Red Sox Flashback: Pedro Martinez in 2000

Tonight, the great Pedro Martinez will step on the mound at the new Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series. Pedro will be looking to give the Philadelphia Phillies a commanding 2-0 lead in the Series as they head back to Citizens Bank Park. Pedro’s history against New York is a long and well-documented story, but for me, the real Pedro Martinez memories come from his historic destruction of Major League Baseball in 2000.

In the year 2000, performance-enhancing drugs were running rampant and untested in Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Pedro was bullying hitters and racking up other-wordly performances. There were 16 players with 40 or more home runs and the juiced ball era was in full-effect as Bud Selig turned a blind eye.  After all, it was just two years following the home run clinics put on by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Martínez’s WHIP in 2000 was 0.74, breaking both the 87-year-old modern Major League record set by Walter Johnson, as well as Guy Hecker’s mark of 0.77 in 1882. The American League slugged just .259 against him. Hitters also had a .167 batting average and .213 on base percentage, setting two more modern era records. Martínez became the only starting pitcher in history to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (284) as hits allowed (128).

In 2000, the American League average ERA was 4.91. Pedro’s was 1.74 and he still finished just 5th in AL MVP voting that year. It was a travesty that he was overlooked in favor of steroid-junkies like Jason Giambi.  He was and is the most domiant pitcher in Red Sox history, providing excitement and a sense of immortaility in Boston, where fans revered him and media flocked to him for soundbites.

In April of that year, Pedro went 5-0 with an ERA of 1.27 with 50 strikeouts in 35 innings. He started the month of May by striking out 17 Devil Rays in a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay. He had no business losing that game but the Red Sox trotted out a piss-poor lineup and couldn’t scratch out a run against the mighty Steve Trachsel.

Nice! Andy Sheets and Manny Alexander will surely get the job done.

Two of the greatest Pedro-performances that year came against Roger Clemens and the Yankees and then again later in the year when Pedro one-hit a very angry Tampa Bay Devil Rays team. You probably remember that Yankees-Red Sox game vividly. Pedro outpitched Clemens and Trot Nixon smashed a two-run homer in the 9th inning as the Red Sox won 2-0 and catapulted into first place in the AL East.

The Tampa game was a little crazier. Pedro beaned Gerald Williams to start the game and Williams charged the mound where he was intercepted by first baseman, Brian Daubach (how was Daubach ever the 3-hitter for this team?).  Tampa was pissed the entire game and continued to throw at Daubach as their manager and five players were ejected. Pedro was nearly perfect after that giving up just one hit to John Flaherty as he struck out 13.

“I don’t really care. I’ve achieved enough,” Martinez said after finishing with a one-hitter Tuesday night in Boston’s beanball- and brawl-filled 8-0 win over Tampa Bay. “I’ve had enough achievement in my career,” Martinez said.  “A no-hitter is not what’s going to dictate what kind of pitcher I am. I think my career is more interesting than one game.”

So he may have never had a no-hitter, but he does have a World Series ring and tonight he begins his quest for another.  So for all the great memories in Boston and all he brought to the organization, we are rooting for you, Petey.

“If the Lord were a pitcher, he would pitch like Pedro.”
- David Segui,
1999 Seattle Mariners

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Bud Selig, Citizens Bank Park, Darryl Johnston, David Segui, Fanball, Fenway Park, Gerald Williams, Guy Hecker, Jason Varitek, John Flaherty, Mark McGwire, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Sox Tea Party, Tampa Bay Rays, Trot Nixon