(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Amsterdam Pirates adds international and former Major League-pitcher Shairon Martis to roster
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Dutch baseball-champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates has expanded its pitching-staff for coming season with the addition of righthander Shairon Martis, who has pitched in 26 Major League-games and also is a member of the Netherlands National Team.
Amsterdam Pirates announced the addition on Tuesday-evening (February 18).
Martis will wear uniform number 64.
...Shairon Martis pitching for the Netherlands during...
...the 2017 World Baseball Classic in Tokyo (Japan)...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The 32-year old Curaçao-born Shairon Martis pitched in the Major League for Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins.
He also played in Taiwan.
Since 2015, Martis pitched for Lincoln Saltdogs, which plays in the American Association (Independent League).
There, he was a teammate of fellow-Netherlands Team-players Curt Smith and Randolph Oduber.
In 2006, Shairon Martis wrote baseball-history during the first edition of the World Baseball Classic.
Playing for the Netherlands Baseball Team in the First Round of the event in Puerto Rico, on March 10, Martis made his debut and threw a No-Hitter against Panama.
During the Classic, there is a pitch-count for the pitchers, but Martis threw exactly the allowed total of pitches and went the distance for the Orange Team, which won 10-0 in seven innings.
Martis' No-Hitter is still the lone one in WBC-history.
Since then, Martis pitched regularly for the Netherlands Team.
In 2011, he was a member of the squad that captured the title at the World Championship in Panama.
And last year, he won his third title with the Netherlands at the European Championship in Germany.
Shairon Martis plays professionally since February 2004 when he signed his first contract with San Francisco Giants.
He then made his professional debut in 2005 playing in Rookie League.
After having started the 2006 season in Single-A, he was traded to Washington Nationals in July.
In the Washington-organization, he then pitched at the Single-A and Double-A level.
In 2008, Martis promoted to Double-A and Triple-A.
Then, on September 4, 2008, at age 21, Martis made his Major League-debut when he was the starting pitcher for Washington against Atlanta Braves.
The righthander threw five innings and had a good start, as he struckout the first batter he faced, Gregor Blanco.
Martis added a second strikeout in the second inning.
He gave up four basehits and two runs and was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 loss.
Later that month, Martis pitched in four more games (three starts).
He struckout 23 batters (and walked 12) in 20 2/3 inning and allowed 18 basehits and 14 runs.
Overall, he was 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA.
During the 2009 season, Martis again played in Triple-A, but also made 15 Major League-appearances (all starts) for Washington and was 5-3 with a 5.25 ERA.
In those games, he struckout 34 batters, walked 39 and gave up 83 basehits in 85 2/3 inning.
...Shairon Martis pitching for Pittsburgh Pirates against...
...the Netherlands during the St. Petersburg Invitational...
...Tournament in St. Petersburg (Florida, USA) in 2012...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After having pitched in Triple-A (2010) and Double-A (2011) with Washington, Martis became a Free Agent in November 2011.
He then signed with Pittsburgh Pirates twenty days later.
In the meantime, Shairon Martis also had starting pitching in other professional leagues.
In the 2010-2011 winter season, he made his debut in Venezuela, where he also played in the following winters through 2014.
He pitched in the Dominican Winter League in 2015-2016.
For Pittsburgh, the righthander pitched in Double-A and Triple-A in 2012.
Halfway the season (June 27), Martis was purchased by Minnesota Twins for whom he pitched at the same levels.
It was with Minnesota that he made his comeback in the Major League during the 2013 season.
This time, he pitched in six games, all as a reliever, and was 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA.
Martis pitched in 9 2/3 inning, striking out seven batters.
In October 2013, Martis opted for Free Agency again.
As he was not signed by a Major League-club at that moment, Shairon Martis tried his luck in Asia and went to Taiwan.
In 2014, he pitched for Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
During the 2015 season, Martis first pitched in an Independent League.
He first played for Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League, then for Lincoln Saltdogs in the American Association.
Martis pitched for Lincoln ever since.
On April 6, 2017, Martis signed another contract with a Major League-club, this time with Baltimore Orioles.
He pitched in eight games in Triple-A (0-1, 4.38), but in July of that year, Baltimore released him and Martis returned to Lincoln Saltdogs.
Last season, Shairon Martis pitched in 22 games for Lincoln (nine starts) and was 2-7 with a 6.44 ERA and two saves.
In 65 2/3 inning, Martis struckout 38 batters, walked 29 and gave up 70 basehits, including 11 homeruns.
...Shairon Martis pitching for the Netherlands during...
...the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (China)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Overall, for Lincoln, Martis pitched in 95 games in five seasons, two last two of them mostly as a reliever.
He won 24 games and also lost 24.
Martis struckout 274 batters.
Since making his memorable debut during the World Baseball Classic in 2006, Shairon Martis has pitched almost annually for the Netherlands National Baseball Team.
He also pitched for the team during the Classics in 2013 and 2017 when the Netherlands reached the Semi-Final both times.
In 2008, Martis was one of the Orange-pitchers during the Olympic Games in Beijing (China) and in 2011, he was a member of the successful team that captured the title at the World Championship in Panama.
In 2015 and in November last year, Martis pitched for the Netherlands during the Premier12.
Shairon Martis also pitched in four European Championships, winning the title with the Netherlands in 2007, 2016 and last year.
In total, Martis pitched in 28 official international games for the Netherlands Team.
In a press release, Amsterdam Pirates Head Coach Michael Duursma said:
,,It is fantastic that a player of his caliber will play for us!
As a pitcher and a person he is a great addition to our team''.
Duursma played with Martis in the National Team during several events.
This season, Duursma will make his debut as Head Coach of the team, succeeding Brian Finnegan.
Last year, in Finnegan's lone season at the helm, Amsterdam Pirates dethroned Curaçao Neptunus.
In the best-of-seven Holland Series, Amsterdam lost the first three games, but then became the first team in history to win the next four to be crowned champion of the Netherlands.
In the same press release, Amsterdam's Chairman Koen Gijsbers stated:
,,It is wonderful that we managed to get a player like this to Amsterdam.
We will start the new season with a lot of confidence''.
(February 18)
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