Tino Martinez was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1967. He attended the University of Tampa and was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1988 MLB Draft. After a slow start, Tino's career took off in his third season in 1995, as he batted .293 with 31 home runs and 111 RBI. The following season he was traded to the New York Yankees. These were Tino's best years. He helped the Yankees to the World Series title in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000, contributing many clutch playoff hits along the way.

In 2001, Tino was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He found the National League somewhat more difficult, and the Cardinals decided to send him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Tino was happy to be playing in his hometown, but he and the team continued to struggle. He welcomed a move back to the Yankees in 2005.

Tino only ended up playing one more season for New York. The team decided not to renew his contract, so Tino hung up his cleats and took a position as an analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Last year, he became a special instructor for the Yankees, helping their first basemen and acting as an assistant to the general manager. As a top first baseman and on-field leader in his playing days, this is an ideal role for Tino.

Tino and his wife Marie have been married since 1991 and have a son, Tino Jr., and two daughters, Olivia and Victoria. He hit over 300 home runs and drove in over 1,000 during his 16 year Major League career. When he played, Tino had the unique ability of batting left handed while throwing right handed.