Edgar!

[SeattleCoug]

A pure Mariner move. Hiring legit hitters...expensive. Hiring a M's legend who makes M's fan happy...priceless.

Exactly what I thought. "That's so Mariners", was my quote.

This is what the 6th hitting coach in the Z era alone? To be fair to Jack Z, this is one of those decisions that is likely above him. The season is clearly slipping away so let's bring back the 95 magic to distract the fan base. That's the go to move. Also great timing to do it on the Saturday of the US Open being here. That's another Mariner thing to do to avoid maximum criticism.

I love Edgar and me being skeptical of this move has nothing to do with him. If he was truly the guy they wanted and Z has been "watching him" for a while then this move should have been made in the offseason. Everything about this is just humorous to me.

 

[NWinAZ]

To be fair to Jack Z, this is one of those decisions that is likely above him.

No, it was all Jack. Funny thing was that one M's beat reporter said Jack went to Edgar a couple days prior and asked about his interest and then another M's beat writer said that Edgar went to Jack and said he was ready to take a more everyday role. Either case, it was all Jack.

#Mariners hitting coaches since Zduriencik became GM in Oct. 2008: Cockrell, Powell, Chambliss, Hansen, H.Johnson, E. Martinez.

Funny to me was that we also had Van Slyke as assistant hitting coach this year and Lloyd himself was working with individual guys. So #8 if you include those two...lol.

 

[SeattleCoug]

No, it was all Jack.

Wow I guess I just assumed it was one of those things like the Griffey or Ichiro things that went above the GM. Hard to believe my opinion of Jack could get any lower but.............

 

[wazzu31]

No, it was all Jack. Funny thing was that one M's beat reporter said Jack went to Edgar a couple days prior and asked about his interest and then another M's beat writer said that Edgar went to Jack and said he was ready to take a more everyday role. Either case, it was all Jack.

#Mariners hitting coaches since Zduriencik became GM in Oct. 2008: Cockrell, Powell, Chambliss, Hansen, H.Johnson, E. Martinez.

Funny to me was that we also had Van Slyke as assistant hitting coach this year and Lloyd himself was working with individual guys. So #8 if you include those two...lol.

I'm not saying those beat writers are wrong but it just seems fishy that this would be an all Jack move just seems like the organization had a standing offer for Edgar when he wanted to much like the way them seem to have open offers for Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner.

Jack is a smart guy but bringing a guy like Edgar seems more for buzz and publicity than it really is being done to help the ball club which is what Jack needs.

 

[NWinAZ]

Sorry, but all Jack. He wants, and needs, the popular vote.

 

[Banned 10x]

I wonder if that opens the door for someone like Wilson as manager eventually. Buhner might be fun as a bench coach heh

the Mariner way

 

[dude82]

Not every move that involves a former Mariner is a nostalgic attempt just to boost attendance. Edgar might be the most beloved Mariner of all-time, but he is also one of the best hitters of all-time, so he brings some legitimacy to the choice. If they'd made, say, Buhner or Wilson the hitting coach, then you could say that this was strictly a PR move and have a good point. If another team had hired Edgar for the same position, would it be considered a good move for that team? If you say yes to that question, then you couldn't reasonably say that this was just a PR move for the Mariners just because he played here and is beloved here. I know it's popular to be skeptical of any move that involves bringing back a former Mariner in any capacity, but that doesn't mean they're all inherently bad moves made primarily for the PR boost it would provide.

 

[NWinAZ]

Not every move that involves a former Mariner is a nostalgic attempt just to boost attendance. Edgar might be the most beloved Mariner of all-time, but he is also one of the best hitters of all-time, so he brings some legitimacy to the choice. If they'd made, say, Buhner or Wilson the hitting coach, then you could say that this was strictly a PR move and have a good point. If another team had hired Edgar for the same position, would it be considered a good move for that team? If you say yes to that question, then you couldn't reasonably say that this was just a PR move for the Mariners just because he played here and is beloved here. I know it's popular to be skeptical of any move that involves bringing back a former Mariner in any capacity, but that doesn't mean they're all inherently bad moves made primarily for the PR boost it would provide.

But most great hitters aren't great coaches and most great hitting coaches were bad hitters. One doesn't always correlate with the other and that goes for a lot of sports.

 

[Anointed One]

It only works if they're great "teachers"... Doesn't matter how good of a player you were - you have a to be a great teacher/coach...

 

[WizardHawk]

How Edgar Martinez is already making Mariners hitters better | The Seattle Times

Pretty decent write up on how Edgar came to take this position and how things have gone for him so far.

His former hitting coach when he played on how Edgar was with other players at that time -

“He always had that passion,’’ Elia said. “There were certain things he did that rubbed off on other guys. Maybe one little question, that knack of saying one little thing, with the guys we had. He’d mention it to me, and I’d mention it to them, and the next thing you know, it would click.”

As for great hitters not making great coaches -

It’s a baseball truism that great players don’t always make great instructors. But Zduriencik believes Martinez believes that stereotype because he was a self-made player who struggled at various junctures of his career.

“His success was all through hard work and preparation,’’ Zduriencik said.

Martinez, who as a player did eye exercises to combat strabismus (essentially, misaligned eyes), points out that he once went 0-for-50 while playing in Puerto Rico, hit .173 his first year in Class A, and was up and down several times between Seattle and the minor leagues before he stuck for good.

“When a player is struggling, I understand what they’re going through,’’ he said. “That’s when I think I’m able to help the most.”

Martinez was “profound” in his knowledge of the craft, Elia said.

“His demeanor, the way he explained things — he just had that God-given ability to impart knowledge. He’s special. Any player who is around him will be a better person for it. And if they have ability, they’ll be a better hitter for it, too.”

Way too long of an article to put all of the best quotes up here. It's worth the read, even if the conclusions that he has already helped the team is very much premature.

 

[wazzu31]

But most great hitters aren't great coaches and most great hitting coaches were bad hitters. One doesn't always correlate with the other and that goes for a lot of sports.

Yep, Ted Williams is arguably the greatest hitter in history and flopped as a big league coach. IMO most former stars need to work with younger guys before they lose all their confidence and work ethic is shot in the bigs.