Seattle Mariners Celebrate Birthday of Hall of Fame Hitter Edgar Martinez
The Seattle Mariners have been uncharacteristically quiet this offseason as they try to find answers to holes in their infield.
But the coaching staff has been sorted for several weeks now. The two biggest changes made to the staff was long-time Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer taking the same role with the Mariners, and former hitting coach Edgar Martinez taking a role as Senior Director of Hitting Strategy.
In addition to his new role, Martinez also celebrated a birthday on Jan. 2, which Seattle acknowledged via a post on "X" (formerly known as Twitter).
Happy birthday, Edgarrrrrrrr! šš pic.twitter.com/mRNexdTLCU
ā Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 2, 2025
Martinez's current role on the team came after he served as hitting coach for the Mariners during the last 34 games of 2024. The lineup went from one of the worst offenses in the league to top 10 in many categories during Martinez's recent stint as hitting coach. As the Senior Director of Hitting Strategy, he'll oversee the Seattle hitting program and will be working directly with Seitzer.
But the Baseball Hall of Famer is most famous for his amazing playing career with the Mariners. Martinez, who started with the team as a third baseman, converted to designated hitter and played 18 seasons in Seattle from 1987-2004. He was on the team for their first four franchise postseason berths in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001.
During Martinez's career, he was a seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger winner, led the American League in RBIs in 2000 and was a two-time AL batting champion in 1992 and 1995.
Martinez is also responsible for the most iconic play in Mariners history, "The Double."
In Game 5 of an American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees on Oct. 8, 1995, Martinez brought in Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. in the bottom of the 11th inning with a double to left field that gave Seattle a 6-5 win and sent the team to its first American League Championship Series in franchise history.
On the postseason stage for the first time in franchise history, @Mariners fans know what happened next by heart.
ā National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ā¾ (@baseballhall) October 8, 2024
Edgar Martinez hit āThe Doubleā and Ken Griffey Jr. scored the ALDS-winning run #OTD in 1995. pic.twitter.com/jc6H16Y1Kc
Martinez was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 in his last year of eligibility. His No. 11 was retired by the organization and hangs in the corner of left-center field next to Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 and Jackie Robinson's No. 42.
Martinez has spent the better part of 30 birthdays contributing to the Mariners as a player and a coach. And if his current role goes the way the club hopes, the Hall of Famer will likely spend a couple more birthdays as a key figure with the organization.
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