I had the pleasure of watching him pitch...it was an experience more than anything else
From wiki:
Martínez was traded to the Boston Red Sox in November 1997 for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, Jr., and was soon signed to a six-year, $75,000,000 contract (with an option for a seventh at $17 million) by the Sox general manager Dan Duquette, at the time the largest ever awarded. In 1999 he enjoyed one of the greatest pitching seasons of all time, finishing 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts, winning his second Cy Young Award (this time in the American League), and coming in second in the Most Valuable Player ballot.
Pedro arrived in Boston for the 1998 season and remained the team's ace for seven years.
Enlarge
Pedro arrived in Boston for the 1998 season and remained the team's ace for seven years.
The MVP vote was controversial, as Martínez received the most first-place votes (8 of 28), but was totally omitted from the ballot of two sportswriters who believed pitchers were not sufficiently all-around players to be considered. Pedro Martínez finished second to Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, 252 points to 239.
Martínez was named the AL Pitcher of the Month in April, May, June, and September of 1999, an unprecedented feat for a single season. Martinez punctuated his dominance in the 1999 All-Star Game start, when he struck out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell in two electrifying innings.
In the 1999 playoffs against the Cleveland Indians, though hampered by an injury, Martínez dominated the final game of the series. Entering the game in relief with an 8-8 score, Martínez completely mesmerized the much feared Cleveland lineup pitching six no-hit innings for the win. In the American League Championship Series, he pitched seven shutout innings to beat Red Sox nemesis Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees in Game 3, handing them their only loss of the postseason.
Martínez's strikeouts and win count were slightly down in 2000, but he posted an exceptional 1.74 ERA, the AL's lowest since 1978, winning his third Cy Young award with his ERA about a third of the park-adjusted league ERA (4.97). No other single season by a starting pitcher has had such a gigantic differential. He also set a record in the lesser known sabermetric statistic of Weighted Runs allowed per 9 innings pitched (Wtd. RA/9). Martinez posted a remarkably low 1.55 Wtd. RA/9.
In 2000, Pedro Martinez's WHIP was 0.74, breaking a 77-year-old record set by Walter Johnson. The American League slugged just .259 against him. Martinez became the only starting pitcher to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (284) as hits allowed (128).
In 1999 and 2000 Martinez allowed 288 hits, 597 strikeouts, 69 walks and a 1.90 ERA in 430 innings. Some statisticians believe that in the circumstances?with lefty-friendly Fenway Park as his home field, in a league with a DH, during the highest offensive period in baseball history?this performance represents the peak for any pitcher in baseball history.
Though he continued his dominance when healthy, carrying a sub-2.00 ERA to the midpoint of the season, Martínez was injured for much of 2001 with a rotator cuff injury as the Red Sox slumped to a poor finish. He rebounded in 2002 to lead the league with a 2.26 ERA and 239 strikeouts, going 20-4. However, that season's American League Cy Young award narrowly went to 23-game winner Barry Zito of the Oakland A's, despite Zito's higher ERA, fewer strikeouts, and lower winning percentage. Martínez became the first pitcher in history to lead his league in those three statistics and not win the Cy Young Award.
After Boston's World Series triumph in 2004, Martínez became a free agent and signed a 4 year, $53 million contract with the New York Mets. In 2005, his first season as a Met, Martinez posted a 15-8 record with a 2.82 ERA, 208 strikeouts, and a league-leading 0.95 WHIP. He was also shut down for his last two starts because of injury. Victor Zambrano took his spot in the rotation. His won-loss totals were dented by the erratic New York bullpen, which blew several leads including one of 8-0. Opponents batted .204 against him.
From wiki:
Martínez was traded to the Boston Red Sox in November 1997 for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, Jr., and was soon signed to a six-year, $75,000,000 contract (with an option for a seventh at $17 million) by the Sox general manager Dan Duquette, at the time the largest ever awarded. In 1999 he enjoyed one of the greatest pitching seasons of all time, finishing 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts, winning his second Cy Young Award (this time in the American League), and coming in second in the Most Valuable Player ballot.
Pedro arrived in Boston for the 1998 season and remained the team's ace for seven years.
Enlarge
Pedro arrived in Boston for the 1998 season and remained the team's ace for seven years.
The MVP vote was controversial, as Martínez received the most first-place votes (8 of 28), but was totally omitted from the ballot of two sportswriters who believed pitchers were not sufficiently all-around players to be considered. Pedro Martínez finished second to Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, 252 points to 239.
Martínez was named the AL Pitcher of the Month in April, May, June, and September of 1999, an unprecedented feat for a single season. Martinez punctuated his dominance in the 1999 All-Star Game start, when he struck out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell in two electrifying innings.
In the 1999 playoffs against the Cleveland Indians, though hampered by an injury, Martínez dominated the final game of the series. Entering the game in relief with an 8-8 score, Martínez completely mesmerized the much feared Cleveland lineup pitching six no-hit innings for the win. In the American League Championship Series, he pitched seven shutout innings to beat Red Sox nemesis Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees in Game 3, handing them their only loss of the postseason.
Martínez's strikeouts and win count were slightly down in 2000, but he posted an exceptional 1.74 ERA, the AL's lowest since 1978, winning his third Cy Young award with his ERA about a third of the park-adjusted league ERA (4.97). No other single season by a starting pitcher has had such a gigantic differential. He also set a record in the lesser known sabermetric statistic of Weighted Runs allowed per 9 innings pitched (Wtd. RA/9). Martinez posted a remarkably low 1.55 Wtd. RA/9.
In 2000, Pedro Martinez's WHIP was 0.74, breaking a 77-year-old record set by Walter Johnson. The American League slugged just .259 against him. Martinez became the only starting pitcher to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (284) as hits allowed (128).
In 1999 and 2000 Martinez allowed 288 hits, 597 strikeouts, 69 walks and a 1.90 ERA in 430 innings. Some statisticians believe that in the circumstances?with lefty-friendly Fenway Park as his home field, in a league with a DH, during the highest offensive period in baseball history?this performance represents the peak for any pitcher in baseball history.
Though he continued his dominance when healthy, carrying a sub-2.00 ERA to the midpoint of the season, Martínez was injured for much of 2001 with a rotator cuff injury as the Red Sox slumped to a poor finish. He rebounded in 2002 to lead the league with a 2.26 ERA and 239 strikeouts, going 20-4. However, that season's American League Cy Young award narrowly went to 23-game winner Barry Zito of the Oakland A's, despite Zito's higher ERA, fewer strikeouts, and lower winning percentage. Martínez became the first pitcher in history to lead his league in those three statistics and not win the Cy Young Award.
After Boston's World Series triumph in 2004, Martínez became a free agent and signed a 4 year, $53 million contract with the New York Mets. In 2005, his first season as a Met, Martinez posted a 15-8 record with a 2.82 ERA, 208 strikeouts, and a league-leading 0.95 WHIP. He was also shut down for his last two starts because of injury. Victor Zambrano took his spot in the rotation. His won-loss totals were dented by the erratic New York bullpen, which blew several leads including one of 8-0. Opponents batted .204 against him.
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