BOSTON (WHDH) - After he sprained his ankle in the last game of the season, there were concerns that Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez would make the postseason roster.
But two people had no doubts he’d shine — his mother and father.
“It’s kind of like he gets all this power after he gets hurt. I mean he’s proven that this past season,” said mother Mayra Martinez, who was at Fenway Tuesday with father Julio. “How do you explain that? I have no idea.”
Although J.D. was drafted by the Astros, Julio said it was only right that he eventually made his way to the Red Sox — J.D. grew up a Sox fan just like his father.
“I used to be a Red Sox fan growing up … I hated the Yankees,” Julio laughed.
Julio and Mayra are Cuban immigrants and said the work ethic they taught all their children has rubbed off on J.D. as a hitter.
“He’s very meticulous. He watches videos, every after at bat. He goes back to the hotel or to the house…he’ll just watch videos and videos ’til about two, three in the morning” Julio said. “Sometimes we call and he says ‘I can’t talk now, I’m watching video.'”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)