Rivera, Martinez eager to honor family
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – For much of their careers, Yankees legend Mariano Rivera and Mariners icon Edgar Martinez were defined by their excellence on the diamond as much as their devotion to their families and helping others in the community.
The Panamanian Rivera renovated a church in his adopted hometown of New Rochelle, a tiny hamlet in Westchester County. Martinez, who was born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, settled in with his wife Holli in her hometown of Seattle, where his altruism garnered him a spot years ago at the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 2007.
They’re beloved by their respective fan bases, which is why the quaint village of Cooperstown is filled with fans wearing Martinez’s No. 11 Mariners’ jersey and Rivera’s Yankee pinstripes.
Puerto Rican and Panamanian flags are all over Cooperstown as Martinez and Rivera prepare to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday along with Mike Mussina, Harold Baines, Lee Smith and the late Roy Halladay.
Rivera, Martinez and the rest of the new inductees are at the center of it all here this week. They’re quick to point out that this achievement is not theirs alone. That much will be clear when they take the stage at the Clark Center to give their speech.
“As I said before, there’s plenty of sacrifice,” said Martinez, who spent his entire 18-year career with the Mariners. “The family sacrifices a lot.”
With that in mind, Martinez will honor his wife Holli, their children, his mother and the rest of his family in his induction speech.
Martinez’s mother Cristina, brother Elliott, sister Sonia and his cousin Carmelo Martinez, a former major leaguer, are among a large group of family and friends who made the trip for induction weekend.
His guest list this week in Cooperstown is long, the great designated hitter says with a smile. Holli and the family, though, are the ones he hopes to honor most in his speech.
“Mainly it will be to give thanks to those who have helped throughout the years,” he said. “That’s going to be the majority of my discourse, the people who have helped me.”
Rivera, who spent his 19-year career in the Bronx, has embraced the adulation he has received all weekend from Yankees fans.
As his wife Clara and their children waited, Rivera walked along Main Street to acknowledge the crowd after the Parade on Saturday evening before entering the Hall of Fame Museum for a VIP reception, where he received another raucous ovation as he entered the building.
Rivera asked Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez’s wife to take a family picture of the Rivera clan in front of the Hall of Fame entrance before walking into the reception.
“It means a lot,” Rivera said of the chance to spend this weekend with his wife and sons. “I was playing golf with the boys and having a great time. I wish I would have hit a little better. …
“It’s amazing. It’s good to have them with us, especially with myself at an event like this and a weekend like this. I thank God for that.”
Rivera is the second Panamanian after Rod Carew elected into the Hall. Martinez is the fifth Boricua, following Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.
Moreover, Rivera is the first player ever elected unanimously on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. Martinez got in on his 10th and last year of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot.
Together, they’re the first Latino duo elected into the Hall in the same year by the BBWAA.
“It feels great following the steps of Rodney,” Martinez said of Carew. “I spoke to him. He’s doing real good. It’s amazing. You have a person and player like the type of Rodney Carew just following his footsteps and being the second Panamanian and another Latino into the Hall of Fame is amazing.”
Martinez also takes pride in being part of the first Latino duo elected together into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.
“It means a lot for me as a Puerto Rican and Latino,” Martinez said. “I hope it continues to grow so Cooperstown has more Latinos visiting. Both going together is something special.”
Induction day is finally here. They vow to honor their families in their induction speeches.
Martinez will even mix in some Spanish, his first language, into the induction speech that he says he has practiced at least 50 times.
Fellow Hall of Famers have advised him to speak from the heart. That’s exactly what he’ll do because, as people in Seattle learned long ago, family is closest to Martinez’s heart.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s almost like I can’t believe it. It’s amazing.”
Rivera also used the word amazing often to describe his weekend in Cooperstown.
Rivera is adamant that it’s too difficult to pick the most enjoyable part of the weekend, but there’s no denying what has made this weekend even more special for the best closer to ever live.
“I can’t separate one from the other,” he said. “Everything has been great. Since the moment I got here to today it’s been amazing. Again, you have a chance to be with your family and with friends and other peers. It’s amazing.”
Featured Image/Inset Images: Jean Fruth/La Vida Baseball
Inset Image of Mariano Rivera and Family: Jose de Jesus Ortiz