NFBC Champion Profile - Joe Martino

[Tom Kessenich]

As brothers, Joe and Dave Martino know the backbone of any good relationship is communication. Little did they realize how accurate that would prove to be – and the lucrative reward it could provide in the 2006 NFBC.



The Martinos had planned to be together at the table in New York League 5 on Draft Day. But the stork called Joe away and he spent the day in the hospital with his wife, who was in labor.



That left Dave alone in the Big Apple though he remained in constant communication with his brother throughout the draft.



“I was back home by noon with my wife because it was a false alarm,” Joe recalled. “At home, me and Dave communicated via cellphone for most of the draft until his cellphone died out.”



Enough communication was relayed, however, for the Martinos to have a successful draft. And that good draft helped pave the way for a championship run in New York League 5.



The run to the title was slow in starting, however.



“We were behind most of the season with our pitching carrying us,” Joe Martino said. “Our bats were asleep for awhile but when our bats and pitching started providing the same balance that is when we made our move and it was in late-July, early-August when we got to first in our league and we were second overall at the time the NFFC took place.



“We were excited to say the least. But right after the NFFC is when the wheels on the bus fell off. The team we had passed up put on a strong performance to narrow the margin to three points in that last month.”



The wheels didn’t fall off completely, though. Much of that was due to the preparations the brothers made for their draft.



“We had a few strategies based on who wee able to draft with our first pick, which was in the ninth slot,” Joe said. “Our first pick was Jason Bay with Grady Sizemore on the way back.



“We wanted David Wright with the first pick but like most fantasy players it always seems the guy you want always seems to go right before your pick. At the All-Star break it appeared the Wright pick would have panned out better than Bay but since he entered the Home Run Derby he had a terrible performance in the second half.



“So it goes to show you can be happy with your picks because they might start cold and finish strong.”



There were some other strategies the two employed on Draft Day that proved beneficial.



“We prepare our own list of rankings and then we watch the board and decide whether to draft a guy earlier or wait for later,” Joe Martino said. “We know everyone reads the same magazines and everyone is prepared to draft but instincts, staying away from players you do not like, and value go a long way.



“I felt our drafting in Rounds 11-30 was much better than 1-10 on a value basis. I felt there was so much talent from 11-30 and the stats showed with guys like Jermaine Dye and Jonathan Papelbon.”



The free-agent process also proved critical in the championship season.



“We love FAAB because people get injured every year and other guys get opportunities to play,” Joe said. “Our best pickup was Nick Punto. He gave us Runs and Stolen Bases.



“The other big pickup was David Ross. Anytime you get Home Runs from the catcher’s spot it’s a great thing.”



The Martino brothers are avid sports junkies. They have been in the NFBC for the past two years and in the NFFC since its inception three years ago.



Both are married and live just four houses away from one another in Melville, NY. Joe works in real estate while Dave is in the Hedge Fund industry.



The final few weeks were hectic to say the least but the Martinos prevailed with both the league title and the honor of finishing fifth overall in the Main Event.



“I think we both believe if our pitching hadn’t fallen apart the last four weeks of the season and if Chipper Jones did not get hurt we could have made at least a decent run (at the overall title),” Joe said. “No complains, though. We almost got to taste the overall title. Maybe next year.”



Oh, and what happened with Joe’s wife?



“Early the next morning after the draft our daughter was born,” Joe Martino said. “It was an unforgettable day to say the least.”