With the Mariners on a 7-game winning streak and Raul Ibanez pounding the ball, we found ourselves feeling a little nostalgic. Here are the great works and cool hobbies our favorite ballplayers have fallen into since hanging up the jersey.
Edgar Martinez: Regarded as the best designated hitter of all time in a recent Sports Illustrated story, Martinez is now a fan-favorite in Seattle for his off-the-field contributions in the community. In 2008 he and his wife started the Martinez Foundation, an organization that assists minority students who would like to become teachers in Seattle. The foundation's website (http://themartinezfoundation.org/) states, “We believe education is the key to alleviating poverty in underserved communities and we have built our programs in response to the needs of Washington’s diverse student population.” Martinez also helped create Edgar's Cantina for this season at Safeco Field. (Photo credit: clare_and_ben/flikr)
Randy Johnson: The Big Unit has got to have the most crafty hands of anyone on Earth. Although Johnson doesn't live in the Emerald City anymore, you'll know who it is if you ever see a 6-foot-10 dude walking around with a camera in his hand. That's right, Johnson has turned to photography as a second career. According to his website (RJ51Photos.com), Johnson majored in photojournalism at USC and always took his camera with him wherever he traveled during his baseball career. He makes it sound like he actually enjoys taking pictures more than dealing curveballs. Johnson has been traveling the world, including a trip to Africa that generated some amazing photos (http://rj51photos.com/africa/). (Photo by Dave Sizer)