a 7-3 Orioles win. Now you know.

Dennis Martinez, 1993 Pinnacle #291

First of all, I love this card because of the side-by-side comparison of Dennis Martinez at the beginning and near-end of his career (though he remarkably hung on for another five years after this). It's reminiscent of the Super Veteran subset from 1983 Topps, and it presents a microcosm of one of my card collecting interests: I like to collect each player on as many of his different teams as I can. Such a broad subject is a beautiful thing, as it allows me to keep seeking out tons of different cards, as well as ensuring that even the most seemingly drab packs have some sort of hidden value.

But I also posted this excellent card of "El Presidente" because I want to talk politics a bit. I've studiously avoided this topic on this blog because it's so divisive; I have my opinions and this isn't a place that I deem appropriate to discuss them. In that vein, I'm not going to advocate my causes and beliefs tonight. If you're curious, you can read a bit about them here. For now, I just want to encourage my readers to vote. Hopefully, you're already registered. If not, it may not be too late. The deadline in Maryland is today, as it is for Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and West Virginia. Tomorrow is do-or-die day in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Friday is the cutoff date in Nebraska. Of course, some of these states have different deadlines for in-person registration; you can find out more here.

No matter what you believe and who you believe in, the greatest power that you possess in the United States is your right to vote. Don't take it for granted.

Dennis Martinez, 1983 Fleer #64

It's been a while since I've actually focused on a card, rather than just talking about the player featured. In this case, I want to give credit where it's due. A little bit ago I mocked the primitive design and blurry, nondescript photography of Fleer's 1982 set. The improvement from that year to their next product was pretty remarkable. As you see above, the cards feature a ho-hum gray border, but it works for this set. The player names are in a nice clean font, and you can never go wrong with team logos. The card back is the first in over a decade to feature a second picture (a small headshot), and the vertical orientation allowed Fleer to squeeze in a lot of great stuff: full major AND minor league stats, and several biographical facts of interest.

But the biggest difference between 1982 and 1983 for fleer was the photography. In this set, it's much crisper, and the composition is fantastic. Many of the cards feature off-field shots of the players, but they are more candid than the stiff poses that Topps was known for. The result is really charming; the players seem more human and there's a lot of fun and playfulness to be found. I'd have to say that the compelling nature of the pictures is what makes the low-tech borders work. All of the collector's attention is focused on the featured player.

Of course it helps when the subject is as photogenic and exuberant as "El Presidente", Dennis Martinez. This card is classic Dennis, with his thick mop of jet-black hair, his ever-present mustache, and a big toothy grin. Even in many of his action shots, Dennis seems to be laughing. This card is augmented by the card that follows it in the set, #65. Tippy Martinez is pictured in front of the same backdrop as Dennis, the blue wall and the netting and all. He is also hatless, smiling, and tossing a ball. I can't help but imagine that Baltimore's two Martinezes were engaged in a light-hearted pregame catch, and the Fleer photographer was lucky enough to snap them in action.

Dennis Martinez, 1981 Topps #367

That's right, he's Dennis. Not "Denny". Have you ever heard anyone call him "Denny"? This guy is Denny. So is he. I'll even include this Denny. But #30 up there is now, and has always been, Dennis Martinez. Well, either Dennis or "El Presidente". This has been one of my greatest pet peeves as a card collector. Year after year, the Powers That Be at Topps arbitrarily shortened Dennis Martinez to "Denny" Martinez. Every other card company got it right, so why couldn't the original?

It wasn't just Dennis that Topps worked their perverse magic on. Take Benito Santiago, the All-Star catcher with the cannon arm. His name was downright lyrical; it rolled off the tongue. But not for Topps, who soiled his good name, making him the comical and childlike "Benny" Santiago. At least in his case, Topps eventually saw the error of their ways, conferring Benito status upon him near the end of his career.

Most egregious was the case of former Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd. Here was a charismatic player with a great nickname - In Boyd's native Mississippi, beer was known as "oil", and he apparently had a reputation as quite a drinker. As we've seen, Topps is fond of bestowing nicknames upon players, so surely they'd acknowledge this one, right? After all, Donruss did. Nope, no dice. Say hello to (yawn) Dennis Boyd. Gee, I wonder why they didn't just call him "Denny" Boyd?

So welcome to Orioles Card "O" the Day, Dennis Martinez. Don't worry; you'll always be "Dennis" here.