Tino Martinez savors place in Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame

Woo-hoo! Next stop, the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame!

Tino Martinez only met Ted Williams once, a chance passing at Fenway Park in the early 1990s when Martinez was first establishing himself as a major-leaguer. Martinez, the quiet kid from Tampa, stumbled through a forgettable version of hello; Williams, the game’s pre-eminent expert on hitting, replied with words as memorable now as that afternoon:

‘‘You’ve got a great swing.”

Martinez swung that way for most of 16 seasons, piling up strong numbers (a .271 average, 339 homers, 1,271 RBIs) and, most impressively, four World Series championships. And Friday, in a ceremony at Tropicana Field, Martinez will be inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame.

“Obviously I’m not going to the major-league baseball Hall of Fame, but to be considered and have the criteria to get into the Ted Williams Hall is quite an honor,” Martinez said. “I can’t think of anything better, (other) than the major-league baseball Hall of Fame, than the Ted Williams Hall.”

...And there was talk of catching on somewhere to get to 2,000 hits — he finished with 1,925, plus 83 in the postseason — but decided, “You don’t stick around for the numbers.”