Can Martinez Worm His Way Out of Trouble in Boston?

It's Meet and Greet for
Pete and the Media

But Will the Fans Hold His Feet to the Fenway Fire?

Mike Celizic: 'Red Sox Fans Need to Heartily Boo Pedro'

"For the fans, Pedro’s return to Fenway shouldn’t be about doing what’s right by their former hero. If sports started working that way, the entire player-fan dynamic would be turned on its head.

"He used to play there, and then he went to not just another town, but to the hated Big Apple. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t sign with the New York Yankees, because the Mets haven’t occupied a terribly choice piece of real estate in Boston hearts since 1986 and that episode with Bill Buckner..."

"Reviling old heroes is what makes the game fun, and few are bigger than Pedro. Red Sox fans have already shown what they’re capable of when they booed Johnny Damon on his return. Now it’s Pedro’s turn.

"They’ve got to give him everything they got. To do otherwise would be an insult to what he meant to Boston and a travesty of what it means to be a fan.

"They can cheer him whenever his career is finally winding down and he’s making his last stop. Until then, it’s full hiss ahead." -- 6.26.06, Mike Celizic, MSNBC, (file under Bingo)