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JD Martinez: The Red Carpet Interview

The Red Sox slugger speaks with Boardroom about playing at Fenway Park, spreading his wings as an investor, and the rival pitcher he’d most love to homer against.

JD Martinez has been consistently excellent across his five years with the Boston Red Sox, earning All-Star appearances each year in which there was a game, with the 2020 Midsummer Classic not taking place due to the pandemic. His Boston tenure was highlighted by a 43 homer, 130 RBI season in 2018 that ended in a World Series title.

Though he has just nine homers so far in 2022, the 34-year-old slugger still has plenty of pop, ranking 2nd in the American League in doubles. As trade rumors swirl, Martinez spoke with Boardroom at the MLB All-Star red carpet in Los Angeles about Boston sports fans, his business interests, and which rival pitcher he’d most love to homer against.

How different is playing in Fenway Park, even after playing there all these years?

It’s a special park. The fans just make it that special, and obviously, there’s a historic value to it. But the fans and the passion they have there really sets it apart.

Do they mob you up in Boston or do they mainly leave you alone?

At times, a little bit of both.

Where are you at in terms of being an investor and entrepreneur? You’ve earned a nice amount of money in your career — is it something you think about?

Yeah. There are some investments I do back home in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and South Florida with properties and stuff like that. I love it. What I went to school for was business — business management — so I love the constant hustle, the wheeling and dealing type of deal.

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Is that what you’d be doing if you weren’t a baseball player?

Probably, most likely.

Who are you wearing?

What am I wearing? A suit [laughs].

If you were MLB Commissioner for a day, what’s the first thing you’d change?

Home plate umpire is not allowed to call check swings. It has to go to first base. If the pitchers ask for it, they get it. But if the hitter asks for it, we don’t get it.

What’s the best investment you made over the last year?

Probably myself.

What’s your favorite road city?

Favorite road city? I like coming out here to play the Angels, honestly. Weather’s nice.

Who’s your favorite athlete to watch in another sport?

Tom Brady.

Which player would you most love to hit a home run off?

[Jordan] Montgomery from the Yankees, because he’s just dominated me for the last two years.

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Shlomo Sprung

Shlomo Sprung is a Senior Staff Writer at Boardroom. He has more than a decade of experience in journalism, with past work appearing in Forbes, MLB.com, Awful Announcing, and The Sporting News. He graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2011, and his Twitter and Spotify addictions are well under control. Just ask him.

About The Author
Shlomo Sprung
Shlomo Sprung
Shlomo Sprung is a Senior Staff Writer at Boardroom. He has more than a decade of experience in journalism, with past work appearing in Forbes, MLB.com, Awful Announcing, and The Sporting News. He graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2011, and his Twitter and Spotify addictions are well under control. Just ask him.