Martín Antúnez

Martín Antúnez Silva

• Bats Left, Throws Left

• Born October 17, 1960 in Guaymas, Sonora Mexico

Biographical Information

Martín Antúnez pitched for 14 Mexican League teams over 18 seasons and for two US teams in three years there.

He was with the Mexican national team in the 1978 Amateur World Series, pitching three games. In nine innings, he allowed eight hits, five walks and five runs (four earned) while fanning seven. He made his LMB debut in 1979, going 0-1 with a rough outing (one hit, three walks, five runs, one earned) for the Cafeteros de Cordoba. In 1980, he moved to the Broncos de Reynosa and struck out three batters with no hits or walks in one inning pre-strike; post-strike, he gave up 6 hits and 3 runs in 2 innings.

He moved to the Diablos Rojos del México in 1981 and pitched three shutout innings. He was then signed by the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1982, he was 9-7 with 8 saves and a 3.26 ERA for the Beloit Brewers. He allowed 73 hits in 88 1/3 IP but walked 41. Moving up to the Stockton Ports, he fell to 1-4, 5.43 with two saves in 45 games. He was 4th in the Brewers chain in games pitched, behind Jim Koontz, Bryan Duquette and Jack Lazorko.

The Guaymas native had a 0-3, 5.01 record for Stockton in 1984 and returned to Mexico that year with the Sultanes de Monterrey (4-7, Sv, 4.15). In '85, he was 4-14 with a save and a 5.20 ERA between Monterrey and the Alijadores de Tampico. He tied Rolando Melendez for 2nd in the league in losses, five back of Oscar Pollorena. He split the high-offense 1986 between Monterrey and the Pericos de Puebla, ding well in that hitter-happy year (6-7, 5.08).

He was 10-7 with three saves and a 3.46 ERA for Monterrey in 1987, his highwater mark for victories. In '88, he went 5-5 with two saves and a 3.35 ERA for them. He then began his longest run with one team, spending 1989-1992 with the Leones de Yucatán. He was 2-7 with six saves and a 3.99 his first year, 7-7 with 3 saves and a 3.61 ERA his second. In 1991, he had a career-high ten saves while going 7-2 with a 3.31 ERA in fifty outings. He fell to 2-5 with a save and a 5.49 ERA his final year there, walking 45 in 57 1/3 innings.

The southpaw moved to the Acereros de Monclova in 1993, going 4-7 with a save and a 3.52 ERA. In 1994, he was 1-1 with a save and a 6.91 ERA for the Saraperos de Saltillo. It was yet another stop in 1995 - the Jalisco Charros, for whom he went 3-8 with a save and a 4.43 ERA. If anything, his travels then picked up a pace! He split 1996 between the Guerreros de Oaxaca, Piratas de Campeche and Rieleros de Aguascalientes (a combined 2-3, 5.40). Now firmly ensconced as a LOOGY, he only totaled 23 1/3 innings in his 30 games.

Antúnez split 1997 between Aguascalientes and the Petroleros de Poza Rica (0-3, 5.91 overall). In '98, he was back where he started 19 years earlier, getting lit up with Cordoba (2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 R).

In 495 LMB games (100 starts), he was 57-83 with 30 saves and a 4.53 ERA. In 1,033 1/3 IP, he allowed 1,175 hits and 483 walks while fanning 621. As of 2000, he was 21st in league history in games pitched, between Ángel Moreno and Victor Garcia.

Sources

• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• Defunct IBAF site