Monday, July 20, 2015

Pedro: Sox Retiring Number 45 'A Great Honor'

(Exclusive FenwayNation Photo)
This weekend, Pedro Martinez will be inducted into the MLB Hall Of Fame. Few players in the history of this game deserve enshrinement more than the great No. 45 of the Boston Red Sox. On Tuesday of next week, the team will add to his Cooperstown honor by retiring his uniform number on the facade above the right-field grandstands. His No. 45 will join with No. 1 (Bobby Doerr), No. 4 (Joe Cronin), No. 6 (Johnny Pesky), No. 8 (Carl Yastrzemski), No. 9 (Ted Williams), No. 14 (Jim Rice), No. 27 (Carlton Fisk) and No. 42 (Jackie Robinson). Said Pedro, "You know what, as excited as I am about the Hall of Fame, I'm equally excited about having my number retired. I think it's a great honor. I don't have enough words to thank the Red Sox for giving me the consideration of retiring my number. To actually have a number retired in one of the teams in the big leagues, your number retired forever, so your number is going to be there on an everyday basis and on a yearly basis, it's a great honor. I'm extremely humbled and extremely proud to have my number retired." The honor was all ours, Mr. Martinez.