On Saturday, Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers took the field for the last time as a player as he will be retiring from Major League Baseball.
Martinez started off with the Cleveland Indians back in 2002, but for the final seven seasons of his career, V-Mart has been with the Tigers.
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Over the past couple of seasons, Martinez began to rub some Tigers' fans the wrong way. It all really started back in 2015 when the Tigers failed to qualify for the playoffs and Martinez sent the following message to the fans.
From Detroit News:
“This is definitely a season that will teach a lesson to a lot of people,” he said. “Starting with this clubhouse, a lot of players and a lot of people in the front office. And, believe it or not, it will teach a lesson to the fans, too.”
“I remember,” he said. “You want to have your team in the playoffs, definitely. The fans want to win, everybody wants to win. But nobody wants to win more than we do. When we play at home, we want them behind us.
“Last year was tough. We came home down 2-0 and the fans were really hard. Now they won't be angry. There's no October baseball. That's why I say this season will be a lesson to a lot of people.”
Many Tigers fans did not take those comments very well and from that moment on, V-Mart was no longer a fan-favorite.
Following his final game, Martinez acknowledged the rift between himself and the fans and offered an apology.
“If I have to say sorry to the fans of Detroit for whatever has happened before, I'm saying sorry right now. I'm sorry because for me as a baseball player there was nothing better than going outside and seeing a full house because that makes me better”
Victor Martinez "if I have to say sorry to the fans of Detroit for whatever has happened before, I'm saying sorry right now. I'm sorry because for me as a baseball player there was nothing better than going outside and seeing a full house because that makes me better"
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) September 23, 2018
Victor Martinez "everybody knows, everybody said that I called the fans out in 2015 when we didn't make the playoffs and this and that. It happened. Things happen." Used his brother as an example, he fights w/ him but he loves him, same with the fans.
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) September 23, 2018
Victor Martinez said fans pay a lot to go to a game so "they have the right to let you know that you suck, I can't stand myself when I suck so whatever anybody says it won't hurt me because I know I sucked. I work my butt off because I want to be good"
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) September 23, 2018
Apology accepted. Congrats on a tremendous career, V-Mart!
