Edgar Martinez’s incredible day in Cooperstown

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Edgar Martinez’s expression didn’t change much as he toured the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for the first time since he was elected to the Hall’s 2019 class. The Seattle Mariners’ legendary designated hitter focused intently as he learned about the exhibits.

As the tour progressed Monday, he began to speak more and share his individual stories about the men whose accomplishments were highlighted throughout the exhibits.

Here are some memorable stops through Martinez’s orientation visit to the Hall of Fame:

Tony Gwynn

When he saw Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn’s plaque, he remembered how much he enjoyed watching the late Padres great hit in the Cactus League.

“Whenever I had a chance to see him in spring training, I would come out and see him hit,” Martinez said of Gwynn. He also mentioned George Brett, Wade Boggs and the late Kirby Puckett as players he loved to see hit.

The Designated Hitter Comes of Age

Martinez, who became a designated hitter in 1995, enjoyed seeing the bat he used in the 2000 season on display. He was such a brilliant designated hitter, commissioner Bud Selig renamed the American League Designated Hitter Award after Martinez.

At one point, Martinez stopped to speak a few feet from a video board highlighting the designated hitter.

In the collections area in the basement of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Martinez carefully held several artifacts, including bats from some of the game’s masters.

Ted Williams

He picked up the bat the bat Ted Williams used for the last home run of his career.

Willie Mays

“This is pretty cool holding his bat,” he says of Mays’ 3,000-hit bat. He had never held a Mays bat until today.

Bob Gibson 1968 ball

Martinez gripped one of the balls Cardinals legend Bob Gibson threw during the historic 1968 season, when Gibson posted a 1.12 ERA and won the NL Cy Young and MVP awards.

Mike Cameron four-home run bat

Martinez was surprised to learn that one of his other bats had been used and ultimately donated to the Hall of Fame. His Mariners teammate Mike Cameron, who used the bat while hitting four home runs in a game, donated the bat. Several of Martinez’s teammates used his bats over the years.

“I didn’t know about that one,” he said. “Mike Cameron used that bat when he hit four home runs in Chicago. I didn’t know he used my bat, so it’s kind of cool to see that bat here.”

Orlando Cepeda

Martinez enjoyed holding a bat that belonged to one of his childhood heroes, Orlando Cepeda, the second Puerto Rican elected to the Hall.

Ichiro

He admired teammate Ichiro’s bat, saying that Ichiro’s bat were surely made from the best wood in Japan.

Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez

Martinez was surprised to learn that his fellow Puerto Rican used such a small mitt during his Hall of Fame career.

Special Jerseys

Robbie Alomar’s 1995 San Juan Senadores jersey. Both men played winter ball together for San Juan and also for Puerto Rico’s first winter league “Dream Team,” which crushed the competition in the 1995 Caribbean Series.

Lou Gehrig

Martinez was struck by the weight of Lou Gehrig’s bat.

Babe Ruth bat

Holli and Edgar both posed together holding a Babe Ruth bat, which was lighter than Martinez expected.

Roberto Clemente hat

Martinez sensed the magic in the hat that Roberto Clemente wore the night he collected his 3,000th hit in what proved to be his final game in the majors.

“Even just holding it, you can feel the power,” Martinez said as he held the cap. “It’s almost like it has some magic in it.”

Clemente connection

Martinez sensed a connection when he touched Roberto Clemente’s plaque in the Hall of Fame’s Plaque Gallery.

“I had like a real connection to that hat,” he said. “It felt so real, like if something was alive. It’s hard to explain. But it had definitely a different meaning to me just to have that hat in my hands.

“It probably had to do with all the history since I grew up in Puerto Rico. All the people from Puerto Rico, they all know the name. They all admire Clemente. His legacy means so much for Puerto Rico, having that hat that he used in that last game has such a special meaning.”

Featured Image: Holli Martinez Twitter

Inset Images: La Vida Baseball