In 2000, in the American League, at the height of the steroid era, Pedro went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and set the all-time record for lowest WHIP in a season with (oh my god) 0.737. This guy was simply the best of his generation.
His ERA in 1999, if you discount his first game after the All Star Break (when he was injured and should not have been on the mound), was 1.80. And that's despite it taking him a month after coming off the DL to regain his pre-injury form. His ERA in 2001 before his shoulder collapsed on him was 1.44. The second best ERAs in the AL from 1999 to 2001 were 3.44, 3.70, and 3.05.
It was after about 2003 that he began to reserve the high-octane fastballs for strikeout pitches, where as you can go back to 2001 (his theoretical peak) for 97 or 98 MPH on a random 0-1 pitch. By 2005 he was doing his Maddux thing without hesitation, 84 MPH fastballs to get the count up and around 93 when he needed the heat. Pedro the Adaptable.
Every time he pitched you anticipated something great was going to happen!!! From 97-02 he was the best pitcher I've ever seen. He could get guys out in so many ways. Like in 99 when he came out of bullpen in ALDS against Cleveland. He was hurt..couldn't throw above 85mph and went on to no hit Cleveland for the final 6 innings!!! He was simply the greatest pitcher of his era
Josh Martins yes pedro was great man i 100% agree but to say he was the best pitcher of his era is a tough one for me 2 off my head that would be my number 1 starter in rotation are the rocket and the big unit
TheBloodmist81 at their absolute peak..I'd take Pedro over Clemens all day. That's coming from a kid that grew up watching clemens during his 1986 season. Randy Johnson is definitely a toss up. Just think Pedro was the more complete pitcher ..the combination of power ,control and finesse. oh..and the guy was 5'11" 170 lbs lol
actually looking at RJ'S stats...no..it's not a toss up. Pedro blows him out of the water in E.R.A. AND Johnson best seasons came in the NL facing weaker lineups.
1981lashlarue Maddux was great..but again he was facing a pitcher in the 9th spot of batting order. Pedro had an ERA of 2.52 when he pitched in the A.L. and won 76 percent of his starts. Both numbers MUCH better than Maddux. Maddux obviously had much longer career. Pedro was the Sandy Koufax of his generation. The most dominant pitcher among his peers.
Without question the greatest Pitcher I’ve seen in my lifetime... I was fortunate to be able to attend just about every Home start he made his first couple of yrs in Boston . The Man was so dominate that a gasp overcame the crowd anytime he gave up a Hit Not a Run a Hit . Absolute Legend
I agree--watching him was special. Good batters would fall down on curveballs he threw for strikes. Guys like Manny would miss his changeup by a yard. He made other good pitchers look mediocre.
If it weren't for the Yankees, we wouldn't have had the "mango tree" speech or the "call them my daddy" speech. I really miss the 2003-2004 rivalry. A bit vicious but honestly really fun.
Pedro Martinez was the best pitcher ever. He's the only pitcher to win the Cy Young with the Expos, back in 1997. The trade that brought him to Montreal from LA was unpopular until Expos fans, including me, saw him pitch. I think I only saw him on TV, but it was still fun to watch him do his thing. His ERA was always amazing, and the control he had was unbelievable. It was sad to see him go, but at least he didn't end up with the Yankees. That would have been tragic.
@@peterparker-zy9oe I halfheartedly support the Blue Jays just because I live in Toronto now and they're Canada's team. But if Montreal ever gets their team back, I'm support them for sure. I'm still an Expos fan at heart.
I was at this game. This followed an over-two-hour rain delay, but they wanted to get the game in because it was the last time the Mariners would be in Boston that year. This was a treat for those of us who stuck it out!
Remember watching this game live as a Mariner fan and was in absolute awe. He had so many weapons and to think his most reliable and devastating one was his fastball. It had amazing velocity and movement, great respect to this legend.
I was at Yankee stadium May 28,2000 Pedro vs Clemens..Pedro pitched a shutout...best baseball game I've ever been to. Can't forget 99 all star game when he struck out 5 of 6 roid filled hitters..he was throwing 99-100 mph in that game
I remember watching this when I was 9 years old and making my dad go outside to catch 9 pitches from me to prove I could also throw an immaculate inning, Pedro was a beast but go m’s
As a Bostonian and a 12 year old in 99, what he did in the all star game was insane. I mean absolutely insane. I wish I was at Fenway to hear that crowd going apeshit
He could really paint those corners. Great fastball and could make em’ chase pitches out of the strike zone. To watch him play was like pitching school. ⚾️
I was at this game. What makes it even more spectacular is that the temperature at game start was about 40 degrees. It snowed during the entire drive down to Fenway from Old Town, Maine. We never even thought they'd play the game.
One of the most, if not the most dominant pitcher I saw when he was in his prime, he was basically invincible. What's even more astounding is that he pitched and dominated in the steroid era where they hit 40, 50, 60 home runs like it was nothing.
+KHayes666 I would say 97-02. Won the Cy Young in 97 with the Montreal Expos, the single best pitching i have ever seen, 13 complete games, an ERA of 1.9 (second best ERA of his carreer) and 305 strikeouts. I take this guy in his peak over anybody.
ironmaidenfan6666 I say 2000 was better. The height of the steroid era, in the American League where the pitchers don't hit, with a poor offensive team with the Red Sox....18-6 ERA under 2. He would have won 25 games with the Yankees or Braves at least.
+KHayes666 As a Sox fan, I can never decide between 1999 and 2000 for Pedro. All the wins and K's in '99 with only 9 HR's allowed (all solo shots!), compared to the microscopic ERA and hits allowed in '00. I don't think anyone was ever more dominant over a 4 year stretch. We're lucky to have gotten to see him pitch.
+tmazz85 2000 was better. The 2000 Sox offense evaporated as O'Leary, Stanley, Varitek and Offerman all had down years and Valentin blew his knee out. Put Pedro on a better offense and he wins 25 games at least
Then there was the 99 all star game where Pedro DOMINATED ..striking out 5 of 6 batters , absolute stud, home run hitting guys. He was throwing gas! I remember him hitting 98-99 mph on the gun. Ultimately he got hurt..Probably aftermath of that performance. Then like I mentioned before..he still came out of the bullpen in the ALDS with NO ability to throw a fastball..and still no hit Cleveland for 6 innings.
I opened this video expecting to be impressed. I did not expect to open this video and see that this immaculate inning was against the leadoff three of the '02 Mariners. That's maybe the most impressive pitching feat I can imagine.
Petey was the best thing going for those couple of seasons, his body type made it almost inevitable that he'd get hurt. The All Star game where he finally did hurt himself is still one of the most memorable nights here in Boston. He threw so unbelievably hard, but was not a big man.
@breadandcircuses8127 1. If I had to trust any pitcher to win a game in their prime with my life on the line, it would be Pedro. 2. He was as mentally tough as any pitcher in history. 3. His movement was as good as anyone ever. 4. He pitched the single best season in the history of baseball. Then arguably pitched a better one after. 5. The Cleveland game in the playoffs on short rest out of the bullpen.
Overall, baseball uniforms looked better in the 90s than today. I think it’s mainly the cuff of the pants. Today they’re baggy and drape over the cleat; looks sloppy.
Pedro owned the Mariners in his career. In 14 games, he went 13-1 against them. Only time he lost against the Mariners was in his final start against them, in 2005 when he was with the Mets. Kinda like how Randy Johnson owned the Cubs in his career = In 14 games, he went 12-0
Probably one of the best pitchers of recent vintage. His career W-L was 219-100, 5th-best all time by winning percentage, and his career ERA of 2.925 is 142nd-best all time (both for pitchers with a minimum of 1,000 MLB innings pitched). Oh, and he's 5'11" and 175 pounds soaking wet.
IF I have to have one guy pitch one game it's Pedro but lack of durability detracts from his greatness, and you did always have to wonder if he would be healthy come sept/oct. Fwiw, I strongly believe PEdro was also on teh sauce. Was he a huge framed guy? of course not, but there was all the talk about how he "really got into strength training to try to improve his durability" some people seem to forget just how ridiculously tiny pedro was in say 1996 vs 2003. Born and raised sox fan here.
Don't know what's more impressive, striking out the side on 9 pitches, or striking out 2002 Ichiro Suzuki on 3
Clemens getting 20 strikeout twice as a Sox player
He had six other years with a better batting average out of 19, all over 321 batting average (2002)
2002 was one of Pedro's best seasons too.
@@viemarch3516
If you go just buy earned run average he had four years even better but you are still correct
Doesn’t matter in this case, because he did both! 😜 Lol I agree tho, both impressive feats for sure
In 2000, in the American League, at the height of the steroid era, Pedro went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and set the all-time record for lowest WHIP in a season with (oh my god) 0.737. This guy was simply the best of his generation.
His ERA in 1999, if you discount his first game after the All Star Break (when he was injured and should not have been on the mound), was 1.80. And that's despite it taking him a month after coming off the DL to regain his pre-injury form. His ERA in 2001 before his shoulder collapsed on him was 1.44. The second best ERAs in the AL from 1999 to 2001 were 3.44, 3.70, and 3.05.
That season is largely regarded as the greatest season for a pitcher in the modern era
+Jonah Loeb Even better than Maddux?
1981lashlarue yeah
And the year before that he won 23 and K’d 313!! 97 and the yo-yo change 🤨
Arguably the most dominant pitcher of any era in MLB from '99 to '03. He was truly a force of nature.
Randy Johnson was pitching for the Dbacks. Also 60's Koufax.
@@viemarch3516 You beat me to it with Koufax. About 62-66, his run was ridiculous.
@@lmbscriptsharcs2044 Pedro did it in the steroid era.
It was after about 2003 that he began to reserve the high-octane fastballs for strikeout pitches, where as you can go back to 2001 (his theoretical peak) for 97 or 98 MPH on a random 0-1 pitch.
By 2005 he was doing his Maddux thing without hesitation, 84 MPH fastballs to get the count up and around 93 when he needed the heat. Pedro the Adaptable.
@@viemarch3516 Pedro wasn’t facing pitchers at all.
So nasty with that same movement on the fastball and changeup.
This was the first Red Sox game I ever went to. I was 11 and will remember it for the rest of my life.
1999-2002 Pedro.... He was unbelieveable.
Chris L I grew up an M's fan watching Randy Johnson pitch, but yeah, Pedro in his prime is still the best pitcher I've ever watched play.
He was the best starting pitcher in the MLB from 1997-2003.
1997
Every time he pitched you anticipated something great was going to happen!!! From 97-02 he was the best pitcher I've ever seen. He could get guys out in so many ways. Like in 99 when he came out of bullpen in ALDS against Cleveland. He was hurt..couldn't throw above 85mph and went on to no hit Cleveland for the final 6 innings!!! He was simply the greatest pitcher of his era
Josh Martins yes pedro was great man i 100% agree but to say he was the best pitcher of his era is a tough one for me 2 off my head that would be my number 1 starter in rotation are the rocket and the big unit
Do you think he was even better than Maddux?
TheBloodmist81 at their absolute peak..I'd take Pedro over Clemens all day. That's coming from a kid that grew up watching clemens during his 1986 season. Randy Johnson is definitely a toss up. Just think Pedro was the more complete pitcher ..the combination of power ,control and finesse. oh..and the guy was 5'11" 170 lbs lol
actually looking at RJ'S stats...no..it's not a toss up. Pedro blows him out of the water in E.R.A. AND Johnson best seasons came in the NL facing weaker lineups.
1981lashlarue Maddux was great..but again he was facing a pitcher in the 9th spot of batting order. Pedro had an ERA of 2.52 when he pitched in the A.L. and won 76 percent of his starts. Both numbers MUCH better than Maddux. Maddux obviously had much longer career. Pedro was the Sandy Koufax of his generation. The most dominant pitcher among his peers.
Without question the greatest Pitcher I’ve seen in my lifetime... I was fortunate to be able to attend just about every Home start he made his first couple of yrs in Boston . The Man was so dominate that a gasp overcame the crowd anytime he gave up a Hit Not a Run a Hit . Absolute Legend
I agree--watching him was special. Good batters would fall down on curveballs he threw for strikes. Guys like Manny would miss his changeup by a yard. He made other good pitchers look mediocre.
Pedro was dominating all those PED guys.....that's how great he was....
Eric Theriault Ped guys...like Ichiro?
I think he meant in general not these 3 specific guys
Evan S. Like Mcguire and Sosa m.ruclips.net/video/RN1nUnCr1QM/видео.html
Cause he was doing PED too. THEY ALL WERE.
@@mikekinsella2822There’s literally no proof that Pedro took steroids.
my favorite pitcher of all time... that was great stuff.
Prime randy Johnson and roger Clemens are better
Nope..
Prime Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux were the top of the class.
@@jimbotc2000 fax
@@jimbotc2000 and nolan
Even though I’m a Yankees fan I admit Pedro was an amazing pitcher
If it weren't for the Yankees, we wouldn't have had the "mango tree" speech or the "call them my daddy" speech. I really miss the 2003-2004 rivalry. A bit vicious but honestly really fun.
Pedro Martinez was the best pitcher ever. He's the only pitcher to win the Cy Young with the Expos, back in 1997. The trade that brought him to Montreal from LA was unpopular until Expos fans, including me, saw him pitch. I think I only saw him on TV, but it was still fun to watch him do his thing. His ERA was always amazing, and the control he had was unbelievable. It was sad to see him go, but at least he didn't end up with the Yankees. That would have been tragic.
what team do you support now?
@@peterparker-zy9oe I halfheartedly support the Blue Jays just because I live in Toronto now and they're Canada's team. But if Montreal ever gets their team back, I'm support them for sure. I'm still an Expos fan at heart.
Pedro was beautiful to watch work. Only way I can describe him
Pedro was on fire. My favorite pitcher.
I was at this game. This followed an over-two-hour rain delay, but they wanted to get the game in because it was the last time the Mariners would be in Boston that year. This was a treat for those of us who stuck it out!
Cool story
One of the greatest days of my life
Beast. On a sidenote, I've followed the Mariners since the mid 90's yet have no recollection of Ruben Sierra playing here..
Unmistakable stance. Dam near HOFer.
The greatest i have ever seen
Pedro was killing at the mound
The greatest power and command combo ever despite being only 5’11”. We’ll never see another player like prime Pedro ever again.
That 4 seam had so much movement,all while hitting 97-99 consistently. My favorite pitcher of all time
Love Pedro ...passion for the Game ...for winning period
Remember watching this game live as a Mariner fan and was in absolute awe. He had so many weapons and to think his most reliable and devastating one was his fastball. It had amazing velocity and movement, great respect to this legend.
Upper Cut changeup
I did get a similar feeling sometimes from King Felix.
I was at Yankee stadium May 28,2000 Pedro vs Clemens..Pedro pitched a shutout...best baseball game I've ever been to. Can't forget 99 all star game when he struck out 5 of 6 roid filled hitters..he was throwing 99-100 mph in that game
I wad at that game as well. Greatest regular season game ever played. Alot of the Rodger vs Pedro matchups didnt live up to the hype. That one did
+Josh Martins walker was never juiced neither was barry larkin but the rest of the 4 guys were the other 2 were just simply great hitters
Pedro also went on the DL after that AS game too.
Best pitcher I’ve ever seen. Just dominating at his prime.
Keep positing Pedro!!!! We love Pedro !!!!
Maybe the greatest man. The name of the game when it comes to greatness is efficiency
Favorite player of all time.
I remember watching this when I was 9 years old and making my dad go outside to catch 9 pitches from me to prove I could also throw an immaculate inning, Pedro was a beast but go m’s
This is the WEEI radio commentary put over the telecast. Joey C is the voice of the Sox.
No question most dominate pitcher in his prime ive see.
That was immaculate!
As a Bostonian and a 12 year old in 99, what he did in the all star game was insane. I mean absolutely insane. I wish I was at Fenway to hear that crowd going apeshit
MY favorite pitcher of all time !
He was something else.
Pedro was a beast. Got Ichiro. pretty hard to do. Cant ask for better inning. Great video
He could really paint those corners. Great fastball and could make em’ chase pitches out of the strike zone.
To watch him play was like pitching school. ⚾️
That first pitch to McLemore... Oh my
I was at this game. What makes it even more spectacular is that the temperature at game start was about 40 degrees. It snowed during the entire drive down to Fenway from Old Town, Maine. We never even thought they'd play the game.
I remember I was watching that game live!
At his peak, Pedro was the best starting pitcher I’ve seen
Simply dominant in an era where offensive numbers were massively inflated
Simply the Best!
Better than all the rest!
+Randy H. better than anyone,anyone i've ever met
In his prime, I think he was the best I've ever seen.
One of the most, if not the most dominant pitcher I saw when he was in his prime, he was basically invincible. What's even more astounding is that he pitched and dominated in the steroid era where they hit 40, 50, 60 home runs like it was nothing.
He was a magician on the mound.
From 98-02 he was out of this world
+KHayes666 I would say 97-02. Won the Cy Young in 97 with the Montreal Expos, the single best pitching i have ever seen, 13 complete games, an ERA of 1.9 (second best ERA of his carreer) and 305 strikeouts. I take this guy in his peak over anybody.
ironmaidenfan6666
I say 2000 was better. The height of the steroid era, in the American League where the pitchers don't hit, with a poor offensive team with the Red Sox....18-6 ERA under 2. He would have won 25 games with the Yankees or Braves at least.
+KHayes666 As a Sox fan, I can never decide between 1999 and 2000 for Pedro. All the wins and K's in '99 with only 9 HR's allowed (all solo shots!), compared to the microscopic ERA and hits allowed in '00.
I don't think anyone was ever more dominant over a 4 year stretch. We're lucky to have gotten to see him pitch.
+tmazz85 2000 was better. The 2000 Sox offense evaporated as O'Leary, Stanley, Varitek and Offerman all had down years and Valentin blew his knee out. Put Pedro on a better offense and he wins 25 games at least
Pedro had an absolutely filthy straight change. Unhittable in his prime.
There was no better pitcher in the history of the game, than turn of the century Pedro
great pitcher and great play-by-play guy
Rueben Sierra was in the next county in distance to the plate in the batters box 🤣.
I remember watching this game on TV. It snowed that morning in Boston 😂
El mejor pitcher dominicano de todos los tiempos!
Yes, children.
Pedro really was *that good.*
Pedro really had the full arsenal
Some of the best stuff I've seen from another pitcher, Kevin Brown...
El mejor 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴
Pedro was incredible from 98-03.
Then there was the 99 all star game where Pedro DOMINATED ..striking out 5 of 6 batters , absolute stud, home run hitting guys. He was throwing gas! I remember him hitting 98-99 mph on the gun. Ultimately he got hurt..Probably aftermath of that performance. Then like I mentioned before..he still came out of the bullpen in the ALDS with NO ability to throw a fastball..and still no hit Cleveland for 6 innings.
2024 ❤
I opened this video expecting to be impressed. I did not expect to open this video and see that this immaculate inning was against the leadoff three of the '02 Mariners. That's maybe the most impressive pitching feat I can imagine.
I was at this game, I will never forget it.
Vintage Pedro
The fact that he started this against Ichiro makes it so much more incredible.
Petey was the best thing going for those couple of seasons, his body type made it almost inevitable that he'd get hurt. The All Star game where he finally did hurt himself is still one of the most memorable nights here in Boston. He threw so unbelievably hard, but was not a big man.
Best pitcher ever. We can argue, but you'll lose.
@breadandcircuses8127 1. If I had to trust any pitcher to win a game in their prime with my life on the line, it would be Pedro.
2. He was as mentally tough as any pitcher in history.
3. His movement was as good as anyone ever.
4. He pitched the single best season in the history of baseball. Then arguably pitched a better one after.
5. The Cleveland game in the playoffs on short rest out of the bullpen.
99 SPORT ILLUSTRATED cover “;Pedro Martinez, ....he’s so Good, it’s scary “
One of the best pitchers in baseball history.
couple of pretty fair hitters, too... Ichiro and Ruben Sierra
In his prime he’s the greatest pitcher to ever play baseball
'03 must have been the year the Red Sox switched to the red undershirts. I kinda miss the blues.
Overall, baseball uniforms looked better in the 90s than today. I think it’s mainly the cuff of the pants. Today they’re baggy and drape over the cleat; looks sloppy.
The GOAT!
His stuff was wild!
I remember being at this game. I was the ball.
Buchholz did this last year, I think it went largely unnoticed at the time even by NESN lol
I just love this man !
Getting Ichiro to fan on a weak swing like that is the greatest achievement I’ve seen from a pitcher
I was there. It was FREEZING. I bought a pizza just to sit on it. Sports radio was doubting Pedro could perform in the cold. Then THIS.
best dominican pitcher ever
this is insane
It’s May 18th and there’s frost on the breath and everyone wearing winter jackets lol.
And he was already past his prime by this time, following shoulder problems in 1999, 2000, and (especially) 2001.
Except he lead the league in ERA twice after 2001 and had the lowest WHIP in his only good season with the Mets in 2005.
True, but his velocity and arm strength were already compromised by then. He was still great but also past his physical prime.
dominant in his day
Pedro owned the Mariners in his career. In 14 games, he went 13-1 against them. Only time he lost against the Mariners was in his final start against them, in 2005 when he was with the Mets.
Kinda like how Randy Johnson owned the Cubs in his career = In 14 games, he went 12-0
Pedro in his day OWNED everyone =)
@Steve H That wouldnt even have been funny 10 years ago let alone in 2020.
Really miss Pedro
Was there. It was sweet.
ERA el mejor!!
Pedro el Grande 👍🏽👍🏽
Atill best pitcher ever
I miss watching him pitch.
Probably one of the best pitchers of recent vintage. His career W-L was 219-100, 5th-best all time by winning percentage, and his career ERA of 2.925 is 142nd-best all time (both for pitchers with a minimum of 1,000 MLB innings pitched). Oh, and he's 5'11" and 175 pounds soaking wet.
Stewart o'man referenced this at bat in 'faithful'
Saludos desde República Dominicana 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇮🇱🇮🇱🇺🇲🇺🇲❤️❤️🌎🌎
He made Ichiro look helpless 😳
I was there. 9 friggin pitches. It was after his domination in 99-01 but he still had it. Mind over matter.
IF I have to have one guy pitch one game it's Pedro but lack of durability detracts from his greatness, and you did always have to wonder if he would be healthy come sept/oct. Fwiw, I strongly believe PEdro was also on teh sauce. Was he a huge framed guy? of course not, but there was all the talk about how he "really got into strength training to try to improve his durability" some people seem to forget just how ridiculously tiny pedro was in say 1996 vs 2003.
Born and raised sox fan here.
ichiro made it look like its so hard to hit a fasty ball
Sandy Koufax has the MLB record with three in his career.
i was gonna say, it looked pretty cold for may
Brilliant.
Those are ridiculous skillz.