Pedro shows Harold Reynolds how pitchers can work to improve their pitch locations on MLB Tonight.
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.
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Pedro Signs
June 18, 1988
Pedro is signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent.
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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.
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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.
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To Montreal
November 19, 1993
Pedro is traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields.
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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.
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Acquiring land
1996
Pedro begins accumulating parcels of land in his hometown for his charity, paying for them from his own pocket.
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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.
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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.
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To Boston
November 18, 1997
Pedro joins the Boston Red Sox after being traded by Montreal for pitchers Tony Armas and Carl Pavano.
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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.
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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.
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SI 1998 Cover
April 20, 1998
Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the first time.
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All Star MVP
July 13, 1999
Pedro wins the All Star MVP for the American League while with the Boston Red Sox.
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17 Strikeouts
September 11, 1999
Pedro pitches a 17-strikeout one-hitter at Yankee Stadium in one of his most dominant games ever.
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300th Strikeout
September 21, 1999
Pedro notches his 300th strikeout of ’99 season.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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ESPY Award
February 1, 2000
Pedro wins his first Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award.
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SI 2000 Cover
March 27, 2000
Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the second time.
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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.
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ESPY Award
February 1, 2001
Pedro wins his second Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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SI 2013 Cover
October 13, 2003
Pedro takes over the cover Sports Illustrated for the third time.
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World Series Win
October 27, 2004
Pedro leads the Boston Red Sox to their first world series win since 1918.
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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.
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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.
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NY Mets
December 17, 2004
Pedro signs as a Free Agent with the New York Mets.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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To Philly
July 15, 2009
Pedro signs as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.
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100 Games
September 3, 2009
Pedro becomes the 10th pitcher in history to win at least 100 games in each league.
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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.
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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.
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Retirement
December 4, 2011
Pedro officially announces his retirement.
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Making Room
2012
Pedro increases the size of the Community Center to include more classrooms, sports facilities and state-of-the-art playground.
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Turner Sports
2013
Pedro becomes an ‘MLB on TBS’ studio analyst for the network’s regular season and post-season game coverage.
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Special Assistant
January 24, 2013
Pedro joins the Boston Red Sox as a Special Assistant to the General Manager, Ben Cherington.
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Tough on Jeter
September 3, 2014
Derek Jeter reveals that Pedro was the toughest pitcher he ever faced.
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MLB Network
2015
Pedro is hired by the MLB Network as a studio analyst during the regular season.
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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.
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Goodwill Ambassador
January 14, 2015
Pedro is named Goodwill Ambassador for the Dominican Republic by Dominican President Danilo Medina.
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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.
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Batting with Brady
April 13, 2015
Pedro works Superbowl champion Tom Brady through some swings at Fenway Park during the Red Sox home opener.
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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).
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Bat Waggle
May 1, 2015
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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.
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#45 Retired
June 22, 2015
Pedro’s number is officially retired in the Boston Red Sox ball club.
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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.
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Pitching Location
August 27, 2015
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Luis Severino
2015
Pedro begins to mentor professional – and up and coming – athletes, including fellow Dominican pitcher Luis Severino of the New York Yankees.
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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.
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Hispanic Heritage
September 17, 2015
Pedro receives the HIspanic Heritage Award in Sports. It is considered among the highest honors for Hispanics by Hispanics.
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Different Fastballs
September 24, 2015
Pedro demonstrates on MLB Tonight various ways fastballs can be thrown based on finger and seam location.
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The Base
November 18, 2015
Pedro mentors and supports inner city boys and girls through The Base organization.
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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.
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Eduardo Rodriguez
March 12, 2016
Pedro works with Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Celebrating Lincoln
June 2, 2017
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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.
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Tipping Pitches
July 28, 2017
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ALS Game
August 17, 2017
Pedro pitches in to fight ALS at the Old Time Baseball Game at St. Peter’s Field.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Roenis Elias
February 15, 2018
Pedro works with Red Sox left-hander Roenis Elias.
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Rick Porcello
February 18, 2018
Pedro works with Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello.
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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.
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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.
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Alumni Game
May 27, 2018
Pedro participates in the first Alumni Game at Fenway in nearly 25 years.
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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.
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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.
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Feast 2018
June 29, 2018
Pedro joins fans at the second annual event at Fenway, raising money for the work of the charity.
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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.
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Wisdom for players
October 3, 2018
Pedro shares crucial wisdom for new baseball players on Turner’s Postseason Pre-Game Show.
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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.
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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.
