A teen training in the Dominican Republic was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident earlier this month.

Joel Martinez, 17, was an avid baseball player with dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. Last September, Martinez decided to forgo a high school baseball career and instead moved to the Dominican Republic to play baseball. Martinez was scheduled to try out for a spot on the Cincinnati Reds just a few weeks after the motorcycle accident happened.

According to close family and friends, baseball was Martinez's life. Maggie Puentes, the West Tampa Little League President, said that the baseball park was Martinez's home away from home and that he would spend hours training alone at the park.

Martinez's cousin said that his love of baseball inspired many young children and that he always had his baseball and bat in hand ready to teach the kids at the park.

Martinez's former Little League coach, Alex Borges, could not get over the young catcher and pitcher's work ethic. According to Borges, if you met Martinez then you would never forget him. Borges said that Martinez went above and beyond during games and practices even at age four.

Borges learned of his former player's death this past weekend while he was at the baseball field. Borges said coaches and players who worked with Martinez all shed a tear for their baseball star. Borges was so affected by the player's passing that he had to take down Martinez's team photos that once lined the walls of the coach's home.

Source: The Tampa Tribune, "Motorcycle crash kills Tampa teen who loved baseball," Eddie Daniels, 3/18/2011