PEDRO J. MARTINEZ HALL OF FAME SPEECH

Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado’s Introduction Speech for Pedro J. Martinez:
Pedro J. Martinez hails from the Dominican Republic, rare to see a pitcher small in size, to be such a power pitcher. He would be drafted by the Severn Express, owned & managed by Mike Roberts in the Inaugural Draft of the Mid-West Baseball League, he would spend two different stints with the Express (97’-98’, 2000-01’).

Pedro’s best individual season would be with Severn during the 2001 season, in which Pedro went a perfect 29-0, with a spectacular 1.51 ERA & 309 strikeouts (allowing 51 walks) in 250 innings – including 9 complete games (7 of them, shutouts). That season he won his 4th consecutive Cy Young, in which he would win 5 – the most in MWBL history. During 2001, he also led Severn to an American League Championship, in their attempt to repeat as MWBL World Champions – in which he earned his first World Series ring in 2000. His 2001 MWBL Season may easily go down as one of the best three seasons in the league’s history, and his 29-0 perfection was only bested by Roger Clemens’ 30-0 season in 2006 for Tempe.

Pedro would get traded to the Tempe Tempers during the 2002 season. The Tempers & Pedro would fall short of the World Series goals that season, but would go to the World Series five of the next six years, while Pedro collected four more World Championship rings. Most players would love to have one, Pedro has five – while going to the fall classic 8 times in his outstanding career. Pedro with the Tempe Tempers won three consecutive titles from 2003 through 2005, and would get another together in 2007.

Pedro is a 7-time All-Star (starting four of the them), while putting together a 217-79 career record (.733 winning pct), with a 2.58 ERA, 2,626 strikeouts , with an impressive 49 complete games in which nearly half of those complete games resulted in a shutout (24). At the time of Pedro’s retirement, he ranked as the all-time winningest pitcher in MWBL history – he now ranks 2nd all-time behind Andy Pettitte. He also ranks second in winning percentage (to Clemens) and strikeouts (to Randy Johnson). His 24 shutouts are tied for 3rd with Greg Maddux.

He had a mammoth stretch where he put up a sick 75-8 record from 1999 through 2001, winning 90% (.904) of his decisions.

One of two pitchers to win Cy Young Awards in both the American & National Leagues with Greg Maddux; while Pedro would win the award in four different uniforms over the time. One of those seasons, during 1998, he was traded in the middle of the season from Severn (his first stint with the team) to Ohio Valley.

Pedro J. Martinez’ Speech:

Thank you, very much, Gracias, Lo aprecie. Where do I begin? I want to thank Felipe Alou for believing in my abilities to pitch, taking a young pitcher like myself under his wing. As you know I always wanted to start and in the Majors, the Montreal Expos gave me that chance. It was not easy early on, I was labeled a headhunter, I was made out to be a mean guy, I just had no control of my stuff early in my career, I would go inside and I would hit batters. I would be tossed from many ball games. I don’t think the umpires at the time truly understood that it was not intentional.

There was many scouts, managers, general manager, baseball executives that all doubted me, saying I was too short, too small, an injury risk, I’ve heard all of it, so with that I want to take this moment and thank all of them, because it only made me more determined to prove to them on how wrong they were. I made it personal, I did everything I could to get better at my craft; I was determined to strike every batter that came up to the plate. I wanted the mentality of I own you. Even Kentucky did not give me a full chance in 2000, trading me away after acquiring me as Dispersal Draft Pick.

Shame, shame [shaking his head back & forth]

Seriously, I do want to thank the two organizations in the Mid-West Baseball League, which have contributed to most of my success during my career – The Severn Express and Tempe Tempers. I want to thank Mike Roberts of the Severn Express for acquiring me, a classy organization which the franchise from top to bottom, was set by the example of professionalism that Mike set every day for that ball club. I want to thank Chris Douglass and the Tempe Tempers for adding more rings, I know they enjoyed having me as a Temper, especially since I was on some of the teams that prevented them from getting a few more titles.

[Pedro smiles, as there are some chuckles from the crowd]

The Tempers are the best organization you could ever want to play for in the MWBL, if you wanted to win, Tempe was the place. I was fortunate to earn four more titles, and five more World Series appearances under Chris’s great franchise. I was fortunate to be under two great managers in Roberts and Douglass.

I feel fortunate to have a successful MWBL career, to be named the Cy Young winner, the best pitcher five times, an incredible time when I look back at that stretch. Winning 75 games in three years, my perfect 29-0, the only thing that would have made that year better if we (the Express) won the title that year (2001). Not too many players can sit back and say hey, I’ve been to the World Series 8 times for three different franchises, or say I have five rings. I have been blessed and have been selected by the fans many times to play in the All-Star Game.

I am thankful that I don’t have to face Derek Jeter anymore. He was the last guy I wanted to see in the batter’s box. He didn’t get rattled. He’s cold like an ice box. You make a great pitch, and he seems to find a way to bloop it all the time, always finding some area on that bat, and if you make a mistake, he will take you deep. I had a huge amount of respect for Derek Jeter, but I will safely say that I’m glad I don’t have to see him in the batter’s box anymore.

I would like to thank my Mother, Father, Brother, Familia & everyone who helped me along the way, I share this special day them.

Pedro J. Martinez

TRADE DEADLINE
WEDNESDAY 07/24/2024
AT 11:59 PM - ET!

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