Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez is probably the best DH in history, and definitely the best commercial actor
Close your eyes and think of Edgar Martinez. Three things probably come to mind:
1. His bat held high over head, waving slowly at the pitcher as if to say, "I can hit anything you might ever throw."
2. His double in the 1995 ALDS that may have saved baseball in Seattle.
- This amazing photo:
Happy '80s Birthday to #Mariners Edgar Martinez, who made his debut in 1987 and did nothing but rake for the next 18 years. pic.twitter.com/CkmgljWoZi
— ⚾ J. Daniel ⚾ (@JDaniel2033) January 2, 2017
While Martinez's incredible performance at the plate earned him entry into the Hall of Fame, he deserves special recognition for his commercial work. If only there was an Academy Awards for advertising, the man known as "Gar" would have cleaned up. He may have been one-dimensional on the field, but he was multi-dimensional in front of the camera.
Here are his five best commercials:
The Workout
Martinez may have appeared to be one of the most natural hitters to ever walk the Earth, but it was, like most things, the result of endless hours of hard work and constant adjustments. This seems to be less of an advertisement and more of a mini-documentary.
The Rookies
Edgar Martinez taught himself English, so for this commercial he took it upon himself to teach the Mariners rookies about some necessary Northwest lingo. That last one, with "gooey duck" seems specifically geared toward Seattle-ites.
Tool Talk
Martinez starred in a series of commercials for the now-defunct Eagle Hardware. This one displayed his great comedic timing in this parody of the slew of '90s hardware-based shows.
Power
Note the high production values on this one as it utilizes an off-brand Ennio Morricone-esque tune!
Light Bat
This was the ad against which all other Gar ads should be measured. Move over, leg lamp from "A Christmas Story," Martinez's light bat is where it's at.
