Edgar Martinez, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, could really hit the baseball. That is clear from his numbers: a .312 batting average and a .418 on-base percentage in an 18-year career that lasted until he was 41 . His unusual batting stance, with his bat parallel to the ground, struck fear into the hearts of pitchers.

But it was the remarks of his teammates and opponents over the years that showed how much his batting was revered.

“Edgar Martinez is, hands down, the best hitter that I’ve ever seen,” Randy Johnson told The Seattle Times.

“The toughest guy I faced, I think, with all due respect to all the players in the league, was Edgar Martinez,” the ace pitcher Pedro Martinez said in a widely quoted remark (even though Edgar Martinez was only 3 for 25 against him).