#24 : constantino martinez | 1b

2000 highlights:
hit .258 with 16hr and 91rbi in 155 games (149 starts at first base). has driven in 678 runs in the last six seasons form the first base position...jeff bagwell (708rbi) is the only first baseman in the majors to drive in more runs during the same six season span. snapped 65ab homerless streak with second inning lolo-hr (#5) in 5/30 vs. oakland. hit is career-high forth triple of the season in 6/7 win at montreal. collected a season high four hits on 7/17 vs. philadelphia, going 4-for-5 with a solo-hr (#9)and 4rbi. his grand slam in 8/9 win vs. oakland was the eighth grand slam of his career and first since 5/26/99 at yankee stadium off boston\s john wasdin...became the ninth player in major league history to have a grand slam in six consecutive seasons...the ml record is held by san francisco\s willie mccovey who went nine straight seasons with a grand slam(1964-\72)...is tied with manny ramirez for the longest current streak...has hit grand slams in all five straight seasons as a yankee. was ejected from 9/20 game at toronto by hp umpire tim timmons in the ninth inning for arguing from the dugout. snappe a career-long 0-for-28 stretch with a second inning single and was 1-for-5 in 9/23 win vs. detroit. recorded his 14th career multi-home run game and first of 2000--hitting two two-run home runs (#5 and 16)--and was 2-for-4 in 9/24 win vs. detroit.

personal:
constantino martinez...signed by luke wrenn...led the 1988 united states baseball team to the gold medal in the summer olympics in seoul, south korea...was named mvp of the world amateur championships in parma, italy, hitting .413 with 4 hr and 18 rbi...was a finalist for the golden spikes award, presented to the country\s best amateur athlete...attended the university of tampa, where he was a division ii all-american three times...holds ut\s career records in ba (.398), hr (54) and rbi (222)...was an academic all-american as well...led tampa catholic h.s. to the florida state championship in 1982 and took jefferson h.s. (tampa) to the state finals in 1985...was the recipient of the new york press photographers\ annual "good guy" award in 1997...was inducted into the sunshine state conference hall of fame on 2/25/98 for his outstanding play at the university of tampa.