Pedro Martinez

As if the 2009 season couldn't get any worse for the Metropolitans, Pedro Martinez had to go and embarrass them on national television last night. While Tim Redding (who I can't stand) pitched his ass off for the Mets, their anemic offense couldn't help him out. The Phillies' famously potent lineup was held to just one run...

Continue reading "Pedro sticks it to his old mates"

He's in the top 20 all time in K's/9 and Opp. BA, but he's not as dominant as Koufax, Pedro Martinez or Randy Johnson in those categories. 

Gibson is also 26th in walks, showing longevity, and yet he's not in the top 30 in wins. Maybe not as successful as his reputation suggests. 

Continue reading "The Top 30 Players in MLB History"

Dear Readers (all five of you):

I've been active on my other blog at www.fannation.com, under the username JFro, but I continually forget to publish those posts here. That said, the next five posts should be considered my belated MLB preseason predictions -- a preview, of sorts. There's the top five infields, outfields, bullpens, and starting rotations, and of course The Big Kahuna:

Continue reading "Note about forthcoming posts"

s for the Mets, Santana hasn’t been his only impressive acquisition.  He also brought in Pedro Martinez, who restored the Mets to some respectability and allowed him to sign Carlos Beltran, and he traded for Carlos Delgado, another instrumental part of the core of the Mets team that has been competitive every season with Minaya on board.  Other useful acquisitions include Paul LoDuca, Darren Oliver, Jose Valentin, Duaner Sanchez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Endy Chavez, Ryan Church, Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis.

Continue reading "In The Aftermath Of The Collapse ..."

e Mets' three most dependable starters, will likely combine for eight starts down the stretch, with Pedro Martinez, Jon Niese and anyone's guess filling out the remaining five.  New York will need strong, deep outings from their big three, and lots of offense in the other five games in order to avoid leaving their playoff hopes in the hands of the bullpen.  Of course, a little help from Philadelphia's opponents couldn't hurt, but the Mets need to be able to take care of their own business.  If they can't win enough games on their own to hold their divisional lead, then they don't deserve to play baseball in October anyway.

Continue reading "Mets Cling To First Place With Lucky 13 Games Left"

and the rotation has simply been pitching well enough to warrant that kind of confidence.  But Pedro Martinez's horrendous five innings last night were unacceptable.  Pedro is a very important part of this team, especially now that John Maine is hurt again.  He tends to give up runs early, and then settle down, but when he loses steam, he loses it very quickly.  After working out of a jam in the first inning last night it seemed as if Pedro had found his groove, but he ran up his pitch count early and by the fifth inning was throwing batting practice.  If Pedro is healthy (and he says he is), he will need to give the Mets more quality innings going forward.  Five-inning starts expose a bullpen as unreliable as the Mets'.

Continue reading "Seven Runs: Too Little, Too Early"

and have had to miss time at some point this season:  Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Luis Castillo, Pedro Martinez, Marlon Anderson, John Maine, Billy Wagner, Duaner Sanchez, Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro, Damion Easley, Claudio Vargas, Endy Chavez, Angel Pagan, Trot Nixon, Tony Armas, and Matt Wise.  But the Mets are in first place now, in large part due to contributions from the likes of Fernando Tatis, Argenis Reyes, Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Robinson Cancel, and the core of players who have remained healthy.  Excuses don't win games, but a solid bench does.

Continue reading "Feliciano Blows Up In 10th"

ing quickly.  When David Wright knocked a three-run home run to right center in the first, and Pedro Martinez allowed only one run through six innings, the game seemed to be following how it was scripted.  But then on came the New York bullpen.

Continue reading "Heilman Heads Up Another Bullpen Meltdown"

    When Pedro Martinez allowed a home run to Jody Gerut on the first pitch of the game, it already didn't look good.  Then, when he allowed another one just two batters later, it looked like it was definitely going to be a long day for Pedro and the Mets.  But Pedro settled down beautifully and allowed just two hits the rest of the way in his 6.1 innings pitched Wednesday night.  His curveball and change-up were both working well, forcing San Diego hitters to hit ground balls or pop up, as they were regularly off balance.

Continue reading "Wright's Lapses Contribute to Mets' ..."

a little early to speculate on next year's rotation, but if the Mets don't re-sign Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez they have two open spots in the rotation behind Santana, Maine and Mike Pelfrey.  Why not give Heilman a shot?  He's only made 25 career starts, which is clearly not enough time to judge a starting pitcher (see:  Mike Pelfrey), and we all know he has great stuff.  His fastball clocks in at 95 miles per hour with excellent downward and tailing movement, and his change-up is very deceptive with fanastic downward action.  His only hurdle will be that he'll have to perfect a third pitch.  The way his slider looked last night, he might be on that path, and could be effective as a starter in 2009.

Continue reading "Heilman Holds Perez's Lead, Delgado Puts it Away"

t from Perez, and preferrably another deep outing in light of the uncertainty surrounding Maine and Pedro Martinez in the starting rotation.  Three runs also will not cut it; the offense needs to step it up.  Fernando Tatis can't do it all by himself.

Continue reading "Mets Fried By Fish, Maine Leaves Early"

Jon Garland ($12M)Jason Schmidt ($15.2M) Derek Lowe ($10M)Ben Sheets ($10.1M)Johan Santana ($16.9M)Pedro Martinez ($11.8M)Andy Pettitte ($16M)Mike Mussina ($11M)Carl Pavano ($11M)Matt Morris ($10M)Greg Maddux ($10M) Barry Zito ($14.5M)Chris Carpenter ($10.5M)Vincente Padilla ($11M)Kevin Millwood ($10.3M) AJ Burnett ($13.2M)Roy Halladay ($10M)

Continue reading "Washburn's Farewell"

y Damion Easley, Endy Chavez and David Wright gave New York a commanding 8-0 third inning lead, and Pedro Martinez looked to be back on track, allowing just two solo home runs through 5 1/3 innings.  At first it seemed the two runs the Mets scored off R.J. Swindle (whose out pitch apparently is a 55-mph hanging curveball) to make it 10-1 in the sixth, were just gravy.  However, as the Mets' bullpen proceeded to methodically give the lead back, allowing seven runs over the final three innings, Pedro's RBI single off Swindle proved to be valuable insurance, and ultimately the difference in the game.  When it was all said and done New York held on by the skin of their teeth for the 10-9 victory, and took three out of four from the first-place Phillies over the weekend to move within 2.5 games of the division lead--but they certainly could have looked better in doing so.  That Billy Wagner was awarded a save in return for allowing two runs in the ninth and almost blowing the game calls into question whether three-run leads should qualify as save situations at all.  Wagner was downright awful, but still "saved" the Mets from yet another brutal collapse.

Continue reading "Despite best efforts, Wagner and ..."

In what has turned into the most disappointed Mets season of my young lifetime, Sheadom turns to Pedro Martinez, the visage of a former titan of baseball, the premier Latin American ambassador for this game, and unable to complete a full Major League season in years.

Continue reading "Pedro Lives!"

of potentially hitting 25 home runs each this season.

New York Mets

What will the Mets get from Pedro Martinez this year?

While Johan Santana gives them the legitimate number one starter they lacked last year and should easily be the most dominant starter in the Majors this season, he can still only take the ball once every 5 games.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Season Preview: National League East"

the wrong reasons.  But that was last year and we can forget about it.

 Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez and Orlando Hernandez (for now).  If this is not the best staff in the league it is definitely in the top 2.

Continue reading "Pitchers and Catchers"

ky-bleeping-Dent in 1978 and in what I tend to think of as the 'turning point' season, Pedro Martinez tossing ex-Boston manager, 72-year-old Don Zimmer to the ground in 2003. It should be noted, in passing, that while the cries erupting from the Yankee camp sympathized with the 'poor old man' being abused by the young pitcher, by Zimmer's own admission, he had headed to the mound for the express purpose of attacking Martinez. Zimmer might have considered the adage about staying out of the kitchen if you can't stand the heat when he went out there.

Continue reading "Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry"