The Lazy-Eyed Legend

Exciting news: The Underdog Mentality sold its 250th copy this week! 🎉

As a self-published author, I didn’t expect to sell even half that amount.

Thank you for your support. It means the world to me.

To celebrate the milestone, today’s story is a sneak peek at one of the book’s 25 chapters…

He was a 20-year-old factory worker with a lazy eye.

And when his big break finally came, exhaustion almost cost him everything.

Here’s how he overcame every roadblock to become a Hall of Famer and franchise legend.

Let’s dive in 👇

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How a 20-Year-Old Electric Factory Worker Became a Baseball Hall of Famer

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He almost lost hope in his baseball career.

Between college classes and night shifts at an electric factory, his dream was fading fast.

Then one opportunity changed his life forever.

Edgar Martinez was born in New York City in 1963.

After his parents got divorced, 2-year-old Edgar went to Puerto Rico to live with his grandparents.

As a child, he watched the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series – led by Puerto Rican legend Roberto Clemente.

In his own words, Edgar was “hooked on baseball after that”.

His grandfather bought him his first uniform – number 21, after Clemente – with his own name stitched on the back.

Nothing could keep him away from baseball. He was completely captivated by it.

Martinez played in the yard with his brother and cousins, hitting bottle caps with broomsticks to learn the game.

“When it would rain, Edgar would go outside and swing at the raindrops,” his cousin said.

“He would do it for hours.”

As he matured, he didn’t receive attention from pro scouts in Puerto Rico.

They liked his glove but felt he was too weak of a hitter.

He also battled a lazy eye, which required extra training to make up for.

“He is basically one-eyed at times,” an optometrist said later.

Edgar would write numbers on tennis balls, have a friend feed them into a pitching machine, and try to identify the number as the balls sailed by him at home plate.

After a few failed pro tryouts, he enrolled at a local university to prepare to enter the workforce.

“At that point, I sort of lost hope of signing.”

By age 20, Edgar’s schedule was jam-packed.

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm: College classes

10:00 pm – 7:00 am: Night shift at the General Electric factory

When he got home, he’d sleep a few hours, then practice baseball for his weekend semi-pro league.

One morning, Edgar arrived home from his night shift to a surprise.

The GM of his semi-pro team stood in his driveway waiting for him.

“The Mariners are having a tryout,” he told Edgar.

“Get ready, I’m going to take you there.”

So after an 8-hour night shift, Edgar hopped in the car for the 8:00 am tryout.

He remembered being “so tired I couldn’t swing the bat.”

Even though he was running on fumes, he flashed enough potential to get a chance.

A few days later, the Seattle Mariners signed him for $4,000.

In his first minor league season, Martinez hit .177. Battling culture shock, the adjustment took time.

“I could only speak a few words of English, just enough to order in a restaurant.”

But he kept working – learning English and getting more professional at-bats. Slowly, he improved.

Ultimately, Martinez didn’t play his first full MLB season until age 27.

Yet he managed to post eye-popping career numbers through his final season at 41 years old:

• .933 OPS

• 309 HRs

• 1,261 RBIs

In an average season, Edgar hit .312 and drove in 99 runs.

Fast forward to 2019:

Edgar’s 10th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot. One last chance at baseball’s highest honor.

“It started out as a normal day,” Edgar told the Seattle Times. “…I tried to distract myself as much as possible.”

Then, just before 6:00 pm, his phone rang.

In his final year of eligibility, and just as all hope appeared to be gone, Edgar Martinez was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Like everything else, he had to fight to earn it. It was the perfect metaphor for his career.

Legendary broadcaster Dave Niehaus said it best:

“I’ve never heard anybody in any walk of life say anything ever halfway bad about Edgar Martinez…He has always had nice things to say about everyone, even in trying circumstances.”

“He’s a great human being.”

🐶 

Enjoy this story? It’s one of 25 in my book, The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (and Yourself).

Over 250 readers already love it, and I think you will too. Grab your copy on Amazon (paperback or Kindle) right here.

Thanks for reading!

By the way, do you want an exclusive bonus chapter of my book – one I’ve never released anywhere else?

Just refer a friend to join The Underdog Newsletter:

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👆 Yup, just copy and paste that link right there and send it to your buddy.

Once that one person signs up through your link, I’ll send you the exclusive chapter of my book instantly.

Let’s keep growing this community – one underdog at a time.

Talk to you next Sunday,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

🌟 Trivia Answer: A) Dave Parker. 1985’s inaugural Derby was jam-packed with future Hall of Famers. Here’s a full recap of every mid-summer slugfest.

⚾️ In case you missed it: From one draft to another, here’s how 5’5” Freddie Patek went from the Air Force to the Major Leagues.

🇯🇵 It’s always fun seeing ex-MLB players demolish baseballs in Japan.

⛳️ Max Togisala shot a 67 at Woodmont in the U.S. Adaptive Open, setting a new low for the Seated Player category. Here’s his backstory.

🎥 Want these stories in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for upcoming mini-documentaries about the best underdog stories in sports.