Jerry Martin

Jerry Lindsey Martin
Born: May 11, 1949 in Columbia, S.C.
Debut: 1949 | Pos: OF
H: 6'1" | W: 195 | B: R | T: R

Yr	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BA
11	1018	2652	337	666	85	345	38	.251

>> Visit the Jerry Martin biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Jerry Martin of Columbia, South Carolina, was a standout backup for the Philadelphia Phillies when they captured three consecutive division championships from 1976 to 1978. In the 1978 season, Martin three pinch hit home runs during the regular season and added another in the League Championship Series.

In 1979 and 1980, he was a regular starter for the Chicago Cubs in the outfield. In those two seasons, Martin hit 43 home runs and drove in 146 runs.

Despite his success, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in December 1980 following a contract dispute with the Cubs. A year later, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals.

As a regular starter with the Kansas City Royals in 1982, Martin hit 15 home runs with 65 runs batted in.

Martin's career started spiraling toward its end in 1983. Martin and Kansas City Royals teammates Willie Wilson and Willie Aikens and former teammate Vida Blue pleaded guilty to attempting to purchasing cocaine. Each was sentenced to three months in prison.

The N.Y. Mets signed the Marin, even though he was suspended by the league, on March 16, 1984. On April 3, 1984, arbitrator Richard Block rules that Willie Wilson and Martin can return to action on May 15, the first day their suspensions are due to be reviewed.

Martin played in 51 games with the Mets in 1984, hitting just .154 with 3 home runs and 5 runs batted in.

In 2001, Martin served as bench coach for AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre in the Philadelphia organization. The year before, he was bench coach for the Piedmont Boll Weevils.

He still lives in Columbia, S.C. His father, Barney, pitched for the Cincinnati Reds.