Martinez lauded by baseball world at Hall

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- As Edgar Martinez prepares to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday (with coverage of the induction beginning at 8 a.m. PT on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com), here’s what others are saying about the long-time Mariners standout:

Fellow Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.:

“Edgar doesn’t change. He’s been here 40 years and hasn’t changed. Edgar is Edgar. He doesn’t ask for a lot. He takes pride in everything he does. And when you ask him to do something, he wants to be the very best he can be. He doesn’t complain -- other than when a guy throws a cutter. But we’d be over there laughing about that because the guy that threw the best cutter all time [Mariano Rivera], he hit .600 off him.”

Fellow 2019 inductee Mariano Rivera, who Martinez went 11-for-19 against during their careers:

“We talk about it, we laugh about it. I told him, ‘Edgar, you have to buy dinner for me only because of me are you in the Hall of Fame, you know?' I think that the difference between Edgar was that he always hit the ball where it was pitched. If I was throwing away, he’d hit the ball away. He was a real particular hitter. There wasn’t many holes on him, you know?”

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Former Orioles and Yankees standout Mike Mussina, also being inducted Sunday:

"He was the guy you didn’t want up there in a really big spot when you were playing Seattle. I mean, there were some circumstances and situations where I’d have taken facing Griffey over Edgar just because I had better numbers against Griffey, I felt better against Griffey. Edgar just always seemed to get a good swing on it, put the barrel on it, hit it hard. I would not want to ever see Edgar in a big situation with two out and runners in scoring position. Never.”

Robinson Cano, on having Edgar as his hitting coach the previous three years in Seattle:

"We all know he was a smart hitter. He helped me a lot, to be honest. I always tried to be next to him [in the dugout]. His knowledge about the game, he always knew what the pitcher was doing, and I always liked to pick his brain on what he used to do in situations. As a hitter, the ball always hit his barrel. I asked guys that played against him, because it's not the same when you just watch on TV as when you get to watch him yourself in person. Guys like [Jorge] Posada said he was one of the best hitters he ever saw, because every ball he made contact with was on the barrel. You think you can throw him inside to jam him, no chance. He always found a way to get the barrel out there."

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Former teammate Joey Cora:

“Well deserved, man. He took longer than expected, but you put up numbers, especially now, Edgar has them, without a doubt. And not only a great baseball player, but a great person. He deserves it. He saved baseball in Seattle. Junior and Randy [Johnson] did, too, for sure. But Edgar stayed his whole career, he lives there, has businesses there. We’re all happy for him and he’s happy, too. I know he doesn’t always show it, but he’s really happy. He worked so hard to get to where he’s at, it’s unbelievable for him.”

Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager:

“You can’t overhype him. He was unbelievable. His constant presence, just getting to not only pick his brain about baseball stuff, but being around him as a person. He’s such a phenomenal man. He was unbelievably positive. And that sounds like a very simple thing, but it’s very hard to do. Especially when you’re talking about a Hall of Fame hitter, one of the best hitters of all time. For him to not get frustrated with any of us, you have coaches all the time getting frustrated with the offensive stuff, right? It’s human nature. But he never forgot how hard the game was and there’s a genuine humbleness to him that really resonated with everybody.”

Fellow designated hitter Harold Baines, who also is going into the Hall of Fame on Sunday:

“I’m very happy for him. He’s very deserving of it. He was one of the best right-handed hitters I’ve ever seen or played against. And he was a pretty darn good third baseman, too, before he got hurt.”

Mariners play-by-play announcer Rick Rizzs:

“I get goose bumps just thinking about it because I’m so happy for the guy. He’s one of the nicest guys to ever put on a Mariners uniform and one of the greatest players to ever put on that uniform as well. Edgar has always treated everybody with a tremendous amount of respect, from all the great players that were here to the clubhouse kids and the ushers and everybody in the organization. He’s a gentleman and a professional, a Hall of Famer on and off the field.”