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| PEDRO MEETS PRESS |
RED SOX : Spring Training 2014
March 2,2014.
BILL LANNO
THE RED SOCKS BLOG
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Pedro Martinez met the press this week as he reported for his second year of duty as Ben Cherington's assistant. Judging from the large ‘press’ turnout, there is still much interest when Pedro Martinez speaks.
"When is this going to end?" mused Martinez. "You guys still think I'm a ballplayer."
Martinez will be inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame later this year. In 2015, there could be an even bigger honor, when the three-time Cy Young Award winner becomes eligible for that big Hall of Fame, the one that resides in Cooperstown.
"I'm looking forward to that," Martinez said. "There's only so much I can do. As of now, I'm just like you, hoping and waiting to get another chance to actually make it back-to-back years. Boston -- then the Hall of Fame."
Does Martinez think he'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
"I think I should have a shot, but it's not up to me," he said. "Like I said, it's not up to me. I can only hope and wait."
Martinez has really taken to his job with the Red Sox.
"It's just that I think I have so much to offer, stuff that I'm not going to put into use anymore," Martinez said. "I might as well pass it along. I'm trying to do that. I'm trying to get involved more in baseball and more with the young players and the veteran players. Whoever needs me. I would just love to pass everything I know -- all my knowledge, all of my experience -- to some of those guys, and hopefully get some good results out of every one of them."
Pedro’s first season accomplishments flew under the radar last year but played out like this.
Drake Britton, a Red Sox prospect, was arrested for DUI during spring training last year. He was sent to Double-A Portland and was struggling early on.
Pedro volunteered to take a trip to Portland to spend time with him. By later in the summer, Britton was getting big outs at Fenway Park during a pennant race.
"For him to come to town like that, it's special. He flew into Portland and I got to sit down with him for about an hour. It was amazing," said Britton. "Just the attitude and mentality that I need to have," Britton said. "Being selfless, not selfish. Just basically getting my priorities straight. He's been a very good mentor. Just to have a guy like that come to town and just reassure me and tell me that I have it and it's there and it's just about doing these other minor little things to piece it all together was pretty cool. That's Pedro Martinez. It's awesome to hear that."
"Well, the first thing was I was honest to him. I will always be," Martinez said. "I was straightforward with him and I told him exactly what I would probably love to hear if I was in the same situation. I talk about his stuff, trusting his stuff, about his personal life, how he should treat some of the things that were happening. How much of a battle he wanted to put up after things like that happened.
"I'm extremely proud of him, extremely proud to see him overcome all that and actually pay me back. That's all I wanted -- I wanted to see him have success. And to see him at the end of the year pitching so well and doing so well for the team, helping the team so much, it really made me like a proud father."
Martinez went right to work last Wednesday assessing this years crop of prospects, young and old.
"You know what really caught my attention? To see everybody in such great shape," Martinez said. "Everybody seems to be ready. Everybody seems to be so strong. I saw Jon Lester today throwing on the side. My God, he looks great. He looks like he didn't miss a beat. I also saw Koji Uehara throw live BP. He looks like game-ready. It's amazing. It hasn't been too long since they were actually pitching. It's amazing to see how they look game-ready already."
Martinez would like to see his role this season change so he could spend more time on the diamond.
"I want to be more involved with the players," Martinez said. "I would like to do a little bit less of the public appearances that they had me doing last year. Because when you get the results that I got when talking to Britton, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman -- all those kids -- Webby, you feel like a proud father and you want to be around your sons. I was just going blind, trying to touch in some places, but now I know that my influence can help a lot of those kids. I'd love to do it. I'd love to do it and spend more time with them this year.
With the great young arms the Red Sox have, what more could you ask for than to have a Pedro Martinez around to mentor them.
Let’s hope his relationship with the Red Sox is a long one.
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