Editing Pedro Martínez (section)

===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.