Pedro on Schilling, Francona, and Theo

[Bomber]

Great stuff, here's the highlights.

He also said he deserved a better deal than Schilling.

"Schilling is 38, I'm only 33," he said. "The fact that I had an off-year doesn't mean that I can be below Schilling. Still, with an off-year, I'm way over Schilling as a pitcher and I've pitched pretty much like Schilling the last few years, if you're going to talk about durability."

He said Epstein treated his agent, Fernando Cuza, poorly during negotiations.

"Theo got really arrogant on Fernando and I didn't appreciate it," Martinez said. "Theo believed that he had me and wasn't the nicest man communicating with Fernando."

He said Red Sox manager Terry Francona played a small role in managing the team, taking his cues from the team's front office.

"Francona is subject to what they decide," Martinez said. "Francona had no say, like he didn't have any say in managing the team. He was manipulated from upstairs."

Asked for evidence to back that assertion, he said, "I was in the clubhouse, that's how I know."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/12/17/pedro.redsox.ap/

[Suicane75]

I love Pedro, he's just a free spirit.

[Subby]

Any time there is a Pedro interview in print, I read his comments in my Chico Escuela voice...

[SirFozzie]

heh... pedro wasn't comfortable being hated by just the writers.. he wanted to make everybody hate him.

Schilling, with game 6 of the ALCS and Game 2 of the World Series=Demi-God in Boston.

Theo=God in Boston, he's the one who had put the team together that ended 86 years of futility.

Attacking those two=Teh Stoopid

[CraigSca]

All it got them all was a World Series ring. Yawn.

[Suicane75]

Or a jerk who talks smack about people after he leaves.

I saw very little smack in there. I dont think anything he said could be disproved and if thats how he felt then thats how he felt. I'd take him on my team anyday, maybe not for $11 Million though.

[Desnudo]

I love Pedro, he's just a free spirit.

Or a jerk who talks smack about people after he leaves.

[SirFozzie]

oh yeah, way to piss off your upcoming catcher by saying the Mets should sign Varitek, and Piazza should "just move to first base or something"

[Suicane75]

oh yeah, way to piss off your upcoming catcher by saying the Mets should sign Varitek, and Piazza should "just move to first base or something"

Piazza would of been good to take advice about 2-3 seasons ago.
When did outspoken and right become as bad as outspoken and wrong?

[Desnudo]

I saw very little smack in there. I dont think anything he said could be disproved and if thats how he felt then thats how he felt. I'd take him on my team anyday, maybe not for $11 Million though.

I suppose. Maybe a better way of putting it would be saying sometimes you shoud just keep your mouth shut. Nothing he said did anyone any good. Well the free spirit is the Mets problem now anyway. Piazza must be excited to meet him.

[jeff061]

Martinez (unlike Roger with the Sox) truly is in the twilight of his career. I'm just glad he didn't go to the Yankees. While I believe his ERA is going to be near or north of 4 this year, he would be very nasty against the Sox(then go on the DL for a month afterwords).

I do wish they'd sign Varitek. He's got a bat, he makes pitchers better, and is a force in the club house.

[CentralMassHokie]

Pedro is still awesome.

Hell, I agree with half of what he said. It's obvious they didn't want him back at a deal anywhere near what the market said he'd get. It's going to be the one black mark on Theo's resume, because Pedro's nowhere near done.

Topping it off, he's moving to Shea, a huge pitchers park, in a league where pitchers pretty much drop .2 pts on his ERA.

It wouldn't suprise me to see Pedro at something like 17-10, 2.90 ERA, 250 Ks. People talk all about his injuries, but what they don't realize is as long as you throw him every 5th day, sneaking him an extra days rest when you can, he'll give you just about 200 IP like he has for the last 3 seasons.

Last year, in a "down" year, he had an ERA+ of 125, was 16th in VORP, and was 10th in baseball in runs saved. In a down year.

He's a nutjob, but that's why he's awesome. There just aren't enough baseball players who speak their mind intelligently anymore.

[jeff061]

He's still good if he can put 100% into a start. He can't do that anymore if he wants to be around for the second half of the season and post season.

It wasn't a down year, it was another year in decline.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Hell, I agree with half of what he said. It's obvious they didn't want him back at a deal anywhere near what the market said he'd get. It's going to be the one black mark on Theo's resume, because Pedro's nowhere near done.Two things. First, there's the market before Minaya went nuts with Benson, and the market afterwards; I think the initial offer from the Sox reflected the market (and was comparable to Schilling's deal). Second, there's length of contract... from all accounts, the Sox offered three years and $40 million, which is in the same ballpark yearly-money-wise as the Mets but a year short. Considering lingering questions about Pedro's long-term health and effectiveness -- by all accounts, it's impossible to insure his contract, and his numbers have been steadily declining for the last couple of years -- I think it makes sense for the Red Sox to be reticent about committing to a long-term deal.

[Suicane75]

I think we need to better define "decline". At Pedros rate of "decline" he'll be a 3.30 ERA pitcher in 4 years. I can live with that decline.

[scc27]

The Mets will not be able to provide the run support that Boston did and his ERA is going to be higher and higher every year. He will be nothing in 3 years. Everybody will be after Johan Santana.

[SoxWin]

We'll see how he enjoys life when he can't come and go as he pleases. I think he got a tremendous amount of leeway from Boston fans because of the superhuman years in the late 90's, early 00's. Will be interesting to see how the fans react if he can't deliver as the saviour Minaya has promised.

[jeff061]

Yeah, Pedro's prime years were arguably the best of any pitcher, ever. He just can't physically do it anymore. In 4 years he'll be holding out from the team after they try to stick him in the bullpen ;).

[Mr. Wednesday]

Decline = all of his peripherals were trending in the wrong direction. His HR rate really spiked, that might be somewhat random variation and Shea will help, but you'd better be sure that's just an anomaly if you want to make a big commitment.

[gstelmack]

I think we need to better define "decline". At Pedros rate of "decline" he'll be a 3.30 ERA pitcher in 4 years. I can live with that decline.
Yes, but he'll only be pitching 3.2 innings every night...

[MrBug708]

Everyone knows that Francona was there just to get Curt Schilling

[CentralMassHokie]

Yes, his peripherals are in decline.

But they're still among the best in baseball. Who would you rather have for the next three season? Carl Pavano or Pedro Martinez?

Pavano's had 1 season better than Pedro's worst. His peripherals are, for the most part, worse than Pedro's. His DIPS era - worse than Pedro's.

Pedro's a headcase. He needs his own set of rules. But if I'm a GM, I deal with those headaches to get the top level performance. The Boston media blows *everything* out of proportion, and having lived here my whole life, there's the need to tear down heros who don't fit the working class ideal. That's Pedro, Manny, Nomar in his last season and a half, now it's bleeding into Paul Pierce.

Topping it off, it's obvious to me (someone who watched 99% of Pedro's outings last year) that he spent 2004 relearning to pitch, figuring out when he could go to the fastball, how much would be there, etc. I think that's at least partially responsible for the spike in BB/9 and HR/9. I think he knows what his body can do now and, assuming they don't put a complete moron behind the plate in Shea, you'll see Pedro move back towards an ERA+ of 150-175.

[SoxWin]

Everyone knows that Francona was there just to get Curt Schilling

And what a horrible decision that turned out to be.....

[Solecismic]

Good ol' Red Light Curt. He'll always be a hero here for what he did during the playoffs. And, unlike Clinton Portis, when he plays with a red sock, he gets accolades. Portis just gets fined.

Pedro has a million-dollar arm and a ten-cent head. Which would be okay, there have been many throughout sporting history. But he believes he's a genius, and he has perhaps the biggest ego ever seen in professional sports.

Don't get me wrong. I wish him well, and appreciate what he did for the Red Sox. No way do they win the WS without him. But I've long since learned not to care one bit what comes out of his mouth. The Mets were willing to pay more than the Red Sox, more power to them.