In the spring of 1992, Ramón Martínez was coming off a 17-win season and, by 1990, he had won 20 games and led the majors by covering the road 12 times. However, the Dodgers right-hander wasn’t the most talked about pitcher on the team’s training grounds. He wasn’t even the most promising pitcher in his family.
That status was reserved for Ramón’s younger brother, Pedro Martínez, whose pitching arsenal was impressive.
Pedro eventually became more than an ace. He was the most prominent pitcher of his generation, winning the Cy Young Award three times between 1997 and 2000 and finishing fourth or better on the ballot four more times between 1998 and 2004.
In tribute to Martínez, we leave you 10 moments that separated Martínez from the rest of the pitchers:
1. Seven unforgettable years
1997-2003
During this stretch of his career, Martinez pitched better than basically any other pitcher in the game’s history. He was 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA in 201 games (199 starts). In addition to winning the aforementioned Cy Young Awards, he led the majors in ERA five times and the American League in strikeouts three times. He won the triple crown of pitching in 1999 by leading the majors in wins (23) and ERA (2.07) and finishing first in the AL with 313 strikeouts.
2. Please come to Boston
November 18, 1997
Not sure that a pitcher of his stature could succeed, the Dodgers sent Pedro to Montreal for second baseman Delino DeShields on November 19, 1993. With Martinez set to be a free agent after the 1998 season, the Expos were not they had more choice but to trade him, which they ended up doing by sending him to the Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr., both right-handers.
3. Dominance from the bullpen
October 11, 1999
Martinez seemed capable of doing anything during the 1999 season and reinforced that idea by pitching six hitless innings against the Indians in the Red Sox win in the decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Martinez, suffering from severe shoulder pain, entered the game tied at 8 and proceeded to silence a few Indians who had just scored 1,009 runs in the regular season, the most in the Big Top since 1950.
4. The MVP controversy
1999
Martinez won the Young Circuit Cy Young Award, but that wasn’t the problem. His 23-4 record, among other stats, made him a legitimate contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player. But two members of the Baseball Writers Association of North America (BBWAA) who voted left Martinez completely out of their 10 selections. That could have made a difference. Although Martínez received more first-place votes (eight) than any other player, Puerto Rican Iván Rodríguez of the Rangers outscored him 252-239 in the overall vote.
5. More controversy
2002
By that time, the world of baseball was still not fully on board with modern metrics. If that was the case, Martinez might have another Cy Young in his house. The one from Manoguayabo led the majors with EFE + of 202 and FIP (pitching independent of pitching) of 2.24, in addition to other more basic categories such as EFE (2.26), WHIP (0.923) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.5). In addition, he led the AL with 239 strikeouts. But voters favored Barry Zito, who was 23-5, to Martinez’s 20-4. Zito took 17 votes to first place, to 11 for Martinez.
6. Unforgettable All-Star Game
July 13, 1999
The Red Sox didn’t just host the 1999 All-Star Game. They completely dominated it. First, franchise legend Ted Williams stole the show by showing up at Fenway Park during the pre-game ceremony. Martinez then seized the moment by striking out five of the six batters he faced as an American League starter. He was named MVP of the Mid-Season Classic, after his 4-1 victory.
7. Last show
2003
This was Pedro’s last great season. He was 14-4 and led MLB in win-loss percentage (.778), ERA (2.22), EFE + (211) and FIP (2.21). He pitched six more seasons after this year, including 2004, when he helped the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918.
8. A history of strikeouts
1997-2000
Martinez struck out 313 batters in 1999, repeating the feat he had accomplished in 1997, when he guillotined 305 opponents with Montreal. He became the ninth Modern Era pitcher (since 1900) to strike out 300 on more than one occasion, joining Nolan Ryan (six), Randy Johnson (three for 1999 and six overall), Sandy Koufax (three), Rube Waddell, Walter Johnson, Sam McDowell, JR Richard, Steve Carlton, and Curt Schilling (two for 1999 and three total).
9. Skimming the glory
1994, ’95, ’99, 2000
Against the Reds on April 13, 1994, Martinez was pitching a perfect game with one out in the eighth when he hit Reggie Sanders with a pitch. Enraged, Sanders ran to the mound and a fight broke out. Martinez left the game when Brian Dorsett led off the ninth with a single to center field. Against San Diego on June 3, 1995, Pedro retired the first 27 he faced before Bip Roberts doubled to start the 10th inning. On September 10, 1999 against the Yankees, Martinez hit the game’s first batter, Chuck Knoblauch, and received a home run from Chili Davis in the second inning before retiring the last 22 batters he faced. The Quisqueyano also led a no-hitter. no runs until the ninth inning against Tampa Bay on Aug. 29, 2000, but John Flaherty broke the jewel with a single to open that episode.
10. To Cooperstown nonstop
2015.
Without much surprise, Martínez entered the Hall of Fame in his first opportunity, receiving 500 of 549 votes, for 91.1%. Pedro spoke in English and Spanish during the speech he gave on the day of the exaltation, jumping from one to the other between his native language and the second language he had long mastered. (GG) (Taken from MLB.com)