Behr Thoughts: Pedro Martinez
Photo courtesy of Hard Knox Sports
Back in 2008, while I was deep in the midst of working on The ‘Burgh Blues, I started a somewhat unconventional campaign on my blog to “Bring Pedro (Martinez) To The ‘Burgh.” Martinez was coming off a 12-start season (including three postseason starts) with the Phillies, where he took the Roger Clemens approach and decided not to pitch in a Major League game until mid-August. As the case always is, the Bucs needed veteran starting pitching, and seeing Martinez at PNC Park would’ve been a sight.
There was something about Pedro Martinez I always liked. It wasn’t just his circle change or his ridiculous K/BB rates that intrigued me. Even when I was a Yankees fanatic, I would watch games in which Martinez started in awe. He was (and still is) a goofy character, a common trait amongst my favorite sports players.
Read MoreBehr Thoughts: Sharing a Birthday with Dwight “Doc” Gooden
I’m not sure how many of you know or even care who you share your birthday with. Honestly, the only reason I do is because I have six (yup, six) friends in my life who share their birthday on the same date, November 16th, as I do. With the case of Doc Gooden, I learned he too shared November 16th as his birthday by flipping through a version of Yankees Magazine while I was last at Yankee Stadium.
So what’s it like sharing my birthday with “Dr. K?” Well, just as my roommate and FOI staff writer Tyler Wasserman said, “when I think of Doc Gooden, three things come to mind: those early seasons with the Mets, his no-hitter with the Yankees … and drugs.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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