Red Sox players won’t be wearing No. 45 any more.
That’s because last night at Fenway Park, the number was retired in honor of one of the team’s greatest players – Pedro Martinez.
A sellout crowd packed Fenway Park to celebrate one of their favorite pitchers.
"I’m going to tear up later," said one fan. "I already know it."
"He’s a nut when he’s not pitching," said another. "But when he’s pitching, he’s as serious as anyone I’ve ever watched."
Red Sox radio announcer Joe Castiglione says Martinez is the most charismatic athlete he’s ever been around.
“And I’ve been around Muhammad Ali, and I put Pedro in that category, maybe even above," Castiglione said.
On the mound, he says, Martinez was just so dominant. And not just physically.
"It was the way he could break down a hitter, break down swings, go to a hitter’s weakness," he said.
The ceremony to retire Martinez’s number began with career stats flashing on the outfield screen: 117 wins for the Red Sox and just 37 losses; three-time Cy Young Award winner; and one curse-breaking World Series win.
The ballpark erupted as Martinez came out, greeted by a parade of former teammates and other Red Sox greats. His number, 45, was revealed, emblazoned on the right field upper deck, among just eight other numbers retired in Sox history.
"Thank you so much for your support," Martinez told the crowd. "I love you all!"
The great Ted Williams once said he wanted to be remembered as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Martinez was asked if he wanted to be remembered as the game’s greatest pitcher. No, he said, he wants to be remembered as someone who made it further than he ever dreamed.
“Especially for me, to be born in the Dominican Republic in a shack, and coming from a third world country, the sign of hope that I want to represent for those people, it’s even bigger," he said.
To him, he said, that would make a lot more sense than to be remembered for any number he achieved on the mound, however remarkable they were.
Pedro: "I get confused in the middle of trying to explain 'Why? Why me? How?'" pic.twitter.com/tPETca8pPI
#PedroMartinez responds to love shown by @redsox fans pic.twitter.com/x16R0SVjx5
