Thursday, October 25, 2012

Happy Forty-First Birthday, Pedro!

Photo by Chitose Suzuki
When you actually look back at the stats for Pedro Martinez (who turns 41 today), it's hard to believe he ever lost. In his seven years with the Red Sox, he won exactly 76% of the games he pitched in—better than three of every four. He booked a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 1,683 batters in 1,383 and 2/3 innings (that's 10.9 per nine innings). He walked only 309. His WHIP was 0.978. We all remember the signature Pedro performances—as well as the ridiculous numbers he put up in 1999 and 2000. But, the enormity of his achievements can only be appreciated in the aggregate. For his entire career, by the way, he won over 200 games with an ERA of 2.93. Not too shabby. Next stop, Cooperstown. Happy forty-first birthday, Pedro!