Mariners History: The Incredible 1995 ALDS by Edgar Martinez

Look. This was the time I started paying attention to baseball. Well, that I can remember paying attention to baseball. 1995. I was seven years old. The Mariners were finally good. Watching the games on TV with my dad, neighbor, Grandparents… whoever I could. All Mariners fans remember The Double. The iconic Grand Slam against the Yankees. Each of them was done by Edgar Martinez.

Here’s the thing though. I don’t know if I was too young to really put it together, or have always just had them in my memories as being amazing things that happened by Edgar.

He did them in back-to-back games. Can you believe that? I doubt it’s just me that didn’t remember that. Shoot, I know there are a couple of guys here at Sodo Mojo that wasn’t even around when this all went down.

Edgar Martinez had two of the most iconic Mariners moments in back-to-back games.

Seriously, can you imagine? It’s every kid’s dream to do something incredible and memory-making in sports. Yeah, we all hope and dream and play-act doing it in the backyard or at the field. Even doing something cool in high school or college will stick with you.

Doing it at the top level though? In the playoffs? For a team that had NEVER BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS! Oh, man. I’m getting chills all over again just thinking about it.

Time to set the scene. It’s game Four of the ALDS. The Mariners are down two games to one. The Bottom of the 8th inning, and it’s a tie game at 6-6. The bases are loaded, it’s a 2-2 count, and there are still no outs.

Then, in game 5… The Double.

It doesn’t even matter if you are a Mariners fan. There is no way that you can watch both of these and not get chills. Just straight goosebumps all over your body.

Here’s the craziest part to me, and it just isn’t talked about enough. He did it in back-to-back games. I know I said it earlier, but it needed to be said again.

If, for some reason, you are curious if those were the only things that Edgar did in that series, well, you would be sorely wrong. In game four, he actually hit two home runs and ended up with seven RBI (!) in that game. His final line for the series? Holy smokes, it’s straight numbers out of a video game.

.571/.667/.1000. 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 6 R. He was 12/21.

HE HAD FOUR THREE-HIT GAMES! The only game that he didn’t have three hits in, game three, was the one that he walked three times, two of which were intentional walks. Talk about affecting a series. Jeez. It’s not like he had a bad hitter behind him either. Tino Martinez was the next batter, and he was an All-Star that season who hit .293/.369/.551 with 35 2Bs and 31 HRs.

How do more people not talk about this series as one of the greatest ever by a hitter?

Edgar Martinez was special. You wanna have a talk about Edgar vs. Papi? Fine, I’ll tell you why you’re wrong. For now, we all need to take a minute (well, another minute) and think about how great Edgar was, especially in this series. I’ll leave everyone with one more thing.

EDDDDDDDDDDGGGGAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!