CLEVELAND — Boston may be able to show Victor Martinez plenty of victories, pennant chases and a potential World Series ring or two, but the Red Sox will never be able to show the veteran catcher the love he felt as a member of the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians traded the three-time All-Star last season to the Red Sox, and tears streamed down Martinez’s cheeks as he said goodbye to the city and its fans during a final news conference.
He met with the media again before Monday’s game between the Indians and Red Sox, and his voice cracked with emotion once more.
“Obviously, it’s pretty emotional,” Martinez said. “The first time getting back here, it’s a weird feeling. Just going into a different door, coming into a different clubhouse … it’s tough.”
The Cleveland fans made things a little easier for Martinez, rising to their feet and giving him a roaring ovation during his first at-bat. Two fans in particular have gone a step further to show Martinez how much he is cared about.
Bob and Patty Bixler served as Martinez’s host family when he came to the United States from Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, in 1999 to play his rookie season at Mahoning Valley. Martinez, his wife Margaret and his kids — Victor Jose and Maria Victoria — are staying with the Bixlers in Warren during Boston’s four-game series with Cleveland this week.
“They are my mom and my dad,” Martinez said. “I met them in 1999 and I still keep in touch with them. Believe it or not, they are my family here.”
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Martinez feels nearly as good about the Indians organization.
“I left this place, but I’m always going to have it in my heart,” he said. “I grew up here as a player and as a person, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Martinez took the time to visit the home team’s clubhouse, meeting with former teammates, coaches and trainers — although there weren’t as many familiar faces to greet him.
“If you go back to ’07 and that team that we had (that was one win from the World Series),” Martinez said. “Just two or three years later and there’s pretty much nobody left from that team. It’s pretty tough to believe, but that’s just the way it is.”
Martinez said he also gets to see former teammates often when meeting up with other teams, including CC Sabathia, who is now the ace of the New York Yankees rotation. With the historic rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox, Martinez admits that it’s a strange environment for happy reunions.
“Every time we face them I say hi to him, but it is weird,” Martinez said. “I caught him for so many years. But I did recently get my 1,000th hit at Fenway Park and it was a two-run homer off CC.
“Maybe I’ll try and get him to autograph the ball for me.” The Indians may have drafted Martinez, developed him into a major league catcher and turned him into one of the most fearsome switch hitters in the game, but it’s the club’s final act toward him that makes him the most thankful.
“They sent me to one of the greatest teams in baseball, to the Red Sox,” Martinez said. “They sent me to a contending team that’s always in the race, to a team that always has a chance to win the World Series. I’m really, really happy to be here.
“So far it’s been great. Great fans, it’s a great ballpark to play baseball in, a full house every night. What else can you ask for?”
Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.
