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FL New Jersey Jackals

Marte Heads for Mexican League

July 15, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


The heart of the Jackals batting order is suddenly gone.

Alfredo Marte, the 32-year-old cleanup hitter, has left Little Falls to play ball in the Mexican League.

Marte had been both "Mr. Reliable" and "Mr. Productivity" during his two years here, and New Jersey manager Brooks Carey could only shake his head with a smile and wish Marte good luck south of the border.

"He was a special player," Carey said. "We're obviously going to miss him.

"He was the kind of player that every team wants, a guy that you know is going to be in the lineup every day and you know he's going to do something or another to help you win."

As usual, Marte batted fourth last night against the visiting Sussex County Miners, going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.

This year, he appeared in 38 of the team's 40 games, batting .281 and tied for the team lead with 29 RBIs.

Marte certainly brought plenty of experience with him when he joined the Jackals last year.

He had signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a 17-year- old in Santo Domingo in 2006. He played eight years with Arizona farm teams, then made it to the Big Leagues, playing 22 games for the D-Backs in 2013 and 44 games in 2014. He played five more Major League games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2015.

He was back at the Triple-A level with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, then spent 2017 and 2018 playing in Mexican, Dominican and Venezuelan leagues.

Marte arrived at Yogi Berra Stadium for the 2019 season, and he wound up leading the team with 94 games, 350 at-bats, 109 hits, 16 home runs and 88 RBIs, finishing up with a .311 batting average.

"He was a real professional," Carey said. "You didn't have to worry about him. You just put him in the lineup every night."

Marte's departure leaves a large gap to fill, similar to the current void left by infielder Santiago Chirino. He went on the Inactive List earlier this week to be with his wife, who was having a baby.

Chirino will be back in town and in the lineup in the next few days. But Marte is gone for good.

Also expected in the next two weeks are the arrivals of pitchers Ronald Herrera and Brendan Butler.

"We're staying above water," Carey said about his 21-19 team. "We're looking forward to those two guys to help us become a more consistent team when they get here.

By Carl Barbati, former sports editor of the New Jersey Herald, Daily Record and The Trentonian.

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