From what I’ve seen, the case that Edgar Martinez’s fans have cumulatively assembled to argue for him as Hall of Famer almost exclusively mentions only his statistical accomplishments as a hitter, gauged by both the traditional metrics and the advanced, sabermetric kind.
But of course it is people, not assemblages of statistics, who stand as candidates for the Hall of Fame, and that seems to be part of Edgar’s problem.
As an unassuming, unquotable Latino who never reached the World Series and played far from any media hothouse, in the most remote big league city in the sport, Edgar’s a deep underdog in the charisma category of Hall of Fame qualifications.
(I think it’s obvious that personality and a résumé of myth-making material help any player make it to Cooperstown: See Dizzy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Bobby Grich, and Bob Johnson for four examples on both sides.)
Even in the Seattle area, he didn't attain the heights of fame (or notoriety) that Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Jay Buhner, and Ichiro did.
Mario Lanza, a friend who’s written a long story about being a Mariners fan in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, said:
"Even in Seattle people didn't really know who he was. I saw him in Crossroads Mall [in Bellevue] with his family, just sitting there eating dinner outside of the food court. Here he was, one of the greatest players in Mariners history, and people just walked by him like he was nobody special.
"He used to go there with his family, and I'd see him reading newspapers right outside the Daily Planet newsstand. I must have seen him five times there and nobody ever recognized him. Even in Seattle he was anonymous. How are the writers in Boston or New York supposed to feel any differently about him?"
Presented here are two post-1995 instances of Edgar's heroic actions on the field. They should help erase the idea of Edgar as a routinely productive hitter who, outside of 1995, didn't do much in the way of generating intense memories for fans.
These events didn't happen in October or get immortalized in the video vault, but as pure heroism they're certainly equal to Curt Schilling's bloody sock, Bucky Dent's homer in 1978, and Bo Jackson's various feats as a Royal.
In September 1997, Edgar had to get stitches twice within five days. The first time was on Sept. 8 in Kansas City, when the Royals' Chili Davis swung his bat in the sixth and it landed on Edgar’s head in the dugout for a five-stitch cut. Edgar stayed in the game and went 2-for-4 with two singles, getting his 100th RBI along the way.
A quote from Edgar: "I lost sight of it in the lights. I knew it was coming, and I ducked to the left. I must have ducked right into it. It was scary, lots worse than having a pitch come at your head."
Then, on Sept. 12, came the coup de grace: Playing Toronto at the Kingdome, Edgar slid into home and into catcher Charlie O'Brien's mask while trying to score in the sixth inning. He got eight more stitches on his chin.
Of course he stayed in the game again, and of course he hit the game-winning three-run homer in the eighth, breaking up a 3-3 tie. Edgar hit it off Roger Clemens, who was 21-5 at the time and on his way to the ’97 Cy Young and a 2.05 ERA. Clemens allowed just nine homers in all of 1997.
Edgar’s quote: "I never have been to a hockey game. But I've watched and seen the fights and the cuts. I guess you could say my week has been like a hockey game." Lou Piniella called Martinez "a tough kid, a professional. It was his night."
Over the seven games that began with getting five stitches on Sept. 8, Edgar hit .400, 10-for-25, with four walks and a .483 OBP.
Then, on July 29, 2000, Edgar was scheduled to be grand marshal of Seattle’s Seafair Torchlight Parade in the evening, but first there was a game to play. It ran late: 13 innings and five hours, four minutes long.
But Edgar had a parade to catch. So he hit a walk-off single for a 6-5 win over the Blue Jays, showered, dressed, didn’t say a word to the press—too busy—and went off to the day’s second job.
The Torchlight Parade’s theme: “Heroes of Our Hearts.”
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments