The Future for Edgar Martinez

May 28, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners former player

at the game against the New York Yankees at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Edgar Martinez wasn’t voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t received many honors from the Seattle Mariners. Martinez has been inducted into the Mariners’ own Hall of Fame.

Even though Edgar did not make it into the national Hall of Fame (he only received only 36.2% of the vote), he is definitely someone who was a Seattle legend. He was with the Mariners for 18 years – that’s a long run in baseball time. He really did a job showing people what the designated hitter position could do. In fact, he made such an impact playing the position that the annual designated hitter award is named after Edgar.

Unlike some ball players, Edgar remained true to the team he started with. He’s part of a relatively small batch of players who remained with the team they started with throughout their career. Following his retirement from baseball, Edgar launched a business and has been running a charitable foundation alongside his wife.

His most recent honor was the Seattle Sports Star Legends Award. Edgar, who is now 50 had a .312 batting average (many of the current players pale in comparison), and a .418 on-base percentage. His 1995 season was historic, and he, along with Ken Griffey Junior, brought the Mariners to win against the New York Yankees and advance to the American League Championship Series. During his career, Edgar hit 309 home runs, and the street south of Safeco Field was named after him.

Let’s take a moment and applaud this slugger for his accomplishments and his recent recognition. His future has him continuing to run The Martinez Foundation – a nonprofit organization aimed at ensuring that every Washington State student has access to quality teachers. He’s also run his own company, Branded Solutions by Edgar Martinez, and been involved with a number of philanthropic causes including the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He was also one of the founders of Plaza Bank, Washington State’s first Hispanic bank.