Pedro Martinez said Chris Sale reminds him of ‘myself in another body’
Martinez reportedly has high praise for Chris Sale.
There are plenty of noticeable differences between Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale and National Baseball Hall-of-Famer Pedro Martinez.
Sale is listed at 6-foot-6, and Martinez is 5-foot-11. Sale is left-handed, Martinez is right-handed. Sale was a first-round pick, and Martinez’s first MLB deal came as an amateur free agent.
Still, Martinez sees a lot of similarities between himself and Sale, the three-time Cy Young Award winner told the Boston Herald.
“It’s like I’m watching myself in another body frame and in another person,” Pedro says, “But the attitude on the mound, the way he approaches the game, how aggressive and intimidating he is, is pretty much how I used to be.”
Martinez said that Sale came to Boston as a skinny pitcher with big hype and a fierce competitive spirit.
“I can totally relate to everything that goes on with [Sale]. From the moment he got here, the competitor he was. I knew about him, though,” Martinez said. “He was no stranger to anybody about what he was doing and what he intended to do when he got to Boston. And he actually did it really well. And we got a championship with him, and he’s just a warrior out there. That’s exactly who I was. So everything he does, and the way he approaches the game is very common to the way I used to be.”
Sale had a pair of all-star-caliber seasons with the Red Sox, but has struggled and been limited by injuries over the past three. He pitched in two games after breaking his hand last year. In 2021, he dealt with fractured ribs that limited him to nine games.
“I can relate to his struggles,” Martinez said. “Physically, mentally, I can totally relate to everything else. I just hope that many more people will probably stop to think about him as a human being.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com