Mets baseball blog

Now Pedro can steal from the Phillies

On a day that Citizens Bank Park held a job fair for the public, the Phillies' newest employee arrived about a half-hour late to his press conference and was already listed on the team's disabled list.

But there was nothing else controversial about Pedro officially joining the defending World Series champions yesterday. Martinez pulled a red Phillies cap snugly on his head, said how proud he was to be in a uniform again and that a big factor in signing with the Phillies was the opportunity to win a World Series in the National League to go along with his 2004 ring he won with the Red Sox. Martinez, 37, even joked that he was eager to try the local delicacy - cheese steaks. "There will be plenty of time to go to Pat's or Geno's," said Martinez, referring to the famous South Philly eateries. Continue

Pedro won't be allowed to rob Mets again

Jerry Manuel yesterday appeared to douse any speculation that the Mets would bring back Pedro Martinez to fill their fifth-starter vacancy.

"Pedro is a Hall of Fame pitcher and one of the greatest pitchers of our time, but I feel very confident in the people we have in camp that can get the job done," Manuel said. "Do you like Pedro? Of course, you love Pedro. But you have to be fair to the people that we have here." Continue

Pedro livid over Posada diss

Jorge Posada dredged up the past yesterday, and Pedro Martinez didn't appreciate it one bit. Told that Posada had accused him of having "no class" for his actions in the notorious Yankees-Red Sox brawl during Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS, Martinez unleashed a vicious tirade on the Yankees catcher last night.

Posada, during an interview with Michael Kay for the YES Network program "Center Stage," criticized the way the then-Red Sox pitcher handled himself in the brawl, which featured Martinez slamming then-Yankees coach Don Zimmer to the field. Continue

Pedro's not up to speed

At least publicly, the Mets have painted Pedro Martinez's abrupt return to New York this week as little more than business as usual. The cracks in that veneer started to show yesterday, however, as Jerry Manuel revealed his concern about Martinez's diminished velocity in his two most recent starts.

Is Martinez's start Saturday at Shea Stadium in a key NL East matchup with the Phillies in danger? The Mets aren't going that far, but Manuel indicated yesterday that Martinez is not a sure thing to take the mound Saturday. Continue

Pedro's father dies

Pedro Martinez's father Pablo died in the Dominican Republic yesterday, succumbing after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 79. After hearing the news, the pitcher left Shea Stadium to take a charter flight to be with his family. "We are really, really sorry for Pedro, it's a sad day for him," manager Jerry Manuel said. "He came up, I think it was the seventh inning. I didn't have the chance to embrace him or anything like that. It's a sad day for him, I'm sure. We've all at some point or another felt the sting of death close. Our prayers will be with him."

Martinez - who will miss tomorrow's scheduled start in the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals - had flown back and forth to the Dominican this spring and summer to be with his ailing father, his latest trip was during the All-Star break. Continue

Pedro push-back

Pedro Martinez rejoined the Mets yesterday, but don't expect to see him on the mound before the end of the week. Martinez threw 33 pitches in the bullpen during last night's 7-2 Mets loss to the Reds, but none at full speed. It was the first time he'd thrown since leaving his last start on July 12 and since receiving a cortisone shot to his right hip on Thursday. Interim manager Jerry Manuel said Martinez will long toss today, then be reevaluated Tuesday. The thought is he will pitch next weekend against St. Louis. Continue

Pedro: I won't quit

Pedro Martinez won't let one of the worst stretches of his storied career drive him from the game. The three-time Cy Young winner vowed to fight through after another rough outing last night in the Mets New York Mets ' eventual 8-7 loss to the Cardinals. Martinez, who spent almost two months on the DL with a strained hamstring, is 2-2 with an unsightly 7.39 ERA in seven starts this season.

"If I was to quit right now, I would be a coward," Martinez said. "You have a lot more chances of seeing me [quit] when everything is going smooth than right now. I'm going to try to find a way and face whatever adversity is out there." Continue

Martinez OK after outing

Pedro Martinez described himself as none the worse for wear yesterday, hours after rolling up his highest pitch count in nearly two years. "I felt a lot better than I thought I would," said Martinez, who threw 109 pitches in a three-run, six-inning outing in the Mets ' 9-6 victory over the Giants Tuesday night.

The Mets' three-time Cy Young winner had not thrown more than 108 pitches in a game since June 22, 2006, when he had a 110-pitch count at home against the Reds. To go over 100 pitches in his first big-league start since straining his left hamstring April 1 in Miami was surprising enough. Even more impressive was Martinez reaching that number in windy, 57-degree temperatures that never let him get comfortable. Continue

With Pedro, too, It's an opening day feel

We can debate the merits of the men and their missions at another time. We can analyze whether the old veteran pitching tonight on the left coast has anything left, or if the kid with kerosene in his right arm wouldn't be better utilized in another role. There will be plenty of time to have those conversations. For now, we need only focus on this: Pete and Heat.

For now, there is Pedro Martinez returning to the Mets in San Francisco, throwing his first big-league pitch in two months and two days about 31/2 hours or so after Joba Chamberlain will throw his first big-league pitch as a starter, ever. There is a buzz of history surrounding the Chamberlain start, a whisper of nostalgia wafting over Martinez's. Continue

Pedro: 'Great’ days are ahead

Pedro Martinez returned to Shea Stadium yesterday and brought with him a message for his teammates: "We're due to win," the right-hander said. "We owe something to the fans, to the people in New York. I hope we can all pull it off together. "I think we're due to do something great here, and I hope we do it soon. I hope all the adversity that we have to face is already gone." Continue