Pedro Martinez: So We Meet Again

On Thursday night, Pedro Martinez is slated to start for the Philadelphia Phillies in New York versus the Yankees for Game Two of the World Series.

This holds great significance considering the history between the ex-Red Sox pitcher and the Pinstripes. This ESPN video illustrates some of those memorable moments.



That's right, you saw Martinez throw a then 72-year-old Yankees bench coach, Don Zimmer, to the ground like a conquistador o-laying a bull.

In fairness, Zimmer charged at Martinez during a bench clearing brawl, which just so happened to be incited by Martinez after he threw a fastball behind Karim Garcia's head. As a player, Zimmer himself had been hit in the head by a pitch, so he took extra offense to Martinez's head hunting from the mound.

In baseball, throwing behind a player, or high and tight near a player's head can cause a fight. Major League Baseball has done a good job at keeping video clips of baseball fights off the net, especially the Martinez/Zimmer tussle. This grainy bootleg video is the best out there.



Here's a clip of Martinez in an interview being a jerk about throwing at Garcia's head.



Afterwards, Martinez had some rocky starts against the Bronx Bombers. His late inning melt-down in Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS helped send the Red Sox home instead of to the World Series. The next season, after getting rocked again, Martinez called the Yanks his daddy.

Here's Martinez having a grand old time with pitching legend Juan Marichal at a cockfight in the Dominican Republic. Despite its acceptance in other cultures, in America: cockfighting is unsavory.



For these reasons and more, we Yankee fans hate Pedro. Apparently, Martinez is looking forward to once again pitching at Yankee stadium in a big game with huge implications.

With Alex Rodriguez finally playing this postseason like the best player in baseball, and the rest of the batting order knocking the leather off baseballs: you called down the thunder Pedro, now you got it.

What I hate most about this: Pedro Martinez. I've hated him for so very long. Leaving the Red Sox and playing in the National League will never change that, and I just can not wait for the Yankees to light him up Thursday night in New York.

***EDIT*** ESPN removed that video since the World Series has ended and the Yankees won! Even better, the Yankees beat Pedro in Game 6 to clinch their 27th World Series Championship! *** November 5 2009***