123-666: Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher , who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2009 , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from 1998 to 2004 . As of 2023, Martínez's record of 219 wins and 100 losses places him tenth-highest in winning percentage in major league history and fifth-highest among pitchers with more than 2,000 career innings pitched . Martínez ended his career with an earned run average (ERA) of 2.93, among
246-491: A one-hitter against the Reds ; the one hit came in the 5th inning. On June 3, 1995, while pitching for Montreal, he retired the first 27 Padres hitters he faced. However, the score was still tied 0–0 at that point and the game went into extra innings . The Expos scored a run in the top of the 10th, but Martínez surrendered a double to the 28th batter he faced, Bip Roberts . Expos manager Felipe Alou then removed Martínez from
369-553: A "great fastball and circle-changeup." He made his MLB debut on September 24, 1992, for the Dodgers against the Cincinnati Reds , working two scoreless innings of relief. He made his first start for the Dodgers on September 30, taking the loss while giving up two runs in a 3–1 loss to the Reds. Although Martínez's brother Ramón, then a star pitcher for the Dodgers, declared that his brother
492-455: A 0.83 WHIP, and a 1.90 ERA. Some baseball pundits believe that given the era in which Martínez pitched—during the peak of the Steroid Era , in a league with a designated hitter , with hitter-friendly Fenway Park as his home field—his 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
615-591: A 190 ERA+, and 1683 strikeouts in 1383 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings. He finished in the top four in Cy Young Award balloting in six of his seven years in Boston, winning twice. After Boston's World Series triumph in 2004 , Martínez became a free agent and signed a four-year, $ 53 million contract with the New York Mets . In 2005, his first season as a Met, Martínez posted a 15–8 record with a 2.82 ERA, 208 strikeouts, and
738-523: A 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts (earning the Pitching Triple Crown ) in 213 + 1 ⁄ 3 innings across 31 games (29 starts). He led the entire major leagues with strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratios of 13.20 and 8.46, respectively. His Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) (a defense independent pitching statistic measuring a pitcher's effectiveness at limiting walks, home runs, and hits while accumulating strikeouts) of 1.39
861-646: A 2.44 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP, while averaging eight innings per start. Martínez's ERA in his losing games was lower than the best ERA in the National League ( Kevin Brown 's 2.58) across all games. Martínez's first loss of the year was a 1–0 complete game in which he had 17 strikeouts and one walk. All of Martínez's losses were quality starts , and he pitched eight or more innings in all but one of his losses. Martínez received two runs or fewer of run support in 10 of his starts (over one-third of his starts); in such games, his ERA
984-490: A 2011 return. In December 2010, Martínez told a reporter for El Día "I'm realizing what it is to be a normal person. ... It's most likely that I don't return to active baseball ... but honestly I don't know if I'll definitively announce my retirement." The pitcher received some initial inquiries during the winter, but did not sign with any team for 2011. On December 4, 2011, he officially announced his retirement. In December 2009, Sports Illustrated named Martínez as one of
1107-634: A bench-clearing fight. In 1997, Martínez posted a 17–8 record for the Expos , and led the league in half a dozen pitching categories, including a 1.90 ERA , 305 strikeouts and 13 complete games pitched, while becoming the only Expo ever to win the National League Cy Young Award . The 13 complete games were tied for the second-highest single-season total in the modern era of baseball since Martínez's career began ( Curt Schilling had 15 in 1998; Chuck Finley and Jack McDowell also reached 13 in
1230-413: A bitter winter because I am going to have to do a lot of work. The pain I feel was one of the worst I have felt with any injury in my career." But by December 30, 2006, Martínez was more optimistic: "The progress has been excellent. I don't have problems anymore with my reach or flexibility, and so far everything is going very well. The problem has to do with the calcification of the bone that was broken with
1353-606: A black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York , operated by private interests. It serves as
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#17330851356451476-470: A few cases, like umpires, they wear caps without logos. (Executives are not depicted wearing caps.) Additionally, as of 2015, inductee biographies on the Hall's website for all players and managers, and executives who were associated with specific teams, list a "primary team", which does not necessarily match the cap logo. The Hall selects the logo "based on where that player makes his most indelible mark." Although
1599-685: A game 10 times, which is tied with Roger Clemens for the third-most such games in history behind Nolan Ryan's 27 and Randy Johnson's 29. Martínez was named the AL Pitcher of the Month in April, May, June, and September 1999—four times in a single season. Martínez punctuated his dominance in the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park . He struck out National League players Barry Larkin , Larry Walker , Sammy Sosa , Mark McGwire , and Jeff Bagwell in two innings pitched, earning All-Star Game MVP for his performance. It
1722-583: A league-leading 0.95 WHIP. It was his sixth league WHIP title, and the fifth time that he led the Major Leagues in the category. Opponents batted .204 against him. Martínez started the 2006 season at the top of his game. At the end of May, he was 5–1 with a 2.50 ERA, with 88 strikeouts and 17 walks and 44 hits allowed in 76 innings; Martínez's record was worse than it could have been, with the Mets bullpen costing him two victories. However, during his May 26 start against
1845-413: A live fastball, he had difficulty maintaining control. It was during a bullpen session that manager Felipe Alou encouraged him to modify his primary grip on the fastball from two-seam to four-seam. The transformation was dramatic: the fastball − already among the fastest in the game − now was thrown with near-impeccable control and break that routinely overwhelmed hitters. On April 13, 1994, Martínez took
1968-567: A lower velocity than he'd had during his prime but slightly higher than in recent seasons. Martínez finished the season on a low note, losing all three of his decisions in September en route to a 5–6 record, the first losing record of his career. (Martínez was 0–1 in two appearances in 1992.) His 5.61 ERA and 1.57 WHIP were also Martínez's worst ever, and for the first time in his career, he failed to strike out at least twice as many batters as he walked (87–44). During his four-year Met contract, Martínez
2091-415: A manager and sportswriter) had first approached the idea of making a memorial to the great players of the past in what was believed to have been the birthplace of baseball: Cooperstown, New York , but the idea did not muster much momentum until after his death in 1925. In 1934, the idea for establishing a Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was devised by several individuals, such as Ford C. Frick (president of
2214-506: A perfect game through 7 + 1 ⁄ 3 innings until throwing a brushback pitch at Reggie Sanders that led Sanders to immediately charge the mound, starting a bench-clearing brawl. Martínez ended up with a no-decision in the game, which the Expos eventually won 3–2. On June 3, 1995, Martínez pitched nine perfect innings in a game against the San Diego Padres , before giving up a hit in
2337-429: A quick two-run lead in the top of the first inning, but Cleveland responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The hitting continued, knocking Saberhagen out of the game in the second inning having allowed five runs, and then Nagy out of the game after only finishing only three innings and allowing eight runs. Going into the fourth inning, manager Jimy Williams opted to replace Derek Lowe with
2460-488: A series of spotty starts interrupted twice by stays on the disabled list. A right calf injury plagued him for the last two months of the season. After Martínez was removed from an ineffective September 15 outing, television cameras found him in the Mets dugout, apparently crying. Subsequent MRI exams revealed a torn muscle in Martínez's left calf and a torn rotator cuff . Martínez underwent surgery which sidelined him for most of
2583-603: A single strikeout. Martínez came in third for the 2003 Cy Young Award, which went to Toronto's Roy Halladay . Despite an uncharacteristically high 3.90 ERA in 2004, Martínez went 16–9, ranked second in the AL in strikeouts and finished fourth in Cy Young voting. The Red Sox won the American League's wild-card berth, and Martínez pitched effectively in the playoffs. He earned the win in Game 2 of
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#17330851356452706-561: A starter in the Phillies rotation on August 12, Martínez won his 2009 debut. In his return to New York on August 23, Martínez's win against the Mets was preserved by a rare unassisted triple play by second baseman Eric Bruntlett in the bottom of the ninth inning. With his win on September 3—his third as a Philadelphia Phillie and his 100th as a National Leaguer—Martínez became the 10th pitcher in history to win at least 100 games in each league. On September 13, Martínez pitched eight innings to beat
2829-493: A strong 1993 season as the Dodgers' setup man, going 10–5 with a 2.61 ERA and 119 strikeouts, in 65 games; his 107 innings led all NL relievers. With the Dodgers in need of a second baseman after a contract dispute with Jody Reed , Martínez was traded to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields before the 1994 season. It was with the Expos that Martínez developed into one of the top pitchers in baseball. Despite possessing
2952-680: A studio analyst for postseason coverage. He has also worked on the MLB Network since 2015 as a studio analyst. Also in 2015, he released an autobiography, Pedro , which he co-authored with Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald . Reflecting on his career, he named Barry Bonds , Edgar Martínez , Derek Jeter , Kenny Lofton and Ichiro Suzuki as the most difficult hitters he had to face. All-Stars Sandy Alomar Jr. , Moisés Alou , Carlos Beltrán , Carlos Delgado , David Ortiz , Dean Palmer , Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano have named Martínez as
3075-471: A year). However, this 1997 total is by far the highest in Martínez's career, as he only completed more than five games in one other season (seven, in 2000). Martínez was the first right-handed pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00 since Walter Johnson in 1912. Approaching free agency , Martínez was traded to the Boston Red Sox in November 1997 for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. Martínez
3198-456: Is a very basic thing. People were determining eligibility for themselves." Texas Rangers catcher Iván Rodríguez narrowly won the award over Martínez, by a margin of 252 points to 239. Rodríguez had been included on all 28 ballots. When asked about the result by WEEI-FM radio in January 2012, Martínez said, "I'm not afraid to say that the way that George King and Mr. LaVelle Neal III went about it
3321-534: Is listed as the Angels despite playing one fewer season for that team than for the Astros. In 2001, the Hall of Fame decided to change the policy on cap logo selection, as a result of rumors that some teams were offering compensation, such as number retirement, money, or organizational jobs, in exchange for the cap designation. (For example, though Wade Boggs denied the claims, some media reports had said that his contract with
3444-567: Is the current chairman of the board of directors.) The erroneous claim that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown was instrumental in the early marketing of the Hall. An expanded library and research facility opened in 1994. Dale Petroskey became the organization's president in 1999. In 2002, the Hall launched Baseball as America , a traveling exhibit that toured ten American museums over six years. The Hall of Fame has since also sponsored educational programming on
3567-571: Is the only 20th-century pitcher to notch 300 strikeouts in a season without being at least six feet tall. Martínez unanimously won his second Cy Young Award and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) ballot. The MVP result was controversial, as Martínez received the most first-place votes of any player (8 of 28), but was omitted from the ballots of two sportswriters, New York's George King and Minneapolis' LaVelle Neal. Buster Olney , writing for The New York Times , mused that
3690-485: The 2007 season . On November 3, 2006, Martínez stated that if he could not return to full strength, he might end up retiring after the 2007 season. "It's getting better, and progress is above all what is hoped for", Martínez told the Associated Press . "To go back, I have to recover, I have to be healthy. But if God doesn't want that, then I would have to think about giving it all up." Martínez added, "It's going to be
3813-403: The 2009 election process ; the main committee did not select a player, while the panel for pre–World War II players elected Joe Gordon in its first and ultimately only vote. The main committee voted as part of the election process for inductions in odd-numbered years, while the pre-World War II panel would vote every five years, and the panel for umpires, managers, and executives voted as part of
Pedro Martínez - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-607: The ALDS , and in the ALCS , he recorded his only loss of the postseason as well as a no-decision. In Game 3 of the World Series , he pitched seven shutout innings and retired the last 14 batters he faced. The Red Sox won the World Series in four games, securing their first championship in 86 years . Martínez finished his Red Sox career with a 117–37 record (a .760 winning percentage), a 2.52 ERA,
4059-578: The American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award , after winning the pitching Triple Crown with a 23–4 record, 2.07 ERA, and 313 strikeouts, and—along with Johnson—joined Gaylord Perry in the rare feat of winning the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues (a feat since accomplished by Roger Clemens , Roy Halladay , Max Scherzer , and Blake Snell ). He recorded the second-lowest single-season Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in
4182-542: The Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager in the 1980s. (Baseball's Rule 21, prominently posted in every clubhouse locker room, mandates permanent banishment from MLB for having a gambling interest of any sort on a game in which a player or manager is directly involved.) Rose later admitted that he bet on the Reds in his 2004 autobiography . Baseball fans are deeply split on the issue of whether these two should remain banned or have their punishment revoked. Writer Bill James , though he advocates Rose eventually making it into
4305-721: The Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since the 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and
4428-510: The Florida Marlins , Martínez was instructed by the umpires to change his undershirt. He slipped in the corridor, injuring his hip, and his promising season curdled. The effect was not immediately apparent; although Martínez lost the Marlins game, his following start was a scintillating 0–0 duel with Arizona's Brandon Webb . But after that, beginning on June 6, Martínez went 4–7 with a 7.10 ERA in
4551-573: The Great Falls Dodgers where he worked with coach Guy Conti to develop a circle changeup which Conti had learned from Johnny Podres . Conti also worked with the young pitcher on his English and helped him assimilate to the United States; Martínez later described Conti as his "white daddy." As a minor leaguer in the Dodgers farm system, he was a highly touted prospect although some talent evaluators took issue with his "poise" despite his having
4674-624: The National League ) and Alexander Cleland, a Scottish immigrant who decided to serve as the first executive secretary for the Museum for the next seven years that worked with the interests of the Village and Major League Baseball . Stephen Carlton Clark (a Cooperstown native) paid for the construction of the museum, which was planned to open in 1939 to mark the "Centennial of Baseball", which included renovations to Doubleday Field. William Beattie served as
4797-570: The Negro leagues have also been considered at various times, beginning in 1971. In 2005, the Hall completed a study on African American players between the late 19th century and the integration of the major leagues in 1947, and conducted a special election for such players in February 2006; seventeen figures from the Negro leagues were chosen in that election, in addition to the eighteen previously selected. Following
4920-547: The New York Yankees in Game 3, handing the World Champions their only loss of the 1999 postseason. Martínez finished 1999 with a streak of 17 scoreless innings in the playoffs. Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout
5043-553: The Oakland Athletics , despite Zito's higher ERA, higher WHIP, fewer strikeouts, and lower winning percentage. Martínez became the first pitcher since the introduction of the Cy Young Award to lead his league in each of those four statistics without winning the award. Martínez's record was 14–4 in 2003. He led the league in ERA (2.22), ERA+ (211), and WHIP (1.04) for the fifth time each and finished second to league leader Esteban Loaiza by
Pedro Martínez - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-701: The Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues, the China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During
5289-471: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays required him to request depiction in the Hall of Fame as a Devil Ray.) The Hall decided that it would no longer defer to the inductee, though the player's wishes would be considered, when deciding on the logo to appear on the plaque. Newly elected members affected by the change include the following: Sam Crane (who had played a decade in 19th century baseball before becoming
5412-579: The Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League during the 1989–90 season. He then pitched briefly for the Azucareros del Este , before rejoining Licey in 1991–92 in a nine-player transaction that included George Bell , José Offerman and Julio Solano , among others. Martínez was originally signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1988. In his first season in the minors he was assigned to
5535-648: The United States House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hanna , a Republican from New York, and passed the House on October 26, 2011. The coins, which depict baseball gloves and balls, are the first concave designs produced by the Mint. The mintage included 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins, and 750,000 clad (nickel-copper) coins. The Mint released them on March 27, 2014, and the gold and silver editions quickly sold out. The Hall receives money from surcharges included in
5658-532: The Veterans Committee , which now consists of four subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more who also have been actively covering MLB at any time in
5781-449: The 10 years preceding the election (the latter requirement was added for the 2016 election). From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances,
5904-476: The 13th). Martínez was selected as the starting pitcher for the American League All-Star team in 1999. The game, on July 13, 1999, was at Fenway Park , Martínez's home field. Martínez struck out Barry Larkin , Larry Walker , and Sammy Sosa consecutively in the first inning. He then struck out Mark McGwire leading off the 2nd, becoming the first pitcher to begin an All-Star game by striking out
6027-483: The 15th pitcher to do so. "I thought I was going to have butterflies and like that", said Martínez, "but I guess I'm too old." Martínez's comeback was considered a great success, as the right-hander went 3–1 in five starts with a 2.57 ERA. But his last start was a crucial 3–0 loss to St. Louis in the final week of the 2007 Mets' historic collapse; Martínez provided a good pitching performance (7 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K) but his teammates failed to score. Martínez became just
6150-406: The 2010 changes, Negro leagues figures were primarily considered for induction alongside other figures from the 1871–1946 era, called the "Pre-Integration Era" by the Hall; since 2016, Negro leagues figures are primarily considered alongside other figures from what the Hall calls the "Early Baseball" era (1871–1949). Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over
6273-530: The Commissioner's Office made reparations, but the negative publicity damaged the Hall of Fame's reputation, and made it more difficult for it to solicit donations. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a law ordering the United States Mint to produce and sell commemorative, non-circulating coins to benefit the private, non-profit Hall. The bill, H.R. 2527 , was introduced in
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#17330851356456396-413: The Hall always made the final decision on which logo was shown, until 2001 the Hall deferred to the wishes of players or managers whose careers were linked with multiple teams. Some examples of inductees associated with multiple teams are the following: In all of the above cases, the "primary team" is the team for which the inductee spent the largest portion of his career except for Ryan, whose primary team
6519-550: The Hall had been sold on the collectibles market. The items had been lent to the Baseball Commissioner 's office, gotten mixed up with other property owned by the Commissioner's office and employees of the office, and moved to the garage of Joe Reichler , an assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn , who sold the items to resolve his personal financial difficulties. Under pressure from the New York Attorney General,
6642-532: The Hall of Fame have been inducted posthumously, including four who died after their selection was announced. Of the 39 members primarily recognized for their contributions to Negro league baseball , 31 were inducted posthumously, including all 26 selected since the 1990s. The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley . The newest members of the Hall of Fame, inducted on July 21, 2024 , are Adrián Beltré , Todd Helton , Jim Leyland , and Joe Mauer . In 2019, former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became
6765-479: The Hall of Fame, compared the people who want to put Jackson in the Hall of Fame to "those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer ". The actions and composition of the Veterans Committee have been at times controversial, with occasional selections of contemporaries and teammates of the committee members over seemingly more worthy candidates. In 2001, the Veterans Committee
6888-562: The Hall, and voted on a reduced number of candidates from among players whose careers began in 1943 or later. Separate committees, including sportswriters and broadcasters, would select umpires, managers and executives, as well as players from earlier eras. In the first election to be held under the 2007 revisions, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The next Veterans Committee elections for players were held in December 2008 as part of
7011-437: The Hall. The first five men elected were Ty Cobb , Babe Ruth , Honus Wagner , Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson , chosen in 1936; roughly 20 more were selected before the entire group was inducted at the Hall's 1939 opening. As of January 2024 , 346 people had been elected to the Hall of Fame, including 274 former professional players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 39 pioneers, executives, and organizers. 118 members of
7134-589: The Internet to bring the Hall of Fame to schoolchildren who might not visit. The Hall and Museum completed a series of renovations in spring 2005. The Hall of Fame also presents an annual exhibit at FanFest at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Among baseball fans, "Hall of Fame" means not only the museum and facility in Cooperstown, New York, but the pantheon of players, managers , umpires , executives, and pioneers who have been inducted into
7257-688: The Mets again, by a final score of 1–0. His 130 pitches were the most he had thrown in a game since the ALDS in October 2003. Philadelphia won each of Martínez's first seven starts, the first time in franchise history that this had occurred with any debuting Phillies pitcher. In the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he pitched seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits, but the Philadelphia bullpen faltered in
7380-501: The Red Sox scored in all but two innings. Clemens was done in the third inning and the Red Sox would go on to win 13–1 and make the series two games to one. When Clemens was knocked out, Red Sox fans chanted "Where is Roger?" and then a response chant of "In the Shower". Martínez struck out 12 Yankees in seven scoreless innings and allowing just two hits, to beat Red Sox nemesis Roger Clemens and
7503-524: The Red Sox won the deciding game of the series 12–8. In the American League Championship Series , Martínez pitched seven shutout innings to beat the New York Yankees in Game 3, handing the soon-to-be World Series champions their only loss of the 1999 postseason. Martínez followed up 1999 with another excellent season in 2000 en route to his third Cy Young Award. His ERA of 1.74 was the lowest American League total since 1978. The total
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#17330851356457626-406: The United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ") is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of
7749-456: The Veterans Committee. Following changes to the election process for that body made in 2010 and 2016, the Veterans Committee is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot — both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). From 2011 to 2016, each candidate could be considered once every three years; now,
7872-452: The Yankees' first batter, Chuck Knoblauch , but he was then caught stealing ). Only a solo home run by Chili Davis separated Martínez from a no-hitter . The Davis home run came in the second inning, eliminating any suspense, but sportswriter Thomas Boswell called it the best game ever pitched at Yankee Stadium . Martínez retired the last 22 batters he faced in a row during this game. Over
7995-433: The ailing Martínez, who had left Game 1 with a back injury. This decision would prove to be wise, as Martínez threw six hitless innings in relief to win and clinch the ALDS. Game 3 of the American League Championship Series was the long-anticipated matchup between Martínez and Roger Clemens. The Red Sox scored first. After a leadoff triple by Offerman, Valentin homered to put the Red Sox ahead 2–0. The onslaught continued as
8118-416: The ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente set the precedent: the writers put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972, and he was inducted in 1973. The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there
8241-530: The bottom of the 10th inning. He was immediately removed from the game, and was the winning pitcher in Montreal's 1–0 victory. [See Memorable Games ] In 1996, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies , Mike Williams attempted to hit Martínez with retaliatory pitches for an earlier hit batter but failed with two consecutive attempts. After the second attempt, Martínez charged the mound, and started
8364-418: The central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, honoring those who have excelled in playing , managing , and serving the sport. The Hall's motto is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations". Cooperstown is often used as shorthand (or a metonym ) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame
8487-449: The election process for inductions in even-numbered years. Further changes to the Veterans Committee process were announced by the Hall in July 2010, July 2016, and April 2022. Per the latest changes, announced on April 22, 2022, the multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed to three, to be voted on in an annual rotation (one per year): A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016)
8610-403: The first curator of the museum. According to the Hall of Fame, approximately 260,000 visitors enter the museum each year, and the running total has surpassed 17 million. These visitors see only a fraction of its 40,000 artifacts, 3 million library items (such as newspaper clippings and photos) and 140,000 baseball cards. The Hall has seen a noticeable decrease in attendance since
8733-461: The first four batters. (The National League's Brad Penny matched the feat in 2006.) The next batter, Matt Williams , managed to reach first base from an error by Roberto Alomar . Martínez then proceeded to strike out Jeff Bagwell while Williams was caught stealing. Martínez again came close to a perfect game on September 10, 1999, when he beat the New York Yankees , 3–1. He faced just 28 batters while striking out 17 and walking none (Martínez hit
8856-611: The first player to be elected unanimously. Derek Jeter , Marvin Miller , Ted Simmons , and Larry Walker were to be inducted in 2020, but their induction ceremony was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until September 8, 2021. The ceremony was open to the public, as COVID restrictions had been lifted. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers' Association of America (or BBWAA), or
8979-602: The five pitchers in the starting rotation of its MLB All-Decade Team . In February 2011, the Smithsonian 's National Portrait Gallery announced that it had acquired an oil painting of Martínez for its collection. On January 24, 2013, Martínez joined the Boston Red Sox as a special assistant to general manager Ben Cherington . Martínez was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2015 with 91.1% of
9102-492: The following inning, costing Martínez the win. Intense media interest preceded Martínez's "return to Yankee Stadium" in Game 2 of the World Series. At the pre-game press conference, he seemed to relish the attention, telling reporters, "When you have 60,000 people chanting your name, waiting for you to throw the ball, you have to consider yourself someone special, someone that really has a purpose out there." Martínez pitched effectively in his second-ever World Series start, but left
9225-443: The following season, Martínez spent much of 2001 on the disabled list with a rotator cuff injury as the Red Sox slumped to a poor finish. Martínez finished with a 7–3 record, a 2.39 ERA, and 163 strikeouts in 116 innings. Healthy in 2002, he rebounded to lead the league with a 2.26 ERA, 0.923 WHIP and 239 strikeouts, while going 20–4. However, that season's American League Cy Young Award narrowly went to 23-game winner Barry Zito of
9348-514: The fourth pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts with fewer than 1,000 walks (in Martínez's case, 701). Ferguson Jenkins , Greg Maddux and Curt Schilling had previously done likewise. Martínez also joined Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson to become the third 3,000-strikeout pitcher to have more strikeouts than innings pitched, and is also the first Latin American pitcher to have 3,000 strikeouts. His unexpectedly strong finish in 2007 raised hopes, but 2008
9471-497: The frequency depends on the era in which an individual made his greatest contributions. A more complete discussion of the new process is available below . From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures: Players of
9594-508: The game in the 7th inning trailing, 2–1, and wound up taking the loss. Before his second start of the Series, Martínez called himself and opposing pitcher Andy Pettitte "old goats", and acknowledged that Red Sox fans were rooting for him: "I know that they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games." However, Martínez allowed four runs in four innings, falling to 0–2 as the Phillies lost
9717-550: The game, bringing in reliever Mel Rojas , who retired the next three batters. Martínez officially recorded neither a perfect game nor a no-hitter . Until 1991, the rules would have judged it differently; however, a rule clarification specified that perfect games, even beyond nine innings, must remain perfect until the game is completed for them to be considered perfect. This retroactively decertified many no-hit games, including Ernie Shore 's perfect relief stint in 1917 and Harvey Haddix 's legendary 12 perfect innings in 1959 (lost in
9840-531: The game. Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig (other than to hold a special one-man election for him): there was no waiting period at that time, and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season. However, the BBWAA decided to hold a special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it
9963-490: The highest in major league history. Martínez dominated while pitching most often in a hitter-friendly ballpark and facing some of the toughest competition during the steroid era , which is generally thought to have favored batters. Many consider Martínez to be one of the greatest pitchers in major league history. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 in his first year of eligibility, joining Juan Marichal as
10086-465: The highest single-season strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.88) in American League history. Martínez held opposing hitters to a slash line of .167/.213/.259 and recorded more than twice as many strikeouts (284) as hits allowed (128). When opposing teams had runners in scoring position, hitters' production against Martínez was reduced to a slash line of .133/.188/.219. Across 1999 and 2000, Martínez allowed 288 hits and 69 walks in 430 innings, with 597 strikeouts,
10209-439: The hope of heightening the value of their own selection. After no one was selected for the third consecutive election in 2007, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt noted, "The same thing happens every year. The current members want to preserve the prestige as much as possible, and are unwilling to open the doors." In 2007, the committee and its selection processes were again reorganized; the main committee then included all living members of
10332-478: The last 3 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings, (11 batters), Martínez threw 53 consecutive pitches without allowing a base runner, and without a single ball being put in play. (Nine strikeouts, two foul-ball fly outs.) The Yankees managed only one fair ball out of his last 70 pitches after the fourth inning. On October 11, 1999, in Game 5 of the ALDS, Charles Nagy started for Cleveland and Bret Saberhagen started for Boston, both on only three days rest. Boston jumped out to
10455-542: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with the major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at
10578-446: The level of Jackson or Rose. Jackson and Rose were both banned from MLB for life for actions related to gambling on their own teams—Jackson was determined to have cooperated with those who conspired to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series , and for accepting payment for losing, and Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent spot on the ineligible list in return for MLB's promise to make no official finding in relation to alleged betting on
10701-503: The live ball era (1.39 in 1999 ), the second-lowest single-season WHIP total in major league history (0.737 in 2000 ), and the lowest single-season Adjusted ERA+ in major league history (291, also in 2000). Although his performance suffered a steep decline in 2004, Martínez ended the season memorably by helping the Red Sox end a long drought in winning their first World Series title in 86 years. Officially listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), Martínez
10824-508: The lowest ever by a pitcher with at least 2,500 innings pitched since 1920 . He reached the 3,000 strikeout mark in fewer innings than any pitcher except Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer ; Martínez is the only pitcher other than Scherzer to compile over 3,000 career strikeouts with fewer than 3,000 innings pitched in his career. As of 2023, Martínez's career strikeout rate of 10.04 per nine innings ranks sixth all-time among pitchers with over 1,500 innings. An eight-time All-Star , Martínez
10947-700: The merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James ' 1994 book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame. The selection rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame were modified to prevent the induction of anyone on Baseball's "permanently ineligible" list, such as Pete Rose or "Shoeless Joe" Jackson . Many others have been barred from participation in MLB, but none have Hall of Fame qualifications on
11070-476: The mid-2010s. A 2013 story on ESPN.com about the village of Cooperstown and its relation to the game partially linked the reduced attendance with Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the town of Hartwick . The 22 fields at Dreams Park currently draw 17,000 players each summer for a week of intensive play; while the complex includes housing for the players, their parents and grandparents must stay elsewhere. According to
11193-462: The oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to the major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in
11316-435: The screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee. Players receiving 5% or more of
11439-597: The second Dominican to be enshrined; his number (45) was retired by the Red Sox in a ceremony held two days after his Hall induction. Martínez grew up in the Dominican Republic in the Santo Domingo suburb of Manoguayabo . He was the fifth of six siblings living in a palm wood house with a tin roof and dirt floors. His father, Pablo Jaime Abreu, worked odd jobs. His mother, Leopoldina Martínez, worked for traditionally wealthy families, washing their clothes. When Martínez
11562-591: The sentiment that pitchers should not be considered MVP candidates due to the existence of the pitcher-specific Cy Young Award may have cost Martínez the victory. King later wrote in The New York Post that he left Martínez off of his ballot because he believed that, since they only appear in a fraction of their team's games, starting pitchers should only be considered for the Cy Young Award. "It really made us all look very dumb", Olney later said. "People were operating under different rules. The question of eligibility
11685-503: The sixth game and the 2009 World Series to the New York Yankees. Following the Series, Martínez announced that he had no intention of retiring, but the 2010 season came and went without his signing with a team. Media reports surfaced that the Phillies had been discussing a deal to bring Martínez back for another half-season, but Martínez's agent announced in July that he would not be pitching at all in 2010, while remaining interested in
11808-534: The story, Prior to Dreams Park, a room might be filled for a week by several sets of tourists. Now, that room will be taken by just one family for the week, and that family may only go into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame once. While there are other contributing factors (the recession and high gas prices among them), the Hall's attendance has tumbled since Dreams Park opened. The Hall drew 383,000 visitors in 1999. It drew 262,000 last year. A controversy erupted in 1982, when it emerged that some historic items given to
11931-424: The tear, and that had to be operated on. You have to let it run its course." Martínez also reported bulking up as part of his recuperative regimen: "I've put on about 10 pounds of muscle, because that's one of our strategies." On September 3, 2007, Martínez returned from the disabled list with his 207th career win, allowing two earned runs in five efficient innings and collecting his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming
12054-486: The toughest pitcher they ever had to face. On June 22, 2015, it was announced that Martínez's number 45 would be retired by the Red Sox on July 28, two days after his Hall of Fame induction. Red Sox principal owner John Henry stated, "to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame upon his first year of eligibility speaks volumes regarding Pedro's outstanding career, and is a testament to the respect and admiration so many in baseball have for him." On February 1, 2018, Martínez
12177-460: The vote. His Hall of Fame plaque has him wearing a Boston Red Sox cap. "I cannot be any prouder to take Red Sox Nation to the Hall of Fame with the logo on my plaque", Martínez said in a statement. "I am extremely proud to represent Boston and all of New England with my Hall of Fame career. I'm grateful to all of the teams for which I played, and especially fans, for making this amazing honor come true." Martínez has worked on MLB on TBS since 2013 as
12300-503: The votes but fewer than 75% are reconsidered annually until a maximum of ten years of eligibility (lowered from fifteen years for the 2015 election). Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on
12423-496: The world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are
12546-410: Was 32–23 in 79 starts, with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. A free agent, Martínez did not sign with a major league team during the winter. In March, he joined the Dominican Republic's squad for the 2009 World Baseball Classic , in an attempt to showcase his arm. Martínez pitched six scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts and no walks, but the team was quickly eliminated from the tournament and no MLB contract
12669-403: Was a lost season for Martínez. He was injured just four innings into his first game of the season, an April 1 no-decision against the Florida Marlins . He later told reporters he'd felt a "pop" in his left leg. Martínez was diagnosed with a strained hamstring and did not return to action for more than two months. Following his return, his fastball typically topped out in the 90–91 mph range,
12792-450: Was a minuscule 1.25 with 4 complete games and 2 shutouts, but his win–loss record was 4–5. Martínez's WHIP in 2000 was 0.74, the second lowest total in major league history behind George Walker in 1940. However, Walker's record came in a season in which he only pitched 49 innings, whereas Martínez pitched 217 innings in 2000. Martínez struck out an American League-leading 284 batters while only walking 32, thereby breaking his own record for
12915-468: Was about a third of that year's park-adjusted league ERA (4.97), resulting in an adjusted ERA+ of 291, the second highest single-season total in major league history among pitchers who threw more than 200 innings. Roger Clemens ' 2000 ERA of 3.70 was the second lowest in the AL, but it was still more than double that of Martínez's. Martínez's record was 18–6. In his six losses, he recorded 60 strikeouts, eight walks, and 30 hits allowed in 48 innings, with
13038-428: Was an even better pitcher than he, the younger Martínez was thought by manager Tommy Lasorda too small to be an effective starting pitcher at the MLB level; Lasorda used Pedro Martínez almost exclusively as a relief pitcher. Lasorda was not the first to question Martínez's stature and durability; in the minor leagues, the then-135-pound pitcher was threatened with a $ 500 fine if he was caught running. Martínez turned in
13161-489: Was announced as part of the 2018 induction class for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . On April 13, 1994, in his second start as a Montreal Expo, Martínez lost a perfect game with one out in the eighth inning when he hit Cincinnati's Reggie Sanders with a pitch. An angered Sanders charged the mound, and threw Martínez to the ground, before both teams cleared the benches and broke up any potential fight. Sanders
13284-407: Was at his peak from 1997 to 2003 , establishing himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. He won three Cy Young Awards (1997, 1999, 2000) and was runner-up twice (1998, 2002), posting a cumulative record of 118–36 (.766) with a 2.20 ERA, while leading his league in ERA five times and in winning percentage and strikeouts three times each. In 1999 , Martínez was runner-up for
13407-526: Was established in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark , an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark sought to bring tourists to the village hurt by the Great Depression , which reduced the local tourist trade, and Prohibition , which devastated the local hops industry. Clark constructed the Hall of Fame's building, which was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (His granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark ,
13530-502: Was forced out of the game after four shutout innings due to a strained back with the Red Sox up 2–0. The Red Sox , however, lost the game 3–2. With the series tied at two games apiece, Martínez was too injured to start the fifth and final game. However, neither team's starter was effective, and by the middle of the fourth inning, the game was tied 8–8. At this point, Martínez entered the game as an emergency relief option. He pitched six no-hit innings, striking out eight and walking three, as
13653-492: Was forthcoming. In July 2009, Phillies scouts evaluated Martínez in two simulated games against the Phillies DSL team , leading to a one-year, $ 1-million contract. Martínez told reporters, "I would just like to be the backup. If I could be the backup, that would be a great thing to have—a healthy Pedro behind everybody else, in case something happens. That would be a great feeling to have on a team, eh?" Replacing Jamie Moyer as
13776-453: Was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although those who had already been eligible under the old rule were grandfathered into the ballot, thus permitting Joe DiMaggio to be elected within four years of his retirement. Z is for Zenith The summit of fame. These men are up there. These men are
13899-442: Was known that he was terminally ill , making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter the Hall while still alive. If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 10 years of his eligibility for election, he may be selected by
14022-401: Was later ridiculed in the press for assuming that a pitcher would abandon a perfect game in order to hit a batter intentionally. Martínez allowed a leadoff single in the ninth inning, breaking up his no-hitter, and was removed for reliever John Wetteland (who loaded the bases, then allowed two sacrifice flies , thus saddling Martínez with a no-decision). Three years later, in 1997, Martínez had
14145-422: Was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period
14268-477: Was old enough to work, he held a job as a mechanic. He did not have enough money to afford baseballs, so he improvised with oranges. His older brother, Ramón Martínez , was pitching at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball camp in the Dominican Republic. As a young teenager, Martínez carried his brother's bags at the camp. One day at the camp, Ramón Martínez clocked his 14-year-old brother's pitches at between 78 and 80 miles per hour. Martínez debuted professionally with
14391-486: Was reformed to comprise the living Hall of Fame members and other honorees. The revamped Committee held three elections, in 2003 and 2007 , for both players and non-players, and in 2005 for players only. No individual was elected in that time, sparking criticism among some observers who expressed doubt whether the new Veterans Committee would ever elect a player. The Committee members, most of whom were Hall members, were accused of being reluctant to elect new candidates in
14514-418: Was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The eligibility criteria for Era Committee consideration differ between players, managers, and executives. While the text on a player's or manager's plaque lists all teams for which the inductee was a member in that specific role, inductees are usually depicted wearing the cap of a specific team, though in
14637-460: Was subsequently signed to a six-year, $ 75 million contract (with an option for a seventh year at $ 17 million) by Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette , at the time the largest ever awarded to a pitcher. Martínez paid immediate dividends in 1998, compiling a 19–7 record and finishing second in the American League in ERA , WHIP , strikeouts, and Cy Young Award voting. In 1999, Martínez finished 23–4 with
14760-540: Was the first time that a pitcher had struck out the first four batters to start an All-Star Game. Martínez later said that the 1999 All-Star break was especially memorable for him because he was able to meet the members of the MLB All-Century Team and get an autograph from Ted Williams . Martínez was a focal point of Boston's 1999 playoff series against the Cleveland Indians . Starting the series opener, he
14883-572: Was the lowest single-season total in the major leagues since 1910 among pitchers who threw more than 35 innings. The second best FIP in baseball in 1999 was Randy Johnson's 2.76, and that year, no one else in the American League had a FIP below 3.25. Martínez also became just the ninth modern pitcher to record a second 300-strikeout season, along with Randy Johnson (6 times), Nolan Ryan (6 times), Sandy Koufax (3 times), Curt Schilling (3 times), Walter Johnson , Sam McDowell , J. R. Richard , and Rube Waddell . An anomaly among power pitchers, Martínez
15006-459: Was unprofessional." Between April and May 1999, Martínez struck out 10 or more batters in seven consecutive starts. Between August 1999 and April 2000, Martínez achieved the same feat in 10 consecutive starts, averaging more than 15 strikeouts per nine innings during the latter streak. In 1999, Martínez recorded a strikeout in 40 consecutive innings, which at the time was a major league record. For his career, Martínez compiled 15 or more strikeouts in
15129-472: Was unusually small for a modern-day power pitcher , and is believed to have been somewhat smaller than his officially listed height and weight. In his early 30s, injuries began to keep him off the field to an increasing extent, with his appearances and success dropping off sharply in his final seasons. Modern sabermetric analysis has strongly highlighted Martínez's achievements. As of 2023, his career strikeout-to-walk ratio , WHIP , and adjusted ERA+ are among
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