Jose Martinez is one of the true characters of the modern game. He’s carefree and frolicsome, quirky and clever, enthusiastic and elastic. He’s sort of like a human version of those inflatable dancing tube men in front of car dealerships. We take for granted that he’s in our lives most summer nights — it’s as if Max Patkin, “the Clown Prince of Baseball,” actually could hit .280 in the bigs. And Martinez leads the league in happy.
“Everything about him just draws you toward him,” Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s got an effervescence about him, there’s no question.