1991 Line Drive, Al Martin

#211 Al Martin

I got this card signed through the mail in the early '90s while Al was with the Pirates. If it wasn't for this card, I would have forgot that he was ever in the Braves organization.

Al was the starting left fielder for the Pirates for eight seasons. In 1999, he hit a career high 24 home runs. After that season, he was traded to San Diego for John Vander Wal. He was having a decent season there before being shipped off to Seattle at the trade deadline. He finished the season there and was back with the M's the next season, too. The next year, he was signed by the Cardinals, but was cut in Spring Training. He ended up sitting out that year but was back the next year with the Devil Rays. He played in 100 unproductive games for the D-Rays, and that was the end of his career.

This card shows Al as a Greenville Brave. A few years ago, the team moved to Pearl, Mississippi and are now known as the Mississippi Braves. They are still the AA affiliate of the Braves. Greenville, on the other hand, got a new ballpark and dropped down a level to the South Atlantic League. The new team is called the Greenville Drive.