When the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros gets underway Tuesday night, it will do so with representatives from Central Florida on either side.
Dave Martinez (Nationals Manager) – Lake Howell High School
Nationals manager, Dave Martinez, is a graduate of Lake Howell High School. Martinez helped Lake Howell win the Five Star Conference Championship in 1981. Immediately following his career at Lake Howell in 1982, Martinez was selected in the 40th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers. He attended Valencia Community College, where he played before being drafted again in 1983 by the Chicago Cubs. He joined the Cubs in 1986, the beginning of a 16-year career for which he played with 10 different franchises. From 1998-2000, he played for the Tampa Bay Rays and recorded the franchise’s first base hit. The career .276 hitter last played as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2001.
Zack Greinke (Astros Starting Pitcher) – Apopka High School
On the field, Central Florida will be represented by the Astros right-handed starting pitcher, Zack Greinke. The Apopka High School product started his career as a shortstop before becoming a relief pitcher his sophomore and junior seasons. He became a starting pitcher as a senior in 2002 and was committed to playing at Clemson before being drafted 6th overall by the Kansas City Royals that same year.
He is scheduled to take the mound as the starting pitcher for Game 3 Friday night in Washington D.C. The start will be his first in a World Series despite an experienced postseason resume. He has started 14 postseason games with four different franchises. The 16-year veteran and six-time All-star won the Cy Young award in 2009 as a member of the Royals. His 205 wins and 3.35 career ERA has him in consideration for the Hall of Fame. He was traded to the Astros in July after nearly four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Nationals and Astros begin the best-of-seven series Tuesday night in Houston. Coverage of the World Series can be seen on FOX.