Mariners to retire Edgar Martinez's No. 11 next season

The Seattle Mariners are honoring one of the franchise's most storied players of all time, as the club announced Tuesday it is retiring Edgar Martinez's No. 11 in a pregame ceremony Aug. 12.

"Edgar Martinez is the string that binds together our franchise history." Mariners president and CEO Kevin Mather said in the release. "As we embark on our 40th anniversary season in 2017, Edgar has been in a Mariners Major League uniform for 20 of those seasons, all proudly wearing no. 11, and has been a part of our organization for 36 years.

"He has worn a Seattle uniform in parts of four decades (the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and the 2010s), and today's announcement will assure that his number will be proudly displayed in Safeco Field forever."

Martinez played 18 seasons in MLB from 1987-2004, all of them with Seattle.

The designated hitter slashed .312/.418/.515 and hit 309 home runs with the Mariners, and recently fell just 16.4 percent short of being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"This is an incredible honor for me and my family," Martinez said Tuesday, according to The News Tribune's Bob Dutton. "It is a gift that we will share forever. ... Hopefully, I can wear it for years to come. That's the plan."

The ceremony will occur prior to the Aug. 12 game against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Martinez’s No. 11 will be unveiled in a permanent display as part of a weekend celebration that recognizes his accomplishments.

Martinez, currently a hitting coach with the team he spent his entire career with, earned seven All-Star nominations and five Silver Sluggers throughout his 18-year career.

He also leads the Mariners all-time in doubles, RBIs, walks, and games played.

He will join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players in Seattle's history to have their number retired by the club.