Pedro Martinez Back To Cause Dodger Fans More Pain
The Dodgers traded him after two years, and he went on to a Hall of Fame career. Now Pedro is back — with the Phillies.
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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game against the Houston Astros at the Citizens Bank Park on September 30, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
It was, arguably, the worst trade in Dodgers history.
Pedro Martinez was a Dodger in 1993 and showed a lot of promise going 10-5 as a rookie. But after two seasons here doctors advising the Dodgers thought him too thin and frail to hold up long term, so then General Manager Fred Claire traded him to Montreal for second baseman Delino DeShields.
After that, every bit of Martinez’s success was like a little cut to Dodgers fans. And it was a death by a thousand cuts. In four years for the Expos Martinez went 55-33 plus won his first Cy Young Award in 1997, with an ERA of 1.90. Then he got traded to Boston, where Martinez won two more Cy Youngs, was named to six All Star teams and was a part of bringing the first World Series title to that city in, roughly, forever.
By the way, DeShields played three seasons for the Dodgers, his best year he hit a pedestrian .256, plus he whined a lot.
Now Martinez is back looking to hurt Dodgers fans again — he is the starter for the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of the League Championship Series.
Martinez was signed by the Phillies in July to help a struggling staff, and he did, going 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts. Today will be his first postseason start.
Dodger fans aren’t alone — Martinez caused plenty of pain to Joe Torre during his years as a Yankees manager as well. Torre saw a lot of Pedro at his peak in baseball’s most intense rivalry, and he said the Dodgers today need to outlast Pedro, you can’t just beat him.
Los Angeles will be throwing its own mid-season pickup — Vicente Padilla — in game two. Ironically, Padilla is a former Phillie starter, and with the Dodgers he was brilliant in his one postseason start against the Cardinals.
Dodger fans used to long to see Pedro Martinez back in Dodger Stadium — they just wanted it in a Dodgers uniform. Now he is back, and he could add another, deeper cut to all the others he has given the fan base over the years.
