J.D. Martinez defends pro-gun Instagram post featuring Adolf Hitler

Scott Boeck | USA TODAY

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Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez said he didn't intend to offend anyone when he posted an Instagram message that recently surfaced in which he used Adolf Hitler to illustrate his support for the Second Amendment.

Martinez, who is Cuban-American, defended his pro-gun message, posted in 2013 when he was with the Houston Astros.

The post featured a picture of Hitler doing the Nazi salute with the quote — “To conquer a nation, First disarm it’s (sic) citizens.”

"This is why I always stay strapped! #thetruth,” he captioned the post.

Hitler's supposed quote has long been tossed around in gun control debates, but there's no documentation that he ever said those exact words.

“I posted it,” admitted Martinez, who addressed the media Tuesday. “I love my country. I love this country. I stand by the Constitution and I stand by the Second Amendment and it’s something that I take pride in. It’s something that I’ll back up.

"At the time I posted that, the Second Amendment at the time was definitely a hot topic," he said. "The point of it wasn't to offend anybody."

Martinez, now 31, is one of baseball's most feared hitters and has a chance to capture the American League Triple Crown -- leading the AL in batting (.337), RBI (110) and second in home runs (38). He's also the latest baseball star to have an old controversial social media post surface in recent months.

In the offseason, he signed one of the most lucrative free agent deals – a five-year, $110 million contract.

"I don't want this distraction," he said as the Red Sox are winning at a historic pace and could end up with one of the best seasons ever. "You guys are talking about something that happened six years ago. I posted it and that's why I'm out here talking about it, but I'm worried about a championship.

"Everyone here has a right to their own political beliefs and everybody has the right to stand by what they believe in. That's what makes us American. We're all not going to agree on the same things, but that's what makes this country so great."

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