An unstoppable force

Passion keeps Pedro on top

From poverty in the poorest parts of the Dominican Republic to the MLB Hall of Fame, Pedro Martinez faced plenty of obstacles on the road to the success he has seen; a success that has far exceeded even his own expectations.

Born into hard conditions with little to no opportunities for an education or training that could lead him to a better life, Pedro managed to look within and find a driving force that fueled a motivation to overcome, to provide better for his family, and to succeed at what he put his mind and heart to.

Even as a child, he had an overwhelming drive to be the very best he could at everything he did.

 

Without money to afford actual baseballs, he used what he had available to practice. Rolled up socks. His sister’s doll heads. His brother’s school books. He practiced relentlessly, working on precision of his skills. He sought the wisdom and advice of those with anything to teach him.

He was unstoppable.

No matter what he faced on or off the field, Pedro played to win. Pressure only created the diamond within him that would become his character, shaping the man he is today. Resilient. Humble. Hard working. Passionate. Responsible. Determined. 

Having reached the top as the best in the world, the jersey may be retired and the days on the field may be done, but the diamond – the character and the man that was shaped through the years of fight and win – remains.

Timeline

A look at the life of Pedro Martinez on and off the field.

 

  • Pedro Signs

    Pedro Signs

    June 18, 1988

    Pedro is signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent.

  • MLB Debut

    MLB Debut

    September 24, 1992

    Pedro makes his big league debut with the LA Dodgers against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

  • First start

    First start

    September 30, 1992

    Pedro starts his first MLB game for the Dodgers. He gives up two runs in a 3-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

  • To Montreal

    To Montreal

    November 19, 1993

    Pedro is traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields.

  • A Perfect 9

    A Perfect 9

    June 3, 1995

    Pitching for Montreal against the San Diego Padres, Pedro retires the first 27 hitters he faces. The game remains tied at 0-0 before Montreal wins 1-0 in extra innings.

  • Acquiring land

    Acquiring land

    1996

    Pedro begins accumulating parcels of land in his hometown for his charity, paying for them from his own pocket.

  • 300th Strikeout

    300th Strikeout

    September 25, 1997

    Pedro is the first right-handed pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00 since Walter Johnson in 1912.

  • The Cy Young

    The Cy Young

    1997

    Pedro wins the 1997 National League Cy Young Award while with the Montreal Expos. He posts a record of 17–8 with 0 saves, an ERA of 1.9 and 305 strikeouts.

  • To Boston

    To Boston

    November 18, 1997

    Pedro joins the Boston Red Sox after being traded by Montreal for pitchers Tony Armas and Carl Pavano.

  • Charity founded

    Charity founded

    1998

    The Pedro Martinez and Brothers Foundation, or Pedro Martinez Charity, is established to service the needs of the disadvantaged in the Dominican Republic and beyond.

  • First Boston Game

    First Boston Game

    April 1, 1998

    Pedro’s opening day with Boston. He pitches seven innings, three hits, no earned runs, and 11 strikeouts with two walks.

  • SI 1998 Cover

    SI 1998 Cover

    April 20, 1998

    Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the first time.

  • All Star MVP

    All Star MVP

    July 13, 1999

    Pedro wins the All Star MVP for the American League while with the Boston Red Sox.

  • 17 Strikeouts

    17 Strikeouts

    September 11, 1999

    Pedro pitches a 17-strikeout one-hitter at Yankee Stadium in one of his most dominant games ever.

  • 300th Strikeout

    300th Strikeout

    September 21, 1999

    Pedro notches his 300th strikeout of ’99 season.

  • 1999 ALDS Win

    1999 ALDS Win

    October 11, 1999

    Pedro Martinez leads the Boston Red Sox to victory in the epic Game 5 of the 1999 American League Division Series game.

  • The Cy Young

    The Cy Young

    November 16, 1999

    Pedro wins his second Cy Young Award, this time while with the Boston Red Sox. He posts a record of 23–4 with 0 saves, an ERA of 2.07 and 313 strikeouts.

  • Triple Crown

    Triple Crown

    1999

    Pedro wins the pitching Triple Crown award (leading a league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average) with 23 wins, 303 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.07.

  • ESPY Award

    ESPY Award

    February 1, 2000

    Pedro wins his first Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award.

  • SI 2000 Cover

    SI 2000 Cover

    March 27, 2000

    Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the second time.

  • The Cy Young

    The Cy Young

    2000

    Pedro wins his third American League Cy Young Award, his second while with the Boston Red Sox. He posts a record of 18–6 with 0 saves, an ERA of 1.74 and 284 strikeouts.

  • ESPY Award

    ESPY Award

    February 1, 2001

    Pedro wins his second Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award.

  • Land Donated

    Land Donated

    2002

    Pedro donates land to the Dominican government for what will later be the construction of the San Miguel basic school (finished in 2007 in conjunction with the Japanese government).

  • Welcome Papi

    Welcome Papi

    January 22, 2003

    Pedro uses his voice to support first baseman David Ortiz joining the Red Sox after Ortiz’s time with the Minnesota Twins was done.

     

  • 100th Win

    100th Win

    September 16, 2003

    Pedro becomes only the tenth Major League pitcher in history to win at least 100 games in both the National and American baseball leagues.

  • SI 2013 Cover

    SI 2013 Cover

    October 13, 2003

    Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the third time.

  • World Series Win

    World Series Win

    October 27, 2004

    Pedro leads the Boston Red Sox to their first world series win since 1918.

  • Free Agent

    Free Agent

    November 2, 2004

    Pedro is granted free agency after finishing his Red Sox career with a 117-37 record-the highest winning percentage any pitcher has had with any team in baseball history.

  • SI 2004 Cover

    SI 2004 Cover

    November 8, 2004

    Pedro is on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the fourth time, celebrating the World Series win with teammates Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, and Curt Schilling.

  • NY Mets

    NY Mets

    December 17, 2004

    Pedro signs as a Free Agent with the New York Mets.

  • United Nations

    United Nations

    June 30, 2006

    Pedro is honored by the UN for his successful efforts to raise funds and public support for the rebuilding of flood-destroyed areas of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

  • Breaking Ground

    Breaking Ground

    2007

    Pedro donates land to start ‘The Pedro Martinez Charity’ in effort to provide support and educational programs for children that will positively impact the community.

  • Program Launch

    Program Launch

    2007

    Hay Poder en Aprender – “There is Power in Learning” – the flagship program for the organization launches in the San Miguel de Manoguayabo region of Dominican Republic.

  • 3000th Strikeout

    3000th Strikeout

    September 3, 2007

    Pedro collects his 3000th career strikeout when he retires Aaron Harang, becoming the 15th man in Major League history to strike out 3,000 batters. Pedro 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.

  • US Expansion

    US Expansion

    June 17, 2009

    Hay Poder en Aprender receives the backing of Major League Baseball, USAID, and the Dominican Development Alliance, expanding the program into the United States.

  • To Philly

    To Philly

    July 15, 2009

    Pedro signs as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • 100 Games

    100 Games

    September 3, 2009

    Pedro becomes the 10th pitcher in history to win at least 100 games in each league.

  • Winning Starts

    Winning Starts

    2009

    Philadelphia won each of Martínez’s first seven starts, the first time in franchise history that this had occurred with any debuting Phillies pitcher.

  • Smithsonian

    Smithsonian

    March 25, 2011

    A portrait of Pedro by Susan Miller-Havens called El Orgullo y la Determinacion (“Pride and Determination”) is unveiled at the Smithsonian.

  • Retirement

    Retirement

    December 4, 2011

    Pedro officially announces his retirement.

  • Making Room

    Making Room

    2012

    Pedro increases the size of the Community Center to include more classrooms, sports facilities and state-of-the-art playground.

  • Turner Sports

    Turner Sports

    2013

    Pedro becomes an ‘MLB on TBS’ studio analyst for the network’s regular season and post-season game coverage.

  • Special Assistant

    Special Assistant

    January 24, 2013

    Pedro joins the Boston Red Sox as a Special Assistant to the General Manager, Ben Cherington.

  • Tough on Jeter

    Tough on Jeter

    September 3, 2014

    Derek Jeter reveals that Pedro was the toughest pitcher he ever faced.

  • MLB Network

    MLB Network

    2015

    Pedro is hired by the MLB Network as a studio analyst during the regular season.

  • Hero's Welcome

    Hero’s Welcome

    January 11, 2015

    The Dominican Republic lines up for 19 miles to welcome Pedro home after being inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame.

  • Goodwill Ambassador

    Goodwill Ambassador

    January 14, 2015

    Pedro is named Goodwill Ambassador for the Dominican Republic by Dominican President Danilo Medina.

  • Save the Elbow

    Save the Elbow

    April 8, 2015

    Pedro shows how to eliminate and reduce the stress of a pitchers elbow by using proper pitching and body mechanics.

  • Batting with Brady

    Batting with Brady

    April 13, 2015

    Pedro works Superbowl champion Tom Brady through some swings at Fenway Park during the Red Sox home opener.

  • Supporting SLAM

    Supporting SLAM

    April 27, 2015

    Pedro visits and speaks into the youth at Pitbull’s public charter school, the Sports Leadership And Management Academy (SLAM).

  • Bat Waggle

    Bat Waggle

    May 1, 2015

    Pedro, along with Greg Amsinger and Harold Reynolds, reveal the secret of how you can use a hitter’s bat waggle to figure out how to pitch to him.

  • Book Release

    Book Release

    May 5, 2015

    Pedro’s book, “Pedro” is released. It is co-authored with Boston Herald writer Michael Silverman, and chronicles Pedro’s childhood, career, and personal life.

  • #45 Retired

    #45 Retired

    June 22, 2015

    Pedro’s number is officially retired in the Boston Red Sox ball club.

  • US Baseball H.O.F.

    US Baseball H.O.F.

    July 25, 2015

    Pedro is the second player from the Dominican Republic ever to be inducted into the US Baseball Hall of Fame.

  • Pitching Location

    Pitching Location

    August 27, 2015

    Pedro shows Harold Reynolds how pitchers can work to improve their pitch locations on MLB Tonight.

  • Luis Severino

    Luis Severino

    2015

    Pedro begins to mentor professional – and up and coming – athletes, including fellow Dominican pitcher Luis Severino of the New York Yankees.

  • Vice President

    Vice President

    September 15, 2015

    Pedro and wife Carolina meet with Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden during a Hispanic Heritage event.

  • Hispanic Heritage

    Hispanic Heritage

    September 17, 2015

    Pedro receives the HIspanic Heritage Award in Sports. It is considered among the highest honors for Hispanics by Hispanics.

  • Different Fastballs

    Different Fastballs

    September 24, 2015

    Pedro demonstrates on MLB Tonight various ways fastballs can be thrown based on finger and seam location.

  • The Base

    The Base

    November 18, 2015

    Pedro mentors and supports inner city boys and girls through The Base organization.

  • Kennedy Institute

    Kennedy Institute

    November 19, 2015

    Pedro speaks at the esteemed Edward M. Kennedy Institute about his path from the Dominican Republic to the Hall of Fame as part of the Institute’s ‘Getting to the Point’ Series.

  • Eduardo Rodriguez

    Eduardo Rodriguez

    March 12, 2016

    Pedro works with Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.

  • Gala 2016

    Gala 2016

    November 4, 2016

    Pedro and Carolina host the first black tie event in Boston, where the vision and impact of The Pedro Martinez Charity is shared to raise money for the organization.

  • Coaching a Veteran

    Coaching a Veteran

    April 11, 2017

    Pedro gives Dan Plesac, a veteran MLB pitcher for 18 years, advice that rocks his world on how to throw a proper changeup.

  • Feast with 45

    Feast with 45

    May 6, 2017

    Pedro joins renowned chefs at Fenway Park to share in food and fun with fans for the first time, raising money to support the charitable efforts of his foundation.

  • Celebrating Lincoln

    Celebrating Lincoln

    June 2, 2017

  • Making a mark

    Making a mark

    July 12, 2017

    Pedro is celebrated as one of 25 premiere athletes who made the greatest mark on this quarter-century to commemorate the 25th year of The ESPYS.

  • Tipping Pitches

    Tipping Pitches

    July 28, 2017

    Pedro and Carlos Pena discuss how to tip pitches while analyzing the trouble of a NY Yankee’s pitcher.

  • ALS Game

    ALS Game

    August 17, 2017

    Pedro pitches in to fight ALS at the Old Time Baseball Game at St. Peter’s Field.

  • A Decade of Impact

    A Decade of Impact

    November 1, 2017

    The Pedro Martinez Foundation celebrates 10 years of impact. Highlights: 12 homes have been built, 4000+ scholarships have been given out, over 200,000 meals have been served.

  • Gala 2017

    Gala 2017

    November 3, 2017

    Pedro and Carolina host the second annual black tie event, this year raising funds to support those in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria.

  • Boston Pride

    Boston Pride

    December 5, 2017

    Pedro receives the Boston Pride Award at the Globies, an annual event celebrating New England sports and honoring the athletes and teams that fuel passion for sports on and off the field.

  • Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico

    December 11, 2017

    Batteries are purchased and delivered to the hurricane battered island of Puerto Rico thanks to funds raised at the Pedro Martinez Foundation Gala.

  • Charity To Foundation

    Charity To Foundation

    2018

    Pedro Martinez Charity becomes the Pedro Martinez Foundation – a publicly funded 501C3 – making room for future programs and centers supporting children, families, and communities.

  • Roenis Elias

    Roenis Elias

    February 15, 2018

    Pedro works with Red Sox left-hander Roenis Elias.

  • Rick Porcello

    Rick Porcello

    February 18, 2018

    Pedro works with Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello.

  • Boston Marathon

    Boston Marathon

    April 16, 2018

    Three runners join forces to form the Pedro Martinez Charity Boston Marathon Team, running to raise funds for the Foundation.

  • Harvard University

    Harvard University

    April 30, 2018

    Pedro speaks at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, highlighting how the Red Sox have tried to step up to the plate to be a positive force for their region.

  • Alumni Game

    Alumni Game

    May 27, 2018

    Pedro participates in the first Alumni Game at Fenway in nearly 25 years.

  • Canadian Baseball H.O.F.

    Canadian Baseball H.O.F.

    June 16, 2018

    Pedro is inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for his time with the Montreal Expos – the place where his major league career took off.

  • Special Guest

    Special Guest

    June 21, 2018

    Pedro is the featured special guest at the 2018 Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards, celebrating and honoring the accomplishments of All-Star High School student athletes.

  • Feast 2018

    Feast 2018

    June 29, 2018

    Pedro joins fans at the second annual event at Fenway, raising money for the work of the charity.

  • Childhood hero

    Childhood hero

    August 20, 2018

    Pedro is honored by Orioles relief pitcher Miguel Castro as he recounts how Pedro has been his hero since childhood, looking up to him as a person and player.

  • Wisdom for players

    Wisdom for players

    October 3, 2018

    Pedro shares crucial wisdom for new baseball players on Turner’s Postseason Pre-Game Show.

  • Another World Series Win

    Another World Series Win

    October 28, 2018

    Pedro, Special Assistant to the General Manager and key pitching coach for the team, celebrates with his 2018 World Series winning team.

  • Charter School

    Charter School

    2018

    Ground is broken to develop a new, state-of-the-art Charter School in the Dominican Republic that will support over 1600 youth.