NewsPageantry of Pedro back in Bronx
Charismatic hurler on Stadium stage with Series at stake
By Brittany Ghiroli / Special to MLB.com
11/03/09 9:10 PM EST
NEW YORK -- Pedro Martinez walked slowly to the mound for Game 2 of the World Series at the new Yankee Stadium, letting the taunts from the hostile crowd of 50,181 wash over him, a compliment to the man who proudly proclaimed he would "be a king" had he ever donned Yankee pinstripes.
And at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Martinez fired off the first of four straight offspeed pitches to Yankees captain Derek Jeter in what very well could have been the final start of the three-time Cy Young Award winner's 18-year career.
Had it ended there, the Yankees -- who walked away with a 3-1 win -- would have had the last laugh, despite being baffled by Martinez for the better part of his six-plus innings. But thanks to Cliff Lee's second strong outing and the continued presence of Chase Utley's power stroke in an 8-6 win in Game 5, the Phillies -- down 3-2 in the series -- live to play another day.
Tale of the Tape: Game 6
- PEDRO MARTINEZ Phillies
- vs.
- ANDY PETTITTE YANKEES
- 2009 Regular Season
- Overall: 9 GS, 5-1, 3.63 ERA, 37 K, 8 BB.
- Overall: 32 GS, 14-8, 4.16 ERA, 148 K, 76 BB.
- Key stat: Allowed 7 HRs in 44 2/3 IP.
- Key stat: 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 GS on short rest.
- Postseason
- 2009: 2 GS, 0-1, 2.08 ERA.
Career: 15 G, 13 GS, 6-3, 3.22 ERA. - 2009: 4 GS, 3-0, 3.24 ERA. Career: 39 GS, 17-9, 3.88 ERA.
- At YANKEE STADIUM
- 2009: 1 GS, 0-1, 4.50 ERA. Career: 20 G, 18 GS, 8-6, 3.38 ERA.
- 2009: 16 GS, 6-4, 4.59 ERA. Career: 205 G, 202 GS, 109-50, 3.78 ERA.
- Against this opponent
- 2009: No starts. Career: 39 G, 38 GS, 12-14, 3.43 ERA.
- 2009: 1 GS, 0-0, 5.14 ERA. Career: 8 GS, 3-2, 3.97 ERA.
- Loves to face.: Robinson Cano, 0-for-15.
Hates to face: Alex Rodriguez, 16-for-58, HR. - Loves to face: Ryan Howard, 1-for-12. Hates to face: Carlos Ruiz, 2-for-4.
- Game breakdown
- Why he'll win: Big-game pitcher.
- Why he'll win: Bigger game pitcher.
- Pitcher beware: Struggles with Yankees in playoffs.
- Pitcher beware: Struggles at home this season.
- Bottom line: Can he keep Yanks in the yard?
- Bottom line: Another clincher?
That day is Wednesday, where the hopes of one city -- and the ire of another -- will rest squarely on Martinez's right shoulder, as the Phillies' Game 6 starter tries to pull off one last magical start at the end of a long, astonishing career.
"Me and Derek were talking about it in the clubhouse [Monday] night," said Yankees veteran Andy Pettitte, who will oppose Martinez on the mound. "Just how strange is this? After all the battles with him being in Boston. I know I've faced him a bunch of times ... in the course of a regular season and big series and stuff like that."
"And then to come full circle [and] this many years have passed, him with the Phillies and me back over here [with the Yankees]. It's going to be neat."
Neat isn't exactly the best word to describe Martinez, who uses an arsenal of pitching intellect on the mound and a steady supply of candor off it.
When asked whether he thought his nickname, "Pedey," would take a place in baseball folklore the way the Bambino conjures up images of the legendary Babe Ruth, Martinez didn't miss a beat.
"I'm pretty sure that my name will be mentioned, [but] I don't know in which way," Martinez said. "Maybe after I retire, because normally when you die, people tend to actually give you props about the good things. But that's after you die. So I'm hoping to get it before I die. I don't want to die and then hear everybody say, 'Oh, there goes one of the best players ever.' If you're going to give me props, just give them to me right now."
And make no mistake, Martinez is due some props. With the continued struggle of last year's World Series MVP, Cole Hamels, who took an 8-5 loss in Game 3, Martinez has been Philadelphia's most reliable postseason starter outside of Lee.
Over six-plus innings in Game 2, Martinez struck out eight and allowed three earned runs on six hits, despite being burned twice by the long ball. The second solo shot -- a two-out, sixth-inning homer from pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui -- traveled an estimated 320 feet, an out in nearly every ballpark but the homer-happy new Yankee Stadium.
Thursday's loss dropped Martinez to 12-14 in 39 career starts (including the postseason) against the Yankees, with the majority of those coming during his seven-year reign with the Red Sox. Martinez also spent four seasons pitching for the cross-town rival Mets.
While his numbers against the Yankees aren't incredibly impressive, Martinez fared well at the Bronx Bombers' former home, going 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 starts at the old Cathedral. Plus, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel knows his starter won't succumb to the moment.
"I'm confident that I'm going to be able to do as much as I can," said a leather-jacket clad, self-assured Martinez. "I can't really tell you what to expect, but I'm going to go out there and try like I always do."
For Yankees fans, the very presence of Martinez is enough to add an extra layer of intrigue to an already highly anticipated showdown.
While stretching in the outfield more than 30 minutes prior to his Game 2 start, Martinez was inundated with the familiar chants of "Who's Your Daddy?" a reference to one of his quotes in 2004. Frustrated after another loss to New York, the then-Boston pitcher said, "I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy."
During Tuesday's workout day, Martinez declined to comment on the daddy chants, saying: "That's an old one. I'm going to pass on that one."
What he won't pass on is an opportunity to extend the Phillies' season and help the defending World Series champions force a decisive Game 7, which would be played Thursday in New York. After spending the first half of the year home in his native Dominican Republic, Martinez signed a one-year deal with the Phillies during the All-Star break. He went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts down the stretch, especially impressive considering Martinez has dealt with arm injuries, surgery and nearly a year out of baseball.
On the eve of what Martinez didn't hesitate to label one of the biggest starts of his career, Manuel believes Philly's midseason gamble has hit his stride.
"I think he's ready," Manuel said. "I think he's kind of peaking at the right time."
And in the home clubhouse several yards away, the Yankees couldn't help but be impressed with their familiar foe, giving Martinez the props he preached.
"He's a competitor; you like what you see," catcher Jorge Posada said. "Obviously [Martinez] is going to make it tough for every hitter -- it's not going to be easy [on Wednesday]. He's a big-game pitcher, he loves the stage. So, I bet you he's going to be looking forward to facing us."
"Pedro's his own man," added former Red Sox teammate and current Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon. "He was a great teammate and was a great competitor. He knows how great he was, and how great he still can be.
"Nothing surprises me when it comes to Pedro."
Brittany Ghiroli is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
