Last Season for Martinez

Two-time American League batting champion Edgar Martinez announced Monday that he would retire at the end of the season, ending his 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners as one of baseball’s greatest designated hitters.

Martinez, 41, was a seven-time All-Star. He batted over .300 in 10 seasons, and led the league in hitting in 1992 and 1995.

Martinez rarely showed emotion on the field, but choked up while calling it quits. Former Seattle slugger Jay Buhner and several players turned out to support Martinez, and team chairman Howard Lincoln said his No. 11 would be retired.

“I have decided that this will be my last season,” Martinez said at Safeco Field. “I am very fortunate and grateful that I have been able to play my entire career with the Seattle Mariners. The fans here have always been and continue to be great.”

Martinez was a hitting machine, spraying extra-base hits to all fields. Five-plus years from now, he could become a test case for whether a player who spent most of his career as a designated hitter should be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Martinez holds the DH record for home runs and runs batted in, and has the highest batting average among DHs with at least 1,000 at-bats. Martinez is a .312 lifetime hitter with 305 home runs and 1,244 RBIs. He has 2,205 hits. A third baseman when he began his major league career in 1987, he played most of his games at DH. Of his 7,060 at-bats, almost 5,000 have come as a DH.

“He’s the best DH of all time. Just a classy person. He’s got Hall of Fame numbers,” said Tampa Bay’s Lou Piniella, who managed Martinez in Seattle.

This year, Martinez is batting .258 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. His playing time has been scaled back since Bucky Jacobsen was brought up from triple-A Tacoma in mid-July.

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Philadelphia Phillie slugger Pat Burrell will have season-ending surgery on his wrist Friday, another blow to Philadelphia’s playoff hopes.

Burrell, who injured himself in batting practice last Tuesday, was hitting .263 with 18 homers and 68 RBIs. He’ll be replaced in left field by a combination of Doug Glanville, Jason Michaels and Lou Collier.

Earlier in the day, General Manager Ed Wade bolstered the rotation, acquiring right-hander Cory Lidle from Cincinnati for two minor leaguers and a player to be named.

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The Oakland Athletics put right-handed reliever Chad Bradford on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained back and recalled right-hander Jairo Garcia from triple-A Sacramento.... The Detroit Tigers put outfielder Alex Sanchez on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right thigh and recalled outfielder Nook Logan from triple-A Toledo.... The Texas Rangers activated pitcher Doug Brocail from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Rosman Garcia to triple-A Oklahoma.... The Colorado Rockies announced they will not let top pitching prospect Jeff Francis pitch for Canada at the Athens Olympics.