"The Double: How Edgar Martinez Saved Seattle Baseball"

On October 6th in sports history, one of the most memorable moments occurred during the 1995 American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners. The game, played at the Kingdome in Seattle, was a decisive Game 5, with the winner advancing to the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees, led by captain Don Mattingly, were looking to end their 14-year postseason drought, while the Mariners, managed by Lou Piniella, were seeking their first-ever trip to the ALCS. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading leads throughout the contest.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, with the score tied at 5-5, the Mariners had runners on first and third with one out. Up to the plate stepped Edgar Martinez, the Mariners' star designated hitter. On a 0-1 count, Yankees pitcher Jack McDowell delivered a split-finger fastball that Martinez promptly drilled down the left-field line. As the ball rolled to the corner, Joey Cora scored easily from third base, and Ken Griffey Jr., who was on first, raced around the bases.

As Griffey rounded third, Yankees left fielder Gerald Williams quickly relayed the ball to shortstop Tony Fernandez, who then fired a strike to catcher Jim Leyritz at home plate. In a moment that would be forever remembered as "The Double," Griffey slid home safely just ahead of Leyritz's tag, sending the Kingdome into a frenzy and the Mariners to their first-ever ALCS appearance.

The image of Griffey, with his helmet off and a huge smile on his face, being mobbed by his teammates at home plate, has become one of the most iconic moments in Seattle sports history. The hit also cemented Edgar Martinez's legacy as one of the greatest designated hitters of all time and a beloved figure in the Pacific Northwest.

The Mariners would go on to lose to the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, but the impact of "The Double" and the 1995 season as a whole cannot be overstated. The team's success that year is widely credited with saving baseball in Seattle, as it galvanized public support for a new stadium to replace the aging Kingdome. Without the magical run of the 1995 Mariners, capped off by Edgar Martinez's unforgettable hit on October 6th, the team may have left Seattle, depriving the city of some of its most cherished sports memories.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI