Hall of Fame Candidate Edgar Martinez: Praise from His Peers

Edgar was revered by his teammates, feared by opposing pitchers and universally respected throughout baseball

Edgar Martinez is universally respected throughout the game of baseball. From opposing managers and Hall of Fame pitchers to former teammates and foes, Edgar’s peers agree that he is deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame. He was one of the best all-around hitters of his generation as well as one of the best right-handed batters in the modern era. He combined power with the ability to reach base safely, both at rates that rank high on the all-time lists of Hall of Fame hitters.

Revered by His Teammates

“Edgar deserves to be in [the Hall of Fame]…There are a lot of guys with similar numbers who should be there, and Edgar’s definitely one of them. He carried the team for a period of time. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game for 10-plus years.” — Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

“Edgar — the greatest right-handed hitter I’ve ever played with.” — Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

“Edgar Martinez is, hands down, the best hitter that I’ve ever seen…he is the best pure hitter that I got to see on a nightly basis. And I hope that his time comes soon, that he gets a phone call stating that he’s a Hall of Fame player, because he is.” — Hall of Famer Randy Johnson

“Great career. Best DH of all time. A classy person. He’s got Hall of Fame numbers. I enjoyed managing him…One of the best right-handed hitters I’ve seen.” — Lou Piniella

“Edgar was probably the best right-handed hitter that I faced in my entire career…He was a guy that could always hit…And he was a really good 3rd baseman before he got hurt. He was a guy that could really play 3rd base for you. You could see future at 3rd base for him and then he had the shoulder problem…To me, he’s probably, hand-down, the best DH that’s probably ever assumed that position.”— Mark Langston

“Every part of his game as a hitter is solid. You talk about his awareness of the strike zone, his ability to hit behind in the count, his ability to hit ahead in the count, his ability to drive in runs, hit the ball the other way.” — Dan Wilson

“The guy they were most worried about was Edgar Martinez. He was the one that they feared with runners in scoring position.” — Bill Krueger

The Respect of His Peers

“I think the writers have spoken in my case, and they will again in the future. They’re not going to hold [being a DH] against you. It’s part of the game and should be included as such. He [Edgar] was one of the most feared right-handed hitters for a long time in this league. The amount of respect he has from peers speaks to the value of the offensive player he was.” — Hall of Famer Paul Molitor

“He [Edgar] was the best hitter I’ve ever seen. He was tough to get out. He was prepared…He gave Mariano [Rivera] a lot of trouble. He gave a lot of us a lot of trouble. He was unbelievable.” — Jorge Posada

“To me, he should be a Hall of Famer. He should be inducted in the Hall of Fame a while ago because of the things he did in the game.” — David Ortiz

“You played against the Mariners and if he wasn’t in the lineup, it was like a big hole in the lineup because you’re not seeing one of the best right-handed hitters in the game.” — David Ortiz

One of the Most Feared Hitters of His Era

“The toughest guy I faced I think — with all due respect to all the players in the league — was Edgar Martinez. He had to make me throw at least 13 fastballs above 95…Edgar was a guy that had the ability to foul off pitches, and it pissed me off because I couldn’t get the guy out.” — Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez

“Edgar Martinez (was my toughest out). Great hitter and a great human being. It was tough to get him out.” — Mariano Rivera

“The toughest — and thank God he retired — Edgar Martinez…I think every pitcher will say that, because this man was tough.” — Mariano Rivera

“He was a tough at-bat. He had great numbers against me.” — Mariano Rivera

“I have tremendous respect for Edgar. He has been an ambassador for the game for so long, especially for the Seattle Mariners.” — Mariano Rivera

“He was a hell of a good hitter…Edgar was a real pro’s pro. He went out there every day and grinded it. Man, he could hit.” — Hall of Famer Jack Morris

“Edgar Martinez — one of the greatest right-handed hitters who ever lived…Just an incredible hitter, a guy who had such great balance, knew the strike zone so well…He could hit more home runs if he wanted to, but he was an all-around hitter; he wasn’t trying to go deep. The guys that were playing then know how great he is.” — Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley

“He was probably the last guy that I wanted to face in a big situation.” — Mark Mulder

“Edgar was clearly one of the best right-handed hitters anybody ever saw. He had no weaknesses. There was no one place to pitch Edgar. He was very smart. He made great adjustments and he had great skills.” — David Cone

Perspective from Broadcasters, Reporters and Hall of Fame Voters

“It’s clear to me that Edgar is a Hall of Famer.” — Hall of Fame Voter Jayson Stark

“He was one of the great hitters of his generation, and all you have to do is ask the guys who played and they’ll all tell you the exact same thing.” — Hall of Fame voter Tim Kurkjian

“I covered baseball significantly at the time of his prime…When you ask people, “Who are the best hitters in the American League?” Edgar Martinez always came up…The numbers are there. He should be in the Hall of Fame.” — Hall of Fame voter Tim Kurkjian

“I absolutely hated seeing him coming up against the Rangers. He was the guy in that lineup — probably even more than Junior — who you feared in a big situation.” — Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel

“Edgar’s gonna be in Cooperstown not too long from now…Edgar was a 7th, 8th and 9th inning hitter, one of the best I have ever seen. I look at players, were they an asset or were they a liability? We all know what he was. He was an asset to the game of baseball, a great gentleman.” — White Sox Broadcaster Hawk Harrelson

“Edgar Martinez is the best designated hitter in the game’s history.” — Jay Jaffe, Fangraphs

“To me, he perfected the art of hitting. One of the best right-handed hitters of all-time…In my book, he’s a no-brainer Hall of Famer.” — David Schoenfield, ESPN.com

“A great hitter… Just a true professional…A man who was passionate about hitting.” — Jim Caple

The View From the Other Dugout

“A professional, quiet, humble giant and one of the best right-handed hitters ever seen.” — Dusty Baker

“He probably adjusts better and quicker to what’s going on than anyone. You’ve got to treat him like Eddie Murray. You can’t throw him the same pitch two pitches in a row. If you got him with one pitch one time, don’t think you’re going to get him with the same pitch the next time.” — Tom Kelly

“In my mind, he’s a Hall of Famer. I think he’s the Tony Perez of our generation. If you talk about a guy who consistently hit the ball hard on an at-bat by at-bat basis, Edgar is in an elite group.” — Mike Scioscia