Edgar Martinez: Top 5 Moments
- Aug 7, 2017
- 6 min read
I can still hear it ring in my ears: the eerie chant that echoed around the corners of the Kingdome in its final years and filled the seats of Safeco in its inaugural years – a simple two-syllable phrase that every Seattle Mariner fan instantly identifies as the public introduction to the greatest designated hitter ever to step into the batter’s box.
“Edddddd-garrrrrrrr…”
It always started slow, and then would pick up in speed – but only slightly – as he would near home plate. Like the player it represented, the chant’s true beauty was not in its pace, but in its power.
“Edddddd-garrrrrrrr…”
It was enough to make the hairs on the back of any hometown fan’s neck stand up – and I can only imagine what an opposing pitcher felt as he heard it rattle through the ballpark, announcing that the next batter he was to face would be Edgar Martinez.
“Edddddd-garrrrrrrr…”
This upcoming weekend, the Mariners will be honoring one of the greatest ever to put on a Ners jersey, with a 3-day salute to Gar centered around the formal retiring of his jersey, #11.
And rightfully so: Edgar Martinez is not only one of the best to play in Seattle, he is one of the best to play in the Major Leagues. A 5-time Silver Slugger and 2-time batting champion with an award named after him, Edgar should be a nod for the MLB Hall of Fame.
In preparation for the weekend’s festivities, we here at Mariner Muse have taken the opportunity to track down our 5 favorite moments from Edgar’s career, all 18 years of which he spent in Seattle. Here we go:
#5 August 29, 2000: Gar’s 8th-inning salami gives Ners late lead over NYY
This one is probably forgotten by many fans – overshadowed, understandably, by the memories to come – but for us it cracks the top 5. The Mariners, 71-60 at the time in 2000, were hosting the Bronx Bombers (73-55) in a late-season battle of two teams that looked to be heading for the playoffs. With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th, New York reliever/soon-to-be-Seattle reliever Jeff Nelson struck out Alex Rodriguez to get to 2-outs. Gar walked to the plate with his team down 3-1, and took a Nelson slurve (remember those?) deep to right, causing the 44,000+ gathered at Safeco to erupt – and broadcaster Dave Niehaus to almost explode in the booth as he called the salami in classic style. It was a wonderful moment, and vintage Gar. (Video: click here).
#4 August 8, 2001: Edgar’s 1000th RBI comes on a dinger
It’s awesome when offensive milestones are reached with home runs, for the player gets to touch ‘em all while soaking up the glory of what they’ve just accomplished. Prime examples that come to mind are Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit, Cal Ripken’s final All-Star Game AB – and Edgar Martinez’ 1000th RBI. As the Ners (83-31 at the time) hosted the Blue Jays for this early-August series en route to 116 wins in 2001, Gar stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 4th, sitting at 999 career RBI…and cranked a Chris Carpenter heater deep to left for #1000. After (slowly) trotting around the bases, Edgar came out for a curtain call (right) to address the adoring crowd, who chanted his name for the entire next inning. (Video: click here).
#3 1992: The Entire Season
While the top two all-time Martinez moments come from a single series, #3 spans an entire season. 1992 saw Edgar hit .356 over the course of 135 games, earning him the AL Batting Title. Even though it was not his best year statistically (shoutout to 1995, when Edgar simply killed it and finished 3rd in MVP voting), 1992 was monumental because it was the first time that a Mariner took home the honorable award. Edgar’s feat set the tone for Seattle – who, from that season on, have had more batting champions than any other team in the AL (tied with the Tigers), with 5: Ichiro in 2004 and 2001, Alex Rodriguez in 1996, and Edgar again in 1995. Not bad for a team that has only made the playoffs 4 times in 40 years.
#2 October 7, 1995: Edgar’s incredible performance in ALDS Game 4
This was Edgar’s greatest single-game performance in his career – and my god, did it come at a big time.
Stretch your minds back to 1995 (it isn’t hard to do) and recall the trend of that incredible AL Division Series against the Yankees. New York had won the first two games of the best-of-five series, which shifted back to Seattle with the Ners needing to win three straight to push through to the ALCS. Seattle won Game 3 easily – but went down 5-0 real quick in Game 4. The game could have been over by the 3rd inning, as the Yankees skyrocketed to an 88% win probability.
But those magical Mariners refused to lose – and it was Edgar Martinez who single-handedly put the team on his back as the game processed. His 3-run dinger (above) in the bottom of the 3rd gave the team life, cutting the Yankee lead to 5-3 (video: click here). The Ners continued to fight, eventually tying it 6-6 before loading the bases in the bottom of the 8th.
Serenaded by one of the loudest “Eddddd-garrrrrr” chants to ever ring around the old Kingdome, up stepped Martinez to face John Wetteland. With a 2-2 count, Gar took a low fastball deep to centerfield, cueing the biggest salami in Ners history – and cueing one of Dave Niehaus’ best “Get out the rye bread and the mustard!” calls of all time. I will never forget Edgar’s celebration (above) as he touched first: both hands raised, he smiled as the ball left the yard – and then stuck his right fist up and held it for a good five seconds as he rounded second and headed to third (video: click here). We were heading to Game 5 – which takes us to #1.
#1 October 8, 1995: The Double
I mean, duh. Just one day after his incredible two-homer performance in Game 4 of that classic ALDS, Edgar returned in the epic Game 5 to deliver the biggest hit of his life – and the biggest hit in the history of the Mariners. Need I describe it for you? I highly doubt it – but I will, anyway. The back-and-forth do-or-die game eventually worked its way to extra innings, and the Yankees took a one-run lead in the top of the 11th. Facing elimination, the Mariners found a way to put pressure on New York immediately in the bottom half, as Joey Cora led off with a drag-bunt base hit and Junior followed with a single back up the middle that sent Cora to third. With the tying run 90-feet away and the series-winning run on first, Edgar – who had already had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the 9th but struck out – stepped up to face New York’s Jack McDowell for a second time that night.
Dave Niehaus’ call of The Double (video: click here) is still enough to bring me to tears every time I hear it – and I feel that I am not alone in admitting that. “Here comes Joey! Here is Junior to third base – they’re gonna wave him in!”
My god, I even get chills writing it.
Joey and Junior scored and the Mariners won the series, pushing them into the ALCS. The impact of Edgar’s double made it superlative: The Double is not only the greatest hit in Mariners history; with the uncertain future of the franchise at the beginning of that 1995 season, it is the reason baseball is still around in Seattle today. Without a doubt, it is Gar’s greatest moment.
. . .
The upcoming weekend ceremony will most definitely be a wonderful celebration of everything that Edgar Martinez contributed to the Seattle Mariners during his incredible 18 years on the team. His offensive numbers earned him the distinguished title of AL Batting Champion not once but twice, his calm demeanor earned him the nickname of Papi (the original Papi, I might assert – sorry David Ortiz), and his fantastic career statistics earn him a place in the Major League Hall of Fame.
And while I cannot wait for that HOF debate to reignite as the week proceeds, what I truly cannot wait for is the smile on Gar’s face as he steps out for his ceremony. I cannot wait to see the video compilations that will bring back the many memories of his career – only 5 of which we just touched on. And I cannot wait to hear the crowd slowly build in what will surely be one of the loudest choruses of that famous, eerie chant.
“Edddddd-garrrrrrrr…”
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