PEDRO SHOWS HIS TRUE COLORS....YELLOW!

Martinez intentionally hits Karim Garcia after losing lead;
throws Zimmer to ground in 4th inning melee

I am going to go straight to the point of my article. I HATE PEDRO MARTNEZ! Never in my forty-plus years of following baseball and the New York Yankees have I ever seen a more loathsome and despicable player as Pedro Martinez. This guy has issues. This guy is sick and this guy is dangerous.

We all know the history between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. It all started, when in 1920, the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Two years before the Babe helped the Red Sox win the World Series. It would be the last World Series victory for the Sox during the remainder of the 20th century. In fact it has been 85 seasons since Boston has popped the cork on the champaign.

In the meantime, the Yankees, who had never won a World Series, reeled off 26 of them between 1923 and 2000. The change of fortune between the two teams spawned the phenomenon called, "The Curse of the Bambino." Since 1920 it has been Ted vs Joe D, Dent vs Torrez, Munson vs Fisk and so on. The Red Sox and Yankees, over the years, have developed the fiercest rivalry in sports. Let's face it. These two teams don't like each other. Never have. Never will. But, what happened today went way beyond the perceived hatred, competitiveness and history of these two teams.

Both Yankees' starter Roger Clemens and Red Sox' starter Pedro Martinez have always had a reputation for throwing inside. They've also been known to hit a few people along the way. Everyone knows Roger Clemens history with the Red Sox so there is no point in rehashing that.

The Yankees have also had history with Pedro Martinez. Earlier this year in a game in July Pedro Martinez threw inside to both Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter hitting them on the hands. Both players left the game and missed a couple of games after that due to swelling and soreness. Martinez said he was throwing inside to move the players off the plate. Neither Jeter nor Soriano accused Martinez of throwing at them, but you know that thought was in the backs of their minds.

Fast forward to Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS. The site: Fenway Park. The park was packed in a sea of Boston Red Sox Red. Martinez vs Clemens. Clemens was making his last start ever at Fenway. The hype had been playing on TV for days. Who would throw inside first? Who would hit an opposing batter first? The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

In the first inning Clemens was getting pitches up and Boston struck first, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. In the top of the second Jorge Posada doubled off Martinez and Karim Garcia eventually singled him home. In the top of the third, with the Red Sox leading 2-1 Derek Jeter hit a hanging curve ball offered by Martinez up and over the green monster and the score was tied at 2.

Now the game got really interesting. Clemens held the Sox in the bottom of the third inning and the Yankees came back up to face Martinez in the fourth frame. Jorge Posada walked and Nick Johnson followed with a single. Posada moved to third base. Hideki Matsui hit a ground rule double, scoring Posada. The Yankees now led 3-2. Here's where things turned very ugly.

The Yankees' Karim Garcia stood again against Martinez and Martinez let fly a fast ball that headed directly for Garcia's head. Garcia ducked his head as the ball sailed behind him. The ball clipped Garcia on his left shoulder. Garcia popped his head back up and stared out at Martinez. Words then went back and forth between Martinez and Garcia as Karim headed to first base. Alfonso Soriano hit into a double play. As Garcia was sliding into second base he put a little extra into the slide and took out Boston second baseman Todd Walker.

As Garcia headed back toward the Yankees' dugout he continued to bark at Martinez. Other Yankees, including bench coach Don Zimmer, yelled at Martinez from the bench. Martinez, as seen on national television, pointed toward the Yankees' dugout and then to his right temple. You could see him saying, "I'll hit you here." He said it twice. It is unknown if he was pointing at Garcia or catcher Jorge Posada. Zimmer continued yelling at Martinez throughout the inning. Zimmer understands what it's like to be hit in the head with a baseball. In 1953 Zimmer was hit in the head with a pitch and was in a coma for two weeks. He had a steel plate put into his head, which is still there today.

The Yankees went back out to the field for the top of the fifth inning. Roger Clemens was stopped by two umpires and a short verbal exchange took place. You could see Clemens nod his head and pat one of the umpires on the arm. Clemens took the hill to face Manny Ramirez. With tensions already high Clemens threw a fast ball that was high and slightly inside. Ramirez ducked, but the pitch wasn't that close. Ramirez straightened up as Clemens was receiving the ball back from Posada and began throwing "F" bombs at Clemens. Clemens came off the mound toward Ramirez and threw a few "F" bombs of his own. Ramirez began advancing toward Clemens with a bat in his hands. The benches cleared as both teams met near the pitching mound.

Don Zimmer, who also left the bench, sought out one Boston player and that was Pedro Martinez. Keep in mind, Zimmer is an overweight, 72 year old man with two plastic knees. This scary scene was also caught on the cameras. You could see Martinez yelling something at somebody in front of him. Suddenly, Zimmer enters the picture and grabs at Martinez. Martinez back steps, grabs Zimmer by the head and forceably throws Zimmer to the ground. Martinez was then backed away by teammates as order was restored. What the hell were you thinking Martinez? You are a 31 year old athlete at the top of his physical abilities and you throw a grandfather over twice your age to the ground? Yeah, boy, big bad Pedro couldn't just side step an old man. No you got to make sure you grab him by the head and throw him to the ground a la Ty Cobb. Nice going you jerk.

Pedro Martinez is a coward. A coward who uses the designated hitter rule as a shield. He blantantly hits opposing batters, especially those wearing pinstripes, and then goes off to the sanctity of his dugout to smirk. He knows he doesn't have to worry about someone throwing at him. Funny how you never did that in the National League isn't it Pedro?

Pedro Martinez is now a marked man. He laid hands on a Yankee treasure and sent him to the hospital. Fortunately, all tests conducted on Zim were negative and he was released. I don't think a team of wild horses will keep him out of Fenway on Sunday. But, Pedro, you are a marked man. At some point before you retire the Yankees will exact their revenge. I don't know how or when, but I have faith that it will happen. I live for that day you classless punk.

PLAY BALL!


(c) 2003 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

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