Three-time Cy Young award-winning pitcher Pedro Martinez has joined the New York Mets Major League Baseball team. The right-handed veteran comes to the Mets after a stellar career in Boston, where he helped the Red Sox win their first World Series title in 86 years.
Pedro Martinez is one of baseball's dominant pitchers, and he helped lead the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series title since 1918 this past season. But Boston refused to offer him the kind of money he wanted, so the Dominican Republic native took New York's four-year contract worth nearly $54 million.
At a news conference announcing Martinez's hiring, Mets' general manager Omar Minaya said that getting the pitcher was a great move.
"This is not about one year," said Omar Minaya. "This is about landing something that is going to have implications beyond wins and losses in the year 2005, 2006, and 2007."
The 33-year-old Martinez had 16 wins and nine losses with a career high earned run average of 3.9 last season. He says that Mets fans should not expect the lackluster franchise to turn around immediately, but he is committed to helping New York win.
"Boston was there for 86 years, and it seemed like it was going to be forever," said Pedro Martinez. "And I can say probably that I was part of that team that won it [the World Series] for Boston. And I want to do the same thing here."
Martinez was troubled by shoulder problems late in the 2004 season. But he passed a physical examination and becomes the Mets' number one pitcher ahead of Tom Glavine.
Last season, the Mets finished with 71 wins and 91 losses. The last time the Mets were in the World Series was four years ago, when they lost to their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in five games. The Mets have not won a World Series title since 1986, when they beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games.