Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Who is Karim Garcia?

In case you don't get the title reference, I refer you to the infamous SportsCenter interview following the 2003 season. But, more importantly, Game 3 of the ALCS that year when Pedro hit Garcia, which led to a brawl, which led to Zimmer getting tossed...down that is, which led to those comments.

Anyway, all those references because tonight Pedro's back at Fenway. In a Mets uniform no less. And that moment was one of my favorite Pedro moments during his Sox tenure. Unfortunately, nobody at work or in my family knows what I am talking about. And it doesn't help that I couldn't, oddly enough, find any video of the interview on YouTube.

Let me, however, take a moment to tell you who Pedro Martinez is. Pedro was one of the best pitchers in MLB history. From the late 90s to the early part of this decade, there was no one greater. No. Not one.

Yr W L IP SO ERA WHIP
1998 19 7 233.7 251 2.89 1.091
1999 23 4 213.3 313 2.07 0.923
2000 18 6 217.0 284 1.74 0.737

Just look at those stats. But what the stats don't quite tell you was what it was like to watch him pitch back then. Or how I could watch all those games over again. Every one.

The thing of it is: He may or may not be great tonight. I wouldn't put it past him to unlock the magic, though. Not Pedro.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey! I remember.

Anonymous said...

Pedro may have racked up the numbers but he still remains a head hunter. Now that he pitches in the NL and has go to the plate to bat. Odd that his ability as a head hunter is no longer used.
Tonight let see if he takes any players down.

AaronG said...

"ability as a head hunter"?

Is that like the DH, then. Something that exists only in the AL? Something you lose when you go to the NL?

Anyway, it's probably just because doesn't pose the threat or the challenge to Pedro as the AL did, so there's no need for it.

And, anyway, what's so bad about being a head hunter? Hitters need to learn respect every now and then.

Anonymous said...

What do you mean no in your family knows.i was watching that game rember it very well.OOBM