And so it ends

Dave · October 3, 2004 at 3:18 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

Congratulations, Edgar. We don’t care that you didn’t end your career with a home run. The first 309 were good enough. Thank you for an amazing career.

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17 Responses to “And so it ends”

  1. Laurie on October 3rd, 2004 3:27 pm

    Edgar making the pitching change was a real classy touch.

  2. Paul Molitor Cocktail on October 3rd, 2004 3:29 pm

    Well, Mickey, you got your major-league hit. Bye!

  3. paul on October 3rd, 2004 3:47 pm

    God, today was so much harder than last night. Maybe it was because watching on TV let’s you see him up close or something. I don’t know.

    Whatever it was, watching him go off the field for the last time was brutal.

  4. JPWood on October 3rd, 2004 3:50 pm

    I was just listening in Paris on the MLB radio feed and it was still brutal.

  5. Jim Thomsen on October 3rd, 2004 4:23 pm

    Any thoughts on what Edgar’s future in the Mariner organization, and in baseball, will be or should be? I don’t see him as having the right temperament to be a manager, and somehow being a roving instructor doesn’t quite seem right (he’s going to want to be home with his kids). How can he stay involved, and relevant? He’s said he wants to … but I haven’t heard how, and just can’t figure how it might work.

  6. eponymous coward on October 3rd, 2004 4:25 pm

    Well, let’s see. Paul Molitor doesn’t exactly scream “longtime Mariner”, does he?

  7. Jim Thomsen on October 3rd, 2004 4:44 pm

    Yes, but if you make him hitting coach, you’d better make him hitting coach for life … who’s going to fire Edgar Martinez if the team hits .242 for him one season?

  8. PositivePaul on October 3rd, 2004 7:19 pm

    Paul, I agree. It was actually breathtaking to be there last night, and I bawled my head off today when Gar was done.

  9. Brian Harper on October 3rd, 2004 7:34 pm

    It’s still sinking in that I won’t be seeing Edgar Martinez walk up to the plate with a bat in his hand any more. I moved to Seattle in 1987, and immediately took an interest in the Mariners, as I hadn’t lived in a big city before then and was just starting to get into baseball, having grown up as a bigger fan of football and basketball. 17 years later baseball is now my favorite sport by a good margin, and I feel blessed to have watched some amazing players, and been present at some unbelievable events. Through it all, there has been exactly two constants. The uniforms, the owners, the venue, the manager, and all the players changed, save one. And now Edgar, sadly, is gone. Now the only link back to my first year as a Mariners fan is Dave Neihaus. I misted up when Jay Buhner retired, and my eyes were watery today. When Dave calls his last game I might just break down and ball.
    God I love this game.

  10. Jim on October 3rd, 2004 8:41 pm

    Edgar will certainly be missed. You really could see the emotion on Edgar’s face after his final at bat – it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

    Game photos, including some decent shots of Edgar can be found here:
    http://www.massonphotos.com/Photos/sports/LastGame04/

    This weekend’s games nicely made up for a disappointing season sitting in the stands (except of course that they once again for got to award my seat the Edgar nesting doll set)

  11. stan on October 3rd, 2004 9:22 pm

    It took me until 2000 to become a Mariner fan but I was a fan of Edgar long before that. It has been a privilege to watch him these many years. While the antics of petulant superstars have caused me to question why I care so much about the game, professionals like Edgar Martinez are reason enough to remain a fan. Thank you Edgar for what you have done and for the way you have handled your success.

  12. Tank on October 3rd, 2004 11:00 pm

    Let’s get Edgar inducted into the M’s Hall of Fame early next baseball season. And a giant, bronze statue outside the Safe.

  13. Jamie on October 3rd, 2004 11:19 pm

    I was impressed with several things at Edgar’s ceremony. 1. Bud Selig not a favorite of alot of people, I believe showed his respect for Edgar and Seattle baseball as a whole. 2. The Gov. not a favorite of mine, did a good job. 3. The Seattle City Council, great job. 4. Bret Boone, although not a good speaker made up for it when I believe he suggested that Edgar take a “Lap” great idea. 5. And although the Mariners donated $ 100,000 for the hospital which is alot of money to most of us, I figure that Edgar brought at least an additional lets say 8,000-10,000 to Saturday nights came to honor him. If those 9,000 people spend around $ 25.00 eash thats about $ 225,000. I thought maybe they could have kicked in a little more. I liked it all but I was hoping that they were going to do a statue out front of the ballpark. I think he needs to be there and soon not years down the road. Is this in the works or is this something the fans could get behind, donate to, and the fans give Edgar something back? Any ideas? I also think that it is too bad that most of us learn about the person Edgar is when he is leaving the team and not years ago. He surely is a great player but it seems a better person.

  14. Charles on October 4th, 2004 12:38 am

    I’m already panicking about next years DH situation. Is there anyway it could ever be as good as it’s been for us (M’s and M’s fans)since Edgar became the mainstay there. I don’t think it can or ever will.

    Rather than the M’s putting a statue out front of the Safe, I propose the people get together and do it themselves. I’m assuming it would be an unprecendented show of appreciation by fans. I don’t think anything else could measure up to that. Edgar has been so loved I could easily see $20-$50 donations from thousands of fans.

  15. Jamie on October 4th, 2004 8:31 am

    Kinda thought that was what I suggested. What do the rest of you think? Is there enough support and do you think that the Mariners and any other authorities over there would go for it? I’m on the other side fo the mountains so not up on everything that may apply.

  16. dw on October 4th, 2004 10:31 am

    I think you could easily pass the hat and get the money for an Edgar statue. However, what I’d like to see is 50% of statue money go into that Children’s endowment in Edgar’s name they’ve established. A bronze statue + pedestal will cost, what, $50,000? Do you think it would be such a problem to pass the hat at the ballpark gates and raise $100,000?

  17. Jamie on October 4th, 2004 10:59 am

    I was thinking maybe about that or maybe a little more. I would think that a drive could be started now and maybe something unveiled early in the season next year?