What a Yankees fan recently told Pedro Martinez that became ‘personal’
“Go out there, represent the Red Sox, and become a challenge to the Yankees.”
Twenty years ago, the Red Sox made a historic World Series run, a comeback victory made all the more sweet by a fierce, decades-long rivalry with the Yankees.
Today, the team leaves a lot to be desired. And one Yankees fan made this clear to Pedro Martinez himself.
The fan told Martinez this year that he used to love watching Martinez pitch. “‘We had someone really good that we needed to beat, and that was you. Now it doesn’t feel like we have the same push,’” the Red Sox legend recounted at his foundation’s annual gala Friday night. “That is personal.
“I’m going to tell my pitchers all that because it really hit me,” Martinez said. “I represented a challenge, and I want those guys to do the same thing. Go out there, represent the Red Sox, and become a challenge to the Yankees.”
The roster could be in for several changes this offseason, with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow emphasizing the importance of attaining high-quality starting pitching. This rings true for fellow 2004 Red Sox stars Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe as well, who also attended the gala and affirmed the need for good pitching.
“I think that it’s important for where we are and the city that we play in,” said Varitek. “They deserve the right to have a team that has an opportunity to push for the front of the division.”
The former teammates were gathered for a night of celebration, commemorating the 20th anniversary of ending an 86-year championship drought, while raising money for underserved youth in the Dominican Republic and New England. David Ortiz, Corey Kluber, and Orlando Cabrera were also among the attendees.
It was a special reunion for each of them as they spoke fondly of the close bond they share. Because of how much they accomplished together, “it’s always great to see the former teammates and especially this group,” said Varitek. They also spoke of their former teammate Tim Wakefield, who passed away around this time last year.
“It’s nice to still be remembered,” said Cabrera. “But more importantly, it’s the bond that I have with my friends.”
Cabrera also spoke of a respect that grew for Martinez as a leader of the team. “Anytime he says something, ‘Hey, jump.’ ‘How high,’ right? Anything for Pedro,” said Cabrera.
Former Patriots tight end Jermaine Wiggins, who helped New England win the Super Bowl in 2001, praised Martinez for not only playing a major part in building a sports dynasty in Boston, but also for the good that he’s done “away from the baseball diamond.”
Last month, “The Comeback,” a three-part docuseries detailing Boston’s 2004 season with interviews from star players and staff, premiered on Netflix. The former teammates enjoyed being able to reminisce and watch back key moments from different perspectives.
“It will never go away from me,” said Martinez. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t get enough of it. I’m extremely happy to be here reliving those moments with the same guys, and that says a lot about the unity we had.”
“Everybody always has a different perspective from player to player, person to person that was interviewed,” Varitek said. Because of how much time has passed, rewatching big moments from the season still held surprises. “You watch from a different lens when you’re not performing.”
“I got to see things that I don’t even remember,” said Ortiz, who poked fun at the Yankees last month after their loss to the Dodgers, dancing and repeating Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics, “They not like us.”
The rivalry with New York doesn’t seem like it will fizzle out anytime soon, nor will the legacy of the historic 2004 Red Sox. The love that they receive from the city and fans is uniquely special, said Martinez.
“I don’t know that anybody can say this, but I’m the most spoiled little brat that you can probably get in baseball because I never pitched on an empty seat in Boston, and that is support,” the Hall of Famer laughed. “That’s what I get from all of my teammates, from all of those guys that went through war with me.”
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