Big Daddy – Pedro Martínez

If MLB-caliber players were a tradable commodity the Dominican Republic would be its greatest exporter. Yet, for the plethora of talent emanating from this Caribbean island year after year, only one of its sons, Juan Marichal, was immortalized back in 1983. That is until Pedro Jaime Abreu Martínez (Pedro Martínez) was bestowed the sport’s highest honor – induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame – on July 26, 2015.

A fiery maestro with an arsenal of sophisticated weaponry, accuracy of a surgeon, and artistry of a musician, Martínez annihilated the opposition over a 17-year career that began in 1992. He dominated hitters in an era when most of the pro’s were aided by performance-enhancing drugs. When you consider his build—just 5’-10” weighing 150-pounds—he should have never been a starting pitcher let alone a “power” one. Signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, the Dominican-born Martínez spent several years in the minors before making his first MLB appearance in a relief role in 1992. Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was convinced he lacked the physical tools to withstand the rigors of a starter and used him out of the bullpen until he was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1994. It was then that Martínez began to flash the brilliance that would make him one the most dominant pitchers in the sports’ history. His pitching prowess was perfected after being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1998 and featured the unusual combination of power and finesse that confounded hitters pitch by pitch.

At the height of his dominance Martínez amassed stats every pitcher lusts after: 8-time All-Star, three Cy Young awards, the pitching Triple Crown (lowest ERA, most wins and most strikeouts) in 1999, over 3,000 strikeouts in less than 3,000 innings (first and only player in history), a 2004 World Series championship, third-best all-time “strikeout-to-walk” ratio and the highest winning percentage ever with one team (Boston Red Sox). Martínez finished his career with a record of 219-100, an ERA of 2.93 and received 91% first-ballot votes the first year he was eligible for the Hall of Fame. Just two days after his induction and moving speech in Cooperstown, the pride of Manoguayabo’s number, 45, was retired by the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

With a profound appreciation for his impoverished beginnings and Dominican roots, Martínez’s professional trajectory and Cooperstown honors are symbolic of the will, perseverance and determination that are typical of the very nation whose colors and values he represents. It wasn’t just Martinez who made it to the Hall of Fame, it was the entire Dominican Republic.

Image credit: Maddie Mayer