Mariners
What teammates, others are saying about Martinez

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"He's told me what he's going to miss is the competition. That's what he thrived on. Like on 'The Double,' he was outthinking (Jack) McDowell. I think especially after he became a DH, every time he came to the plate it was mano a mano. He didn't have a classic swing. It was an uppercut swing. I remember when he came to Seattle, (manager) Lou Piniella said, 'He can't hit like that. His hands are too high.' But his preparation was so good. Those exercises he did with the tennis balls. It was hard work for Edgar. For many years he was viewed as a good-fielding, light-hitting third baseman. The question was, 'Could he hit well enough to be an everyday player at one of the corner positions?' Then he became, arguably, the best-hitting right-hander of his generation."
— M's president Chuck Armstrong

"He was the greatest teammate ever. One thing about Edgar, every time he came to the park, you knew you were getting Steady Eddie, Mr. Consistency day in and day out. I never saw a guy with a better, more unbelievable work ethic. Every time you look at Edgar, you see two things: a bat in his hands and a doughnut on that bat. The guy was a workaholic."
— Jay Buhner, former Mariner

"He has the respect of everybody. When he hits, young players on opposing teams get up to watch, and that's what says it all right there. From a team standpoint, he's one of those guys you don't let go of. Basically, he's the man."
— Norm Charlton, former Mariners teammate

"He's a guy who knows how to get it done. If Edgar was in the National League, he would have found a way to get in the lineup. He'd play first base or whatever. He'd pinch-hit and get it done."
— M's manager Bob Melvin

"He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer to me. He's got to be the greatest right-handed hitter of his era. As scouts, you can find players with his skills. But you don't find players with his makeup. He's made himself into a great player."
— M's GM Bill Bavasi

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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