Posted on 01/07/2015 10:18:57 PM PST by NKP_Vet
Edgar Martinez, a seven-time all-star, should be in the baseball Hall of Fame, but support for his candidacy has been waning over the past three seasons.
“I’m not surprised that my percentage went down,” Martinez said a year ago. “We just have to wait and see for the future.”
The biggest knock on his enshrinement is that he played as the team’s designated hitter and thus had little to no impact on the defensive part of the game. However, he still deserves to be in.
For starters, the American League has required a designated hitter ever since the 1973 season, so to penalize him for playing at the position is ludicrous. Martinez played his entire 18-year career with the Mariners (1987-2004) and spent the final 10 seasons primarily as a designated hitter. He was so good they named the award for outstanding designated hitter after him.
Martinez hit .312 for his career with an on-base plus slugging percentage that was 47 percent higher than the league average after adjusting for park effects. He also led the league in on-base percentage three times (1995, 1998 and 1999) and had a career mark of .418. He struck out 100 times just once in 18 seasons: his last in 2004 at 41 years old.
According to the Bill James’ Hall of Fame Monitor, which attempts to determine how likely a player is to be elected to the Hall of Fame, Martinez is at 132. Anything over 100 is considered to be likely enshrinement.
His 68.3 career rWar is higher than that produced by Craig Biggio (65.1), who received 74.8 percent of the vote last season.
The numbers speak for themselves: the best designated hitter of all time deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Also 100% for Edgar. Great hitter, team leader and an all-around good man.
I also agree. MLB and the AL created the position of DH.
The annual award is named after ‘gar .
But the HoF voters do not recognize that a DH is a
bona fide position.
Either a DH gets in and the position of DH continues, or it is eliminated we we get on with life.
I was a wee kid when I watched some M’s games with my uncle in 97 at the Kingdome. The lineup of Edgar, Ken Griffey, Jay Buhner and...Alex rodriguez was unreal. That’s why until now, the M’s are my team. Edgar should definitely be in the HOF. Heck, the DH award is named after him for crying out loud.
I was in Seattle from 91 to 96, no other player on that team was as consistent as he, year in and year out. Always professional on and off the field. One of the better clutch hitters in baseball at the time as well. Humble and self effacing, everything a current generation sports figure is not. In my mind, even more beloved a Seattle Mariner than The Kid. I spent time in San Diego after that watching T Gwynn and the Padres in the late 90s, and although Tony was an amazing hitter, Edgar wa almost as amazing and hit for power as well. He had 52 doubles in two straight seasons, if I recall.
That was a great time to be in Seattle watching the team. I remember the 95 season and the excitement of beating the cursed Yanks after being down 2-0 in the series. I went to all the playoff games, and when we won with Edgar’s game winning double in the 11th, that Kingdome was out of control, I thought the place was going to collapse. I used to take the bus from work in Tukwilla to Ballard, and as you know, any south to north route went through the downtown hub. Ant time there was a game, I would get off the bus, get a 5 dollar SW Airline left field bleacher seat at the wall, and enjoy some Red Hook and the game. Not married at the time, doncha know. Ahh good times...
My dad and mom were at Game 3 when Randy pitched. I believe you as the stories they told were damn inspiring. I;ve had enough suffering due to the Bavasi era but I’m a loyal M’s fan regardless. This is the year..
I’m done with the Hall of Fame! They just put in four guys on the first ballot.
But, Roger Maris is not qualified?
It’s a joke.
Oldplayer
Casey Stengel said “Ty Cobb was the best there ever was, no one else was even close”. Sure enough, he was the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Today I wonder if he would even make it. Everything is now PC no matter how good you were.
Funny story: Several years ago we were at a Mariners game and they showed a video on the big outfield screen before the game. They asked the Mariner’s players who on their team would be a good President of The United States. One of the players said, “Edgar Martinez, because he’s the only one on our team that is old enough to be the President”. LOL
Mike Piazza was a first ballot HOFer, hands down. He’s the greatest offensive catcher in history.
Here are some of his stats. Blows away every other HOF catcher including Bench and Yogi.
40 HR 124 RBI .362 BA .638 SLUG 32 doubles
32 HR 111 RBI .328 BA .570 SLUG 38 doubles
36 HR 105 RBI .336 BA .563 SLUG
32 HR 93 RBI .346 BA .606 SLUG
40 HR 124 RBI .303 BA .575 SLUG
38 HR 113 RBI .324 BA .614 SLUG
No catcher in the HOF has more homeruns or has over a .300 batting average.
Some reporter wrote that he had acne on his back and concluded that Mike took steroids. The committee is punishing him because he played in the steroid era and was built. Complete garbage.
Mariners had a super team back then. I like football (Go Hawks!)better than baseball, but I even watched most of the games then. We love our Edgar here - total class act and nice guy on and off the field! They even renamed one of the larger streets near the ballpark, Edgar Martinez Drive.
Totally agree that Edgar should be in the HoF!
The Hall of Fame is a farce. There was once a great ballplayer named Gil Hodges who wore the number 14. He was a Marine combat veteran who fought in the Pacific during WW2. He was a big strapping quiet family man. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 40’s and 50’s. He came up as a catcher but was moved to 1st base where he became a gold glover. He was a leader on their pennant winning team in ‘49, 51, 52, 55 & 56 and world series champs in ‘55. He w as a great hitter with 376 hr, 14 grand slams, many 100 rbi seasons. He assumed the the managerial position of the Mets in the late 60’s. In ‘69 he led the Mets who were only 7 years old to a world championship, over a hall of fame laden Baltimore Oriole team. Yet, #14 was denied entry into the Hall.
My favorite early ‘60’s player!! EVERY bit as good defensively in RF as Kaline and Clemente during those years. Roger had only 4 or 5 standout/HOF caliber years at the plate tho. (Injury had a LOT to do with that to). Just not enough to merit HOF consideration imho. Heck, there are quite a few in the HOF that have no biz. being there. It was ‘reserved’ for the true greats when it was started, but each year it get’s ‘watered down’ a bit more. Just one old MLB fan’s opinions.
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