Pedro is in the House
(but is he running for the
House that Ruth built?)
"I think the hammer is with
Pedro, this (A-Rod to NY) impacts him much more than Nomar, because
clearly the Red Sox have become obsessive about the Yankees, and
let's face it, the hammer out, their worst scenario is Pedro ending
up a Yankee. Which I think Steinbrenner would go for in a heartbeat,
if he went out on the market."
- Peter Gammons on Pedro
"I'm just gonna go and compete like I
have to. Like a professional, for my year contract, that
I have and if they don't want to sign me, that's fine,
I'm pretty sure I'll probably get a job with somebody
else. But if they do, I'll be more than happy to stay
here."
- Pedro Martinez
On expectations: Game 7 is
over, let's move on... I hope it is that we
are the team to beat, but I don't want to say it, I want to do it,
that's the main role. We have to go out there and prove it, not just
talk. Yapping
you won't win ballgames.
On he and Schilling to push each
other to higher levels: No. I don't expect anybody to push me. I
expect to be healthy and push myself. I don't need anybody to push
me. I would like to help him and I would like him help me when I need
him, if
I need any advice or something he can pick up, but I don't think I
need an extra push.
Anything different this off-season: I rested
a little bit more, I rested for like a month and a half and it paid
off because I gained the 10 lbs. I lost
last year and I feel great physically. I actually feel like in those
young days when it was easy to pick up a ball and just gas it
somewhere, so I hope I can maintain that.
On Zimmer incident and (making up
with New York for some reason): I don't need to call him, he
doesn't need to call me. I didn't do anything wrong. I was trying to
protect the man, and he kind of tried to punch me, so I had to let
him go. I was totally aware that I did not want to hurt the man. I
did not intend to hurt him or throw him on the ground. I just had to
let him go because he tried to hurt me, he tried to punch me and he
was very embarrassed and he apologized. I didn't feel like I had to
because I didn't do anything wrong, I went out there like everybody
does whenever there's a fight, and I would do it again, and this
time I hope I don't find somebody like Zimmer and I would do
whatever to protect my teammates and I'm pretty sure he understands
that, and that's the only reason I went out. I didn't go out there
with the intentions to hit Zimmer or anybody. I actually respect him
a lot. I respect Joe Torre and the whole coaching staff. When I went
to my head like this I just said "I remember" not "I'm gonna plunk
somebody on the head." I'm a professional and I know what a life is
to a person, so I did not mean to say "I'm hitting you in the head"
like a lot of the people in New York actually, put in the papers, I
just said "I will remember" in Spanish to Jorge, I remember what
you're saying and that he mentioned my mamma's name, in a bad way.
On going into the season without a
contract: No that won't bother me, I'm actually aware that it's
not up to me to get a new contract, I'm just gonna go and compete
like I have to. Like a professional, for my year contract, that I
have and if they don't want to sign me, that's fine, I'm pretty sure
I'll probably get a job with somebody else. But if they do, I'll be
more than happy to stay here.
There are no talks, none. And I'm not
expecting it, I'm not looking forward to it. I just expecting to
work this year and actually let them make the move. The ball's is in
their court.
I've always said that I would like to
actually retire with the Boston hat, but if it's not that way, it's
not going to be that way, there's nothing I can do.
I'm not really thinking about anybody
else, I'm actually thinking about myself and working the way I have
to. I can't really help the fact that they wanted to sign Schilling,
and I'm really happy for Schill, he deserves it, he's a workhorse.
And he'll give us a lot of help. I don't really have anything
against it. God puts it in the way for whoever he belongs to and if
it doesn't belong to me, it doesn't belong to me, I don't belong to
Boston anymore, it's up to Boston. They know what they're doing.
They're managing this team so they should know what they're doing.
This is my sixth year in Boston and I'm
just looking forward to work my year and we'll see what happens
afterwards. That doesn't mean that they're not going to try to sign
me after the season or whatever. I don't know what they're gonna do
actually, I'm just here to work and earn my money.
The way I look at my teammates and the
way I've seen them work today for the first day, I think they're
determined to take a chance at winning. I think they're determined
to just work and not really worry about the outside problems. And
that's business, and that's why we pay agents and a nice 5% to just
yap, yap with the owners and the GMs. So we're gonna let them take
of that and we'll take care of business in the field.
I don't know (about it being wise to
test the market if he's healthy and has a good year), I've never
been in that position. I'll try to see what it's like, I'll try to
see what it's like and you know what? I'll give Boston probably an
opportunity to sign me if the season is over and they want to talk
about it because I would love to finish in Boston, but if it doesn't
work out, believe me I'm gonna just go to the market and see what
happens, but I'm not looking forward to making it a big deal. I'm
pretty sure somebody will give me an offer to be in one team. And
that's what I want, I want a job.
On Nomar and Manny: "Nomar is a
true professional, he knows that a lot of the talking with regards
to Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez... Manny's in la la land. I haven't talked
to Manny in like a month and a half or so. I don't expect that to
affect Manny. Manny never talks, he doesn't know where he's
standing. Now one thing is does know is how to hit, how to play the
game. And Nomar's very professional, he understands the business
part of it. I'd be upset as well, if I wasn't told the fact
that that I was going to be in trade talks. Because a player like
Nomar deserves
to at least know that he's going to be talking to trades, so it
doesn't surprise him. But he's not like a
person who is going to snap because of that. He understands the
business part of it and he respects that. And I actually believe
Nomar will never be the type of guy that will open bad things in the
clubhouse.
On the media: From some members
of the media, not all of them (less appreciated in Boston than you
were in the past?), Well the last year, yeah, I have been less
appreciated, not by the fans, remember I'm saying it's not by the
fans, not by the people in the team, but by the media. Some of you
guys. Some of you. I'm not saying you. I'm not saying anybody, I'm
not going to say names or point out anybody (like we couldn't name
them our self), I'm just gonna say some people have disrespect Pedro Martinez,
and the person, not only the player, but the
person, in the past. And that's the reason Pedro stopped talking a little bit.
And Pedro went about his business and let the fans do the judgment.
I had a pretty good season last year. I
was really happy, I just wasn't talking as often as I used to. I 'm
actually happy to cooperate and help you do your jobs
but I dislike the cameras and I dislike the media, at this
point.
On the Yankees losing Pettitte and
Clemens: I think the key on that team is not Wells, it's not
Roger Clemens at this time, I think it's Andy Pettitte. Andy
Pettitte was the clutch pitcher that they have. Andy did it over and
over and over. He pitched really well when it counts against us.
(Happy to see him leave the team?) Not really, he went away because
he choose to. I'm happy for him if he feels happy there, but I'm not
really concerned about their business, I know we have our stuff
here.
This is the year I think, all the work I've done the last three years, is
paying off. Because everything is just fluent. Right now I'm going
through the motions and my body is reacting extremely well. I don't
feel the 190, like before. Before I felt a little heavy. Felt
uncomfortable a little bit, and now I felt like I used to it. And I
feel equally as loose, and throwing the ball actually I think a little harder.
On Game 7: It wasn't really
wanting to stay, I was asked a question, whether I wanted to pitch
to Matsui or not. That was probably going to be my last
batter. I was
actually shocked that I was staying there for the last two hitters
or three hitters, because I was asked to pitch to Matsui and I did
that, and I said yes, of course after so many hitters I... If
you ask me if I could pitch to Matsui again, I would say yes. If you
ask me if I can pitch to anybody, I would say yes. I would never say
no because I'm paid to do that for nine innings. And there's no one to blame,
but that was the question. It really wasn't insisting on staying
there. I was a little bit ascared to leave the game, but it really
wasn't my decision. - Pedro Martinez News
Conference, WEEI (complete)
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