Introduction
Albert Lee Martin (born November 24, 1967) is a former professional baseball left fielder. He played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball, mostly for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played one season in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Early life
Martin graduated from John A. Rowland High School in Rowland Heights, California, in 1985.
Professional career
Martin played for four teams in the majors: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1992–99), the San Diego Padres (2000), the Seattle Mariners (2000–01), and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003). His best season was in 1996 when he hit .300 with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs. That year he also stole 38 bases. He played for the KBO's LG Twins in 2004.
Controversies
Martin claimed to have played football at University of Southern California. In 2001, he compared a collision with Seattle teammate Carlos Guillén to the time he tried to tackle Michigan running back Leroy Hoard in 1986, when he was playing strong safety at Southern California. In actuality, USC and Michigan did not meet that year, and Martin was an outfielder in the Atlanta Braves' system at the time. Furthermore, USC has no record that Martin ever attended the university.
In 2000, Martin was involved in a domestic abuse incident with a woman named Shawn Haggerty. She told police that they were married. Martin was already married to another woman at the time, making this a case of bigamy. Martin said that he did not believe the ceremony in Las Vegas (with Haggerty) was legally binding.