BRADDOCK | HAROLD MARTINEZ
Braddock's Martinez a rising star
Braddock's Harold Martinez, who is rated the No. 7 high school prospect in the nation, is being projected as a first-round selection in the baseball amateur draft.
Posted on Tue, Feb. 12, 2008
BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
Major-league baseball scouts like keeping their stopwatches handy when they watch Braddock baseball star Harold Martinez play.
But Martinez isn't a pitcher.
The clocks usually come out when the ball flies off his bat.
''Last week, we played in a [preseason] tournament in Orlando, and he hit a towering home run to left-center,'' Braddock coach Manny Fernandez said. ``You knew it was gone the second he hit it. There were about 40 scouts out there. One of them said the ball took 8.4 seconds to land.''
But Martinez actually hits more for average. Last season, Martinez hit .500 with two home runs and 30 RBI to lead the Bulldogs to the regional quarterfinals.
But his combination of fielding skill, power and consistency at the plate are reasons Fernandez believes he will be seeing his star senior in the majors in the near future.
Martinez (6-3, 200 pounds) is rated the No. 7 high school prospect in the nation by Baseball America, and No. 14 overall among high school and college prospects. He is being projected as a first-round selection in the June baseball amateur draft, and is expected to play either shortstop or third base at the next level.
Fernandez said he has turned off his phone during school hours because of the number of calls from college and pro scouts. Fernandez said Martinez, who signed with the University of Miami, has been looked at by several college baseball powerhouses, including Texas, Tennessee and LSU.
''I honestly feel like he is about two or three spring seasons away from playing for a major-league ball club,'' Fernandez said. ``I've coached in this county for 18 years and I haven't coached a kid this special.''
CUBAN BORN
Martinez was born in Cuba and moved to Miami with his parents, Ivon and Alexis, when he was 3 years old. His parents showed off their athletic ability in the swimming pool. Martinez's mother was a synchronized swimmer, and his father played water polo in Cuba.
When he told some of his high school buddies, they started calling him ``Fish.''
But from a young age, Martinez showed his prowess on dry land.
''I'm a good swimmer, but I never took a liking to it like my parents,'' Martinez said. ``The nickname stuck because I told them I was fast in the pool. My friends say I'm fast on the baseball field.''
As a 14-year-old freshman shortstop at Braddock, Martinez predicted when he would hit his first home run.
Fernandez remembers the moment not just because he was right, but because of how clutch the timing was.
''We were in extra innings against Columbus and we had just blown a six-run lead in the seventh,'' Fernandez said. 'He was going up to the on-deck circle and he stopped at the dugout steps. He's like, `Coach, I'm going to hit one out.' ''
Martinez slugged the first pitch over the fence for the winning run. Ever since, he has been one of the most prolific hitters in Braddock's lineup.
Having been rated one of the top junior prospects in the country, Martinez was invited last summer to the prestigious AFLAC High School All-American Game. Martinez was the only South Florida player selected, and one of two from Florida.
Martinez began catching the attention of pro scouts when he qualified for the U.S. Under-16 team after his freshman season. He not only made the team, he became the No. 3 hitter in the lineup.
STRONG CREDENTIALS
Martinez topped this accomplishment last year by again qualifying for the Under-18 team.
In a recent Sports Illustrated segment titled ''Where Will They Be?'' Martinez was featured in a full-page article along with 13 other potential stars in numerous sports.
''Obviously, there's some pressure when you constantly have people watching your every move at a game, but this is the game I love to play and I'm part of a team out there,'' Martinez said. ``My parents always taught me to keep striving for more and act like you haven't accomplished anything yet. I really haven't yet.
``All the stuff people say is nice, but I know I still have to keep working hard to prove myself.''
Because of Martinez's talent, Fernandez believes Martinez's humble approach is his most endearing quality.
''As good as he is, he's not one of these kids you'll see that might develop a superstar attitude,'' Fernandez said. ``He eats, sleeps and breathes baseball like if he were just starting out. Whatever team gets him is really getting a quality young man.''
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