Seattle.Mariners.MLB.com

By Jim Street / MLB.com

Edgar Martinez has hit .303 since announcing his impending retirement. (Ted S. Warren/AP)

Martinez said Friday that club officials asked him in August if he wanted to be traded to a pennant contender so he would have one final shot at playing in a World Series. He said thanks, but no thanks.

"It wouldn't have meant as much to me to play in a World Series for another team," he said. "When I decided this was going to be my last year, I never thought about going to another team. They came and wanted to talk about it, and I told them what I wanted to do. It was right after we came back from Tampa (on Aug. 9).

"To me, it means a lot to be able to help this team get to the postseason. I don't think I would have had the same satisfaction with another team. To play in a World Series just to play in a World Series wouldn't mean that much. It's not what I wanted."

What he wanted was to go wire-to-wire with the franchise that signed him out of a tryout camp in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1983.

It took him four years to reach the big leagues, and he left no stone unturned when it came to keeping himself prepared to do what he does best -- hit a baseball.

Heck, he even weighed his bats, for goodness sakes.

The Mariners' soon-to-be-retired star said that his work ethic and attention to detail actually came from being raised by his grandfather in Durado, Puerto Rico.

"When I was a kid, my grandfather (Mario Rivera) was that kind of person," he said. "He was always fixing things. Every weekend, he would find something to do, and I had to be there."

The memory of his late grandfather as Mr. Fix-It made Edgar laugh.

"He was a mechanic at the time but could fix anything," he said. "And he was a perfectionist."

Asked if he resented all those weekends that he had to work instead of being able to play, Edgar said, "At the time, yeah. But not now."

That same work ethic and attention to detail has made Martinez the greatest designated hitter in Major League history and a Hall of Fame candidate. He won't so far as to bang his own drum loudly, but hopes that the voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America at least give it some thought.

"I am not going to say one thing or another," he said. "The people who are going to vote have to make that decision. I am just playing and will let you guys decide that. It would be a great honor and would mean a lot to me, because the ultimate compliment to get into the Hall of Fame."

He went into Friday night's game against the Athletics needing one RBI to become the first DH to drive in 1,000 runs. He already is the career leader in RBIs and home runs among designated hitters.

But if he had his druthers, Martinez said that he would have preferred to stay on the field as the Mariners' third baseman.

"When they made me the DH (prior to the 1995 season), I thought I should still be playing (third base)," he said. "But I knew that because of my (leg) injuries and the team we had, it was better for the team and for me to be the DH and for Mike Blowers to play third.

"I had a good year and got stuck at DH."

And the rest is history.

Close race ahead: Manager Bob Melvin said that he expects the AL West pennant race to "come down to the wire".

"It has been tight all year, and I expect it to be tight to the end."

The Rangers received a major setback Friday when three relievers were suspended for their actions in Oakland earlier in the week.

Pitcher Frank Francisco, who threw a folding chair into the stands at Network Associates Coliseum and broke a spectator's nose, was suspended for the remainder of the 2004 championship season, but no less than 16 regular-season games in the event of an appeal, and fined an undisclosed amount for his "highly inappropriate actions and reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of the fans."

Right-hander Doug Brocail was suspended for seven games and fined an undisclosed amount and pitcher Carlos Almanzar was suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount. In addition, Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo was suspended for five games and fined.

"It does make it tough on (the Rangers), but when something like that happens, you have to expect some repercussions," Melvin said. "They certainly got some. You know that when you throw something into the stands, nothing good is going to come from it."

Bucky's progress: First baseman/designated hitter Bucky Jacobsen had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Thursday and will be in a cast for six to eight weeks.

One of the challenges for the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder is to make sure he doesn't put on too much weight.

"Any time you have surgery and you're not physically able to have some activity, before you are even told by the training staff, you have a pretty good idea that your eating habits are going to have to keep back a little so you don't have to take off 15 pounds," Melvin said. "You have to apply yourself a little bit. I am sure he is aware of that, and if not, he will be told."

Good for starters: In their past five games, Mariners starters have compiled a 3-2 record and a 1.99 ERA, and three starters have taken shutouts into the ninth inning.

Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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