Dave Martinez  Washington Nationals' new manager is not Joe Maddon
Dave Martinez
In August 1996   Dave Martinez  was an everyday outfielder for the Chicago White Sox hitting .318  hardly a dispensable asset. But that didnât keep the 5-foot-10  160-pound  Martinez  from tangling with the teamâs biggest star â both in stature and notoriety.
Call him Dave or Davey. Doesnât matter. After years of waiting to manage a big league club   Dave Martinez  is just happy to get  his  shot with the Nationals. âI really felt it was time â  Martinez  said. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Fists formed. A confrontation brewed. Then  legend has it  in charged  Martinez .
âNext thing you know  [Thomas] snapped at me â  Martinez  said of the man known as âThe Big Hurt.â âI was like  âNope. Uh uh.â We both went to the ground.â
Accounts of the outcome vary  but most include  Martinez  subduing all 6-feet-5  240 pounds of Thomas in time to spare Ventura.
Those who played with him and those who watched him coach at Joe Maddonâs side for the past decade describe  Martinez  as a genuinely friendly guy with a magnetic personality â and an undeniable edge. They said  Martinez  is fearless  not just in the sense that  he  backs down from no one  but also in  his  willingness to stand up to those close to  him .
â Dave Martinez  was always  always  trying to be in the middle just for the good of the team â said Ozzie Guillen  a former manager who is now an ESPN Deportes analyst. â He âs a tough guy.  He âll fight anybody. On the other hand   he  would invite everyone to  his  party. Thatâs the kind of guy  he  is.â
 Martinez  became Maddonâs most trusted dugout adviser â and one of the most talked-about managerial prospects in the game â over seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and three with the Chicago Cubs because of a unique ability to relate to players. After all  telling opponents they are wrong is one thing. Delivering tough messages to teammates â or  as a coach  to oneâs own  potentially high-profile players â is another.
âThe thing Iâve always liked about [ Martinez ] is  he âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â said Maddon  the Cubs manager. âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys. . . .  He âs not worried about hurting somebodyâs feelings or saying the wrong thing.  He âs just attempting to do the right thing and make sure it works.â
 Dave Martinez   left  spent 10 seasons in the dugout with Joe Maddon  right. â He âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â Maddon says of  Martinez . âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys.â (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)  Dave Martinez   right  congratulates Mike Olt during a game last season in Denver. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)  Dave Martinez  won a World Series ring in 2016 with the Cubs. (Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images)
 Dave Martinez   top left  spent 10 seasons in the dugout with Joe Maddon  top right. â He âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â Maddon says of  Martinez . âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys.â Above left   Martinez  congratulates Mike Olt during a game last season in Denver. Above right   Martinez  spent three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and won a World Series ring in 2016.
As a manager   Martinez  is an unknown commodity. At 53   he  has never managed in the minors.  He  has never managed at all.
Maddon had his eye on  Martinez  for two decades before their partnership began. He first chased him down in 1983 when  Martinez  was playing in instructional league.  Martinez  was 19  and his play spoke louder than he did.
He was fresh off an uncomfortable stint in Puerto Rican winter ball. Though born to Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn   Martinez  didnât grow up speaking Spanish  other than occasionally with  his  grandmother. When  he  was 12   his  father sent  him  to live with an uncle in Florida so  he  could play baseball year round  but  he  never quite picked up the language. This was a surprise to Cubs staff when  he  arrived at winter league. The veterans never let  him  live it down.
âI like the way you play â  Martinez  said  he  remembers Maddon saying. He all but shrugged it off  not thinking much of the compliment.
Almost 25 years later  a half-decade after  Martinez âs playing career had ended  Maddon asked him to be a guest instructor at Rays spring training in 2006. Andrew Friedman  the teamâs GM at the time  noticed  Martinez âs impact immediately.
In August 1996    [TGT] was an everyday outfielder for the Chicago White Sox hitting .318  hardly a dispensable asset. But that didnât keep the 5-foot-10  160-pound   [TGT] from tangling with the teamâs biggest star â both in stature and notoriety.
Call  [TGT]  Dave or Davey. Doesnât matter. After years of waiting to manage a big league club    [TGT] is just happy to get   [TGT]   shot with the Nationals. âI really felt it was time â   [TGT] said. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Fists formed. A confrontation brewed. Then  legend has it  in charged  Martinez .
âNext thing you know  [Thomas] snapped at me â   [TGT] said of the man known as âThe Big Hurt.â âI was like  âNope. Uh uh.â We both went to the ground.â
Accounts of the outcome vary  but most include   [TGT] subduing all 6-feet-5  240 pounds of Thomas in time to spare Ventura.
Those who played with him and those who watched him coach at Joe Maddonâs side for the past decade describe   [TGT] as a genuinely friendly guy with a magnetic personality â and an undeniable edge. They said   [TGT] is fearless  not just in the sense that   [TGT]   backs down from no one  but also in   [TGT]   willingness to stand up to those close to  him .
â Dave Martinez  was always  always  trying to be in the middle just for the good of the team â said Ozzie Guillen  a former manager who is now an ESPN Deportes analyst. â He âs a tough guy.  He âll fight anybody. On the other hand   he  would invite everyone to  his  party. Thatâs the kind of guy  he  is.â
  [TGT] became Maddonâs most trusted dugout adviser â and one of the most talked-about managerial prospects in the game â over seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and three with the Chicago Cubs because of a unique ability to relate to players. After all  telling opponents they are wrong is one thing. Delivering tough messages to teammates â or  as a coach  to oneâs own  potentially high-profile players â is another.
âThe thing Iâve always liked about [  [TGT]  ] is   [TGT]  âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â said Maddon  the Cubs manager. âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys. . . .  He âs not worried about hurting somebodyâs feelings or saying the wrong thing.  He âs just attempting to do the right thing and make sure it works.â
  [TGT]    left  spent 10 seasons in the dugout with Joe Maddon  right. â He âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â Maddon says of  [TGT]  . âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys.â (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)   [TGT]    right  congratulates Mike Olt during a game last season in Denver. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)   [TGT] won a World Series ring in 2016 with the Cubs. (Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images)
  [TGT]  Martinez   top left  spent 10 seasons in the dugout with Joe Maddon  top right. â He âs never been afraid to have difficult conversations â Maddon says of  [TGT]  . âIt doesnât mean yelling or screaming. It just means being straight up with guys.â Above left    [TGT] congratulates Mike Olt during a game last season in Denver. Above right    [TGT] spent three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and won a World Series ring in 2016.
As a manager    [TGT] is an unknown commodity. At 53   he  has never managed in the minors.  He  has never managed at all.
Maddon had his eye on  Martinez  for two decades before their partnership began. He first chased him down in 1983 when   [TGT] was playing in instructional league.   [TGT] was 19  and his play spoke louder than he did.
He was fresh off an uncomfortable stint in Puerto Rican winter ball. Though born to Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn   Martinez  didnât grow up speaking Spanish  other than occasionally with  his  grandmother. When  he  was 12   his  father sent  him  to live with an uncle in Florida so  he  could play baseball year round  but  he  never quite picked up the language. This was a surprise to Cubs staff when  he  arrived at winter league. The veterans never let  him  live it down.
âI like the way you play â   [TGT] said   [TGT]   remembers Maddon saying. He all but shrugged it off  not thinking much of the compliment.
Almost 25 years later  a half-decade after   [TGT]  playing career had ended  Maddon asked him to be a guest instructor at Rays spring training in 2006. Andrew Friedman  the teamâs GM at the time  noticed   [TGT]  âs impact immediately.