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2007 A testament to just how long a southpaw`s career can last, Martin signed a minor league deal with the Rockies last January, made the team, and eventually took over the LOOGY role more by default than through his own performance, which included better success against right-handers and a dismal 6.23 ERA after the break. With the departure of King and Affeldt`s possible return to a starting role, the Rockies will bring back Martin for his age-37 season. 2005 Martin's never worked more than 56 innings in a season, and he has a career ERA that's comfortably worse than the league average over that same span. In other words, despite narrow and carefully crafted deployment, he's still been mostly lousy. Why not Ray Aguilar again? 2001 Situational left-handers are like beers: too many of them are bad for you, but you can’t have just one. Last year was the closest Tom Martin has come since 1997 to having a full season in the majors, but he still missed almost two months with shoulder tendinitis. He’s your basic second lefty. 2000 A torn labrum kept him out until the All-Star break, which means it isn’t his fault that the team casually discarded Ron Villone. He still has better stuff than your average left-handed specialist, so the Indians’ pen will be better if he and Rincon are healthy in 2000, with Paul Assenmacher sticking to modeling a new beard color in “Just For Men” commercials. 1998 Martin made his case to make the team in the Arizona Fall League, where he flashed his 90+ fastball. He’s working on a curveball. It isn’t often that a useful pitcher gets away from the Braves, but it had to happen eventually. Like many of the Astros’ relievers, he got stronger as the season went on. Taken by the Diamondbacks in the Expansion Draft and shipped to Cleveland in the Matt Williams deal.
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