Victor Martinez is Cleveland's starting catcher, part-time first
News: Victor Martinez is Cleveland's starting catcher, part-time first baseman, best all-around hitter, most happy-go-lucky player and so much more. 'He's the heart and soul of us,' reliever Jensen Lewis said. And last season, the Indians were lost without him. After playing most of the first two months in unrelenting pain, Martinez underwent surgery on his right elbow in June and ended up appearing in just 73 games, his fewest since his rookie season in 2003. For the two-time All-Star, the time away from the ballpark and his teammates cut deeper than any operation imaginable. 'It was really bad,' Martinez said after practice on Friday. 'It was so tough, I wasn't even watching the games on TV. It was so hard watching my teammates in the dugout, watching them bust their butts every day, you want to be a part of it. It was something that was taken from my hands.' Martinez is fully recovered, and with him back behind the plate and in the lineup, the Indians are feeling much better about their chances in 2009. [...]
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