Pedro comes to Cooperstown

Also on display, his Red Sox cap from the 2004 World Series, the franchise’s first title since 1918, and a ball from his 1995 game when, pitching for the Montreal Expos at San Diego, he retired the first 27 batters before giving up a double to Bip Roberts in the bottom of the 10th inning.

“Bip Roberts is not the one to blame. My team couldn’t score,” Martinez recalled. “But Harvey Haddix [who lost a 1959 perfect game in the 13th inning] got the loss and I got the win.”

Strohl then showed Martinez a glove used by Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell in a famous 1905 game against Cy Young in which both went 20 innings. When Strohl called Waddell “one of the first really great left-handed fireballers,” Martinez seemed incredulous.

“Fireballers? You’re going to call fireballer someone that throws with this?” Martinez asked, pointing to the Waddell glove. “Now you tell me that you’re going to catch Aroldis Chapman with a glove like this? You tell me if he was a fireballer. No, no, no, no. It’s impossible. You can’t catch Aroldis Chapman with this. It’s impossible. I have always had that question. The first year that I came in and saw this I couldn’t help myself to ask how can you catch a 100 mile per hour fastball with this glove? Where would your fingers be? Your hand would explode.

“And if he was a fireballer, it’s impossible, literally impossible, for someone to throw 20 innings. It’s impossible. I don’t care how tall you are, how strong you are, pitching 20 innings in a game where you really, really, really face topnotch hitters. I’m sorry. My beliefs are totally different.”

Though Martinez was slight of stature, he dominated his era like few others. With an explosive fastball and pinpoint control, he established himself with Montreal, winning the 1997 NL Cy Young Award, while his seven years in Boston led to two more Cy Young awards, a pitching Triple Crown, and in 2004 helped the Red Sox captured the World Series title for the first time since 1918.

“This is what I’m talking about,” said a smiling Martinez when allowed to swing a bat used by Babe Ruth. “You’ve got to really have it to turn on a 100 mph fastball. Especially point and say I’m going to hit it in straightaway centerfield out. I would pay to see that. I would just love to see that challenge. Someone has to come up with something to make it virtually possible. Yeah, I want to face Babe.”

After checking out images from his career in the photo department and a Pedro Martinez comic book in the Library, the tour came to an end in the Plaque Gallery. This is where Martinez made sure to not only check out the bronze likeness of fellow Dominican Juan Marichal but also see where his own plaque will hang this summer.