Cooperstown 2016: Edgar Martinez

EDGAR MARTINEZ
Seventh Year on Ballot (27% last year)

PLAYING CAREER:  Seattle Mariners (1987–2004)

ACHIEVEMENTS:  Career batting average of .312 and 2247 hits.  309 home runs and 1261 RBI.  Seven-time All-Star selection (1992, 1995-1997, 2000-2001 and 2003).  In 2004, Major League Baseball renamed the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award in Martinez’s honor. A five-time winner of the award, he is one of only a handful of players to have MLB awards named for them. Some of the others?  Cy Young for pitching, Hank Aaron for batting, Roberto Clemente for “sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team” and Ted Williams for the All-Star Game MVP Award.  Not too shabby.  2007 inductee to the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ON TWITTER:

Whether he gets in or not, Edgar Martinez was a Hall of Fame hitter.

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) December 18, 2015

players I feel are Hall of Fame worthy, but likely won't make it: Jeff Bagwell, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Martinez, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines

— Taylor Blake Ward (@TaylorBlakeWard) December 18, 2015

https://twitter.com/PedroMunozMN/status/676517616882688000

HOVG THOUGHTS:  The argument for Martinez is that he is the “best DH ever”. The argument against Martinez is that he is the “best DH ever”. I’m not sure which side of the fence I fall on, but as long as Harold Baines is paying for his ticket…Martinez can stand in line behind him. Sure, Martinez has a .312 career batting average and ranks 21^st all-time in on base percentage (at .418)…but the guy only has 2247 hits and has a pretty empty trophy case to show for his 18-year career.