Editing Pedro Martínez (section)

==Career==

===Los Angeles Dodgers===
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 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."<ref name="conti">{{cite news |last1=Vorkunov |first1=Mike |title=Meet Pedro Martinez's 'White Daddy' |url=https://www.nj.com/mets/2015/07/meet_pedro_martinezs_white_daddy_the_mets_coach_wh.html |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=[[NJ.com]] |date=24 July 2015 |language=en}}</ref> 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 a "great fastball and circle-changeup."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eddy |first1=Matt |title=MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 1992 Pacific Coast League |url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/milb-top-10-prospects-flashback-1992-pacific-coast-league/ |access-date=20 December 2020 |work=[[Baseball America]] |date=September 22, 2020}}</ref> 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 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.<ref>[http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Pedro/Pedro_bio.html Pedro Martinez Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009231122/http://jockbio.com/Bios/Pedro/Pedro_bio.html |date=October 9, 2010 }}. JockBio. Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref> 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 a strong [[1993 Los Angeles Dodgers season|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/season_finder.cgi?type=p#gotresults&as=result_pitcher&offset=0&sum=0&min_year_season=1993&max_year_season=1993&min_season=1&max_season=-1&min_age=0&max_age=99&is_rookie=&lg_ID=lgNL&lgAL_team=tmAny&lgNL_team=tmAny&lgFL_team=tmAny&lgAA_team=tmAny&lgPL_team=tmAny&lgUA_team=tmAny&lgNA_team=tmAny&isActive=either&isHOF=either&isAllstar=either&throws=any&games_started=60&role=reliever&games_relieved=50&minIpValS=100&minDecValS=14&qualifiersSeason=mingames&mingamesValS=39&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minIpValC=1000&minDecValC=100&mingamesValC=200&number_matched=1&orderby=IPouts&layout=full&c1criteria=&c1gtlt=eq&c1val=0&c2criteria=&c2gtlt=eq&c2val=0&c3criteria=&c3gtlt=eq&c3val=0&c4criteria=&c4gtlt=eq&c4val=0&c5criteria=&c5gtlt=eq&c5val=1.0&c6criteria=&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa=&ajax=1&submitter=1 |title=baseball-reference.com |date=2014}}</ref> 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.

===Montreal Expos===
It was with the Expos that Martínez developed into one of the top pitchers in baseball. Despite possessing 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 a perfect game through {{fraction|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 [[1995 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]], before giving up a hit in 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|Memorable Games]]'']

In 1996, during a game against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], [[Mike Williams (baseball)|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 a bench-clearing fight.

In 1997, Martínez posted a 17–8 record for the [[1997 Montreal Expos season|Expos]], and led the league in half a dozen pitching categories, including a 1.90 [[Earned run average|ERA]], 305 [[strikeout]]s and 13 [[complete game]]s pitched, while becoming the only Expo ever to win the [[National League (baseball)|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 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.

===Boston Red Sox===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Red_Sox_45.svg
|Name   = Pedro Martínez
|Number = 45
|Team   = Boston Red Sox
|Year   = 2015}}

Approaching [[Free agent|free agency]], Martínez was traded to the [[Boston Red Sox]] in November 1997 for [[Carl Pavano]] and [[Tony Armas Jr.]] Martínez 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 [[Earned run average|ERA]], [[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]], strikeouts, and [[Cy Young Award]] voting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1998.shtml|title=1998 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref>

In 1999, Martínez finished 23–4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts (earning the [[Pitching Triple Crown]]) in {{frac|213|1|3}} [[innings pitched|innings]] across 31 games (29 starts). He led the entire major leagues with strikeouts per nine innings and [[strikeout-to-walk ratio|strikeout-to-walk]] ratios of 13.20 and 8.46, respectively. His [[Defense independent pitching statistics#FIP|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 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 (pitcher)|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 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 [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) ballot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1999.shtml|title=1999 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Olney">{{cite news|first=Buster|last=Olney|title=Rodriguez Catches Support as Surprise M.V.P. Pick|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 19, 1999|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/19/sports/baseball-rodriguez-catches-support-as-surprise-mvp-pick.html|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Buster Olney]], writing for ''[[The New York Times]]'', mused that 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.<ref name="Olney"/> 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.<ref>{{cite news|first=George A.|last=King|title=Why I Left Pedro Off My MVP Ballot; MVP Voting Isn't Life & Death Issue|date=November 24, 1999|newspaper=New York Post|url=https://nypost.com/1999/11/24/why-i-left-pedro-off-my-mvp-ballot-mvp-voting-isnt-life-death-issue/|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> "It really made us all look very dumb", Olney later said. "People were operating under different rules. The question of eligibility is a very basic thing. People were determining eligibility for themselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_12_59/ai_67045342 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713202707/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_12_59/ai_67045342 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |title=A MATTER OF OPINION: Voters Disagree on MVP Criteria |work=Baseball Digest |via=Findarticles.com |access-date=July 22, 2010 |first=Kevin |last=Acee |year=2000 }}</ref> [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|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 was unprofessional."<ref>{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Speier|title=Pedro Martinez on The Big Show: Of MVP and Cy Young snubs, the Steroid Era, and Boston's everlasting place in his heart|website=WEEI|date=January 10, 2012|url=http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2012/01/10/pedro-martinez-on-the-big-show-of-mvp-and-cy-young-snubs-the-steroid-era-and-bostons-everlasting-place-in-his-heart/|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305032457/http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2012/01/10/pedro-martinez-on-the-big-show-of-mvp-and-cy-young-snubs-the-steroid-era-and-bostons-everlasting-place-in-his-heart/|access-date=August 27, 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:PedroMartinezSmall.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Martínez in 2004]]
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.<ref>Beamer, John (August 20, 2007)  [http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/who-is-better-pedro-martinez-or-johan-santana/ Who is/was better: Pedro Martínez or Johan Santana?] The Hardball Times</ref> 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 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 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1999 All-Star Game]] at [[Fenway Park]]. He struck out [[National League (baseball)|National League]] players [[Barry Larkin]], [[Larry Walker]], [[Sammy Sosa]], [[Mark McGwire]], and [[Jeff Bagwell]] in two innings pitched, earning [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award|All-Star Game MVP]] for his performance. It was the first time that a pitcher had struck out the first four batters to start an All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web|first=Evan|last=Gerike|title=Martínez Fans Five to Win All-Star Game MVP|website=National Baseball Hall of Fame|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/martinez-fans-five-at-all-star-game|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=Pedro Martinez |user=45PedroMartinez |number=593622790969888768 |date=April 29, 2015 |title=99 All Star Break was memorable for me because I saw the all Century players. At the end Ted Williams autographed a program dedicated to me |access-date=April 30, 2015 }}</ref>

Martínez was a focal point of Boston's 1999 [[1999 American League Division Series|playoff series]] against the [[1999 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]]. Starting the series opener, he was forced out of the game after four shutout innings due to a strained back with the Red Sox up 2–0. The [[1999 Boston Red Sox season|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 the Red Sox won the deciding game of the series 12–8.<ref>{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Muder|title=Pedro Martínez Blanks Indians in Game 5 of ALDS|website=National Baseball Hall of Fame|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/pedro-martinez-blanks-indians-in-alds|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> In the [[1999 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]], Martínez pitched seven shutout innings to beat the [[1999 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in Game 3, handing the soon-to-be [[1999 World Series|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2000.shtml|title=2000 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=August 29, 2023}}</ref> His ERA of 1.74 was the lowest American League total since 1978. The total 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Adjusted ERA+|website=Baseball Reference|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_plus_season.shtml|access-date=August 29, 2023}}</ref> [[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.<ref name="Lupica">{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Lupica|title='Peak Pedro' most dominant in '99? Try history|date=April 30, 2020|website=MLB.com|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/pedro-martinez-most-dominant-pitcher-at-peak|access-date=September 5, 2023}}</ref>

Martínez's record was 18–6. In his six losses, he recorded 60 strikeouts, eight walks, and 30 [[hits allowed]] in 48 innings, with 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 (right-handed pitcher)|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 start]]s, 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 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 (1930s pitcher)|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Walks & Hits per IP|website=Baseball Reference|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/whip_season.shtml|access-date=August 29, 2023}}</ref> Martínez struck out an American League-leading 284 batters while only walking 32, thereby breaking his own record for the highest single-season strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.88) in American League history.{{refn|group=note|Martínez had set the record the previous season with a total of 8.46 strikeouts per walk. The current record-holder in both the American League and the entirety of the major leagues is [[Phil Hughes (baseball)|Phil Hughes]] with a total of 11.63 in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Strikeouts / Base On Balls|website=Baseball Reference|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/strikeouts_per_base_on_balls_season.shtml|access-date=August 29, 2023}}</ref>}} Martínez held opposing hitters to a [[wikt:slash line|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/TBVJX|title=Lowest BA against with RISP (Min 100 AB) 1950-2018}}</ref>

Across 1999 and 2000, Martínez allowed 288 hits and 69 walks in 430 innings, with 597 strikeouts, 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 [[Doping in baseball|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 [[History of baseball|baseball history]].<ref name="Joe Posnanski"/><ref name="Lupica"/><ref>{{cite web|title=When Pedro Martinez was the best of all time|website=FOX Sports|date=March 4, 2020|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/when-pedro-martinez-was-the-best-of-all-time|access-date=September 5, 2023}}</ref>

Though he continued his dominance when healthy, carrying a sub-2.00 ERA to the midpoint of 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 the [[Oakland Athletics]], despite Zito's higher ERA, higher WHIP, fewer strikeouts, and lower winning percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.shtml|title=2002 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} 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 a single strikeout. Martínez came in third for the 2003 Cy Young Award, which went to Toronto's [[Roy Halladay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2003.shtml|title=2003 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez WS Victory Parade.jpg|thumb|[[Derek Lowe]] (left) and Pedro Martínez at the Red Sox World Series Victory Parade in 2004.]]
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2004.shtml|title=2004 Awards Voting|website=Baseball Reference|access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref> 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 the [[2004 American League Division Series|ALDS]], and in the [[2004 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], he recorded his only loss of the postseason as well as a no-decision. In Game 3 of the [[2004 World Series|World Series]], he pitched seven shutout innings and retired the last 14 batters he faced.<ref>{{cite news|first=Buster|last=Olney|title=Pedro leaves Cardinals running on empty|date=October 27, 2004|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/241026124|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420062219/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/241026124|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 20, 2023|access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref> The Red Sox won the World Series in four games, securing their [[Curse of the Bambino|first championship in 86 years]].

Martínez finished his Red Sox career with a 117–37 record (a .760 winning percentage), a 2.52 ERA, a 190 ERA+, and 1683 strikeouts in {{frac|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.

===New York Mets===
[[File:Pedro Martínez 2008.jpg|thumb|left|Martínez pitching with the Mets]]
After Boston's [[2004 World Series|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 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 the [[2005 Florida Marlins season|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 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.<ref>Curry, Jack (September 16, 2006) [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/sports/baseball/16mets.html Tears Shed by Martínez Are Not of Joy]. New York Times</ref> 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 the [[2007 in baseball|2007 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060930&content_id=1691510&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Martínez shelved until next summer|author=Marty Noble|date=September 30, 2006|publisher=MLB}}</ref>

[[File:Pedro Martínez Peace.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Martínez with the Mets]]
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 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 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061230&content_id=1768499&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Bulked up Pedro aiming for midseason|author=Marty Noble|date=December 31, 2006|publisher=MLB}}</ref>

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 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 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 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 [[2008 Florida Marlins season|Florida Marlins]]. He later told reporters he'd felt a "pop" in his left leg. Martínez was diagnosed with a strained [[hamstring]]<ref>[http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080402&content_id=2484082&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym "Hamstring strain sends Pedro to DL."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404115936/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080402&content_id=2484082&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym |date=April 4, 2008 }}. Newyork.mets.mlb.com (May 24, 2013). Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref> and did not return to action for more than two months. Following his return, his fastball typically topped out in the 90–91&nbsp;mph range,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=mlb&id=1741|title=Pedro Martinez Biography |work=USA Today|access-date=May 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521015433/http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=MLB&id=1741 |archive-date=May 21, 2010 }}</ref> 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 was 32–23 in 79 starts, with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

===Philadelphia Phillies===
[[File:Pedro Martínez Clearwater Threshers.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Martínez with [[Clearwater Threshers]] on July 26, 2009]]
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 was forthcoming. In July 2009, Phillies scouts evaluated Martínez in two simulated games against the [[Dominican Summer Phillies|Phillies DSL team]], leading to a one-year, $1-million contract.<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090714&content_id=5875102&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi Pedro signs one-year deal with Phillies]. Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref> 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?"<ref>[https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=4338734 Pedro Martinez throws first bullpen session since joining Philadelphia Phillies – ESPN]. Sports.espn.go.com (July 18, 2009). Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref>

[[File:Pedro Martínez on September 8, 2009.jpg|thumb|Martínez pitching during his brief stint with the Phillies in 2009]]
Replacing [[Jamie Moyer]] as 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.<ref>[http://www.sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/SABR-BRC-2005-06.pdf Society For American Baseball Research Baseball Records Committee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712084243/http://www.sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/SABR-BRC-2005-06.pdf |date=July 12, 2010 }}. (PDF) . Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martipe02.shtml|title=Pedro Martinez Statistics and History|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> On September 13, Martínez pitched eight innings to beat 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.<ref>{{cite web|author=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/notebook?page=bbtn/090913|title=Baseball Tonight Clubhouse: Rockies search for wins, not respect|publisher=ESPN|date=September 13, 2009|access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> In the [[2009 NLCS|NLCS]] against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he pitched seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits, but the Philadelphia bullpen faltered in 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."<ref>{{cite web|last=Silverman|first=Mike |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2009/10/29/influential-pedro-martinez-holds-court/|title='Influential' Pedro Martinez holds court|work=Boston Herald|date=October 29, 2009|access-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> Martínez pitched effectively in his second-ever World Series start, but left 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2009/11/03/pedro-i-consider-myself-a-bostonian/|title=Pedro: 'I consider myself a Bostonian'|publisher=WEEI.com|date=November 3, 2009|access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> However, Martínez allowed four runs in four innings, falling to 0–2 as the Phillies lost 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,<ref>Morosi, Jon Paul. [http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10381194/Pedro-'absolutely'-intends-to-pitch-entire-'10-season Pedro 'absolutely' intends to pitch entire '10 season] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119074430/http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10381194/Pedro-'absolutely'-intends-to-pitch-entire-'10-season |date=November 19, 2009 }}, [[FOX Sports]]. Published November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2009.</ref> 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,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5292668|title=Philadelphia Phillies speak to Pedro Martinez about possible comeback|publisher=ESPN|date=June 16, 2010|access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> but Martínez's agent announced in July that he would not be pitching at all in 2010, while remaining interested in a 2011 return.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5399191&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines|title=Agent: Pedro Martinez will not pitch in 2010, not retiring|publisher=ESPN|date=January 1, 2008|access-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> 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."<ref>Nicholson, Ben. (December 15, 2010) [http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/12/phillies-asked-about-pedro-martinez.html Pedro Martinez Is "Most Likely" Finished: MLB Rumors]. MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref> 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 the five pitchers in the starting rotation of its [[List of 2009 all-decade Sports Illustrated awards and honors#MLB All-Decade Team|MLB All-Decade Team]]. In February 2011, the [[Smithsonian]]'s [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] announced that it had acquired an oil painting of Martínez for its collection.<ref>[http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/national-portrait-gallery-presents-portrait-pedro-martinez National Portrait Gallery Presents Portrait of Pedro Martinez]. Newsdesk.si.edu (March 29, 2011). Retrieved on December 21, 2013.</ref>

===After retirement===
[[File:Pedro Martinez HOF.jpg|thumb|Martínez speaking at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2015]]
On January 24, 2013, Martínez joined the Boston Red Sox as a special assistant to general manager [[Ben Cherington]].<ref>{{cite press release|title=Pedro Martinez re-joins Red Sox as Special Assistant to the General Manager|url=http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130124&content_id=41137574&vkey=pr_bos&c_id=bos|publisher=Red Sox|access-date=January 24, 2013|archive-date=January 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131040849/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130124&content_id=41137574&vkey=pr_bos&c_id=bos|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Martínez was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in January 2015 with 91.1% of 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."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/12211099/pedro-martinez-rep-boston-red-sox-hall-fame-plaque | title= Pedro Martinez opts for Red Sox logo | author=ESPN.com news services | work=ESPN.com | date=January 22, 2015}}</ref>

Martínez has worked on [[MLB on TBS]] since 2013 as a studio analyst for postseason coverage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2013/09/26/pedro-martinez-gets-tv-gig-with-tbs/ |title= Pedro Martinez gets TV gig with TBS |website=New York Post |date=September 23, 2013}}</ref> 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]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Finn|first1=Chad|title=Pedro Martinez hired by MLB Network as analyst|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/03/25/pedro-martinez-hired-mlb-network-analyst/0MocEZwlfebIDe8L4N5CMN/story.html|access-date=7 May 2015|work=[[Boston Globe]]|date=March 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Nowlin|first1=Bill|title='Pedro' by Pedro Martinez and Michael Silverman|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2015/05/04/book-review-pedro-pedro-martinez-and-michael-silverman/8CS0P5aE0KgDv95Rzk8cFJ/story.html#|access-date=7 May 2015|work=[[Boston Globe]]|date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=DeMartino|first1=Joe|date=May 7, 2015|title=Here are the five toughest hitters Pedro Martinez ever had to face|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/page/instantawesome-martinezpitch-150507/here-five-toughest-hitters-pedro-martinez-ever-had-face|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=7 May 2015}}</ref> All-Stars [[Sandy Alomar Jr.]], [[Moisés Alou]], [[Carlos Beltrán]], [[Carlos Delgado]], [[David Ortiz]], [[Dean Palmer]], [[Alex Rodriguez]] and [[Alfonso Soriano]] have named Martínez as the toughest pitcher they ever had to face.<ref>{{Cite tweet | last=Alomar | first=Sandy Jr. |author-link= |user=Indians |number=198155147975725056 |date=May 3, 2012 |title=Thx @D_Drumm56, Pedro Martinez was the toughest pitcher I had to face as a batter from here to Spain! |access-date=October 12, 2021 |link=https://twitter.com/Indians/status/198155147975725056 |ref=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brownstein |first1=Mathew |title=MMO Exclusive: Six-Time All-Star, Moises Alou |url=https://metsmerizedonline.com/2020/05/mmo-exclusive-six-time-all-star-moises-alou.html/ |access-date=12 October 2021 |publisher=Metsmerized Online |date=22 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barylski |first1=Nicole |title=INTERVIEW: Former MLB All-Star Carlos Beltran Reflects Back On His Foundation, The Pitcher He Dreaded Facing Most, The Tense Trade Deadline, And More |url=https://hamptons.com/community-community-news-25837-interview-former-mlb-all-star-carlos-beltran-html/ |access-date=12 October 2021 |work=Hamptons.com |date=31 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosa Rosa |first1=Carlos |last2=Rodríguez |first2=Rubén A. |title=Bateadores boricuas revelan quiénes fueron sus "pesadillas" desde el montículo |url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/beisbol/notas/bateadores-boricuas-revelan-quienes-fueron-sus-pesadillas-desde-el-monticulo/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |work=[[El Nuevo Día]] |date=21 April 2020 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ortiz |first1=David |title=The Five Toughest Pitchers I've Ever Faced {{!}} By David Ortiz |url=https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/david-ortiz-red-sox-five-toughest-pitchers-ive-ever-faced |access-date=12 October 2021 |work=[[The Players' Tribune]] |date=September 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brownstein |first1=Mathew |title=MMO Exclusive Interview: Slugging 3B, Dean Palmer |url=https://metsmerizedonline.com/2018/01/mmo-exclusive-former-mlb-slugger-dean-palmer.html/ |access-date=12 October 2021 |publisher=Metsmerized Online |date=6 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Rodriguez |first=Alex |user=AROD |number=843565503763247105 |date=March 19, 2017 |title=Pedro Martinez. In the late '90s, he was almost unhittable. Great competitor. |access-date=October 12, 2021 |link=https://twitter.com/AROD/status/843565503763247105 |ref=}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |last=Nadel |first=Matt |date=August 27, 2015 |type= |title=Matt Nadel Interviews Alfonso Soriano |language= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GC0Y6gdjV8  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/2GC0Y6gdjV8| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date= October 12, 2021 |format= |time= |location= |publisher= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/clubhouse_insider/2015/06/red_sox_to_retire_pedro_martinezs_no_45_at_fenway_park|title=Red Sox to retire Pedro Martinez's No. 45 at Fenway Park on July 28|date=June 22, 2015|first=Jason|last=Mastrodonato|work=Boston Herald}}</ref>

On February 1, 2018, Martínez was announced as part of the 2018 induction class for the [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]].