Pedro Martinez has fingers like Jimi Hendrix, a scowl like Jon Gruden and a demeanor fit more for the Ray Lewis types than for a 5-foot-10, 170 lb. pitcher. The former Red Sox ace stomped around the bump like a little kid who was playing "King of the Hill" all by himself. Atop the 10-inch mound, he looked miniature standing 60-feet away from steroid-induced Goliaths. But, no matter how large the hitters grew, Pedro was always bigger.
On Sept. 10, 1999, the Boston Red Sox were six games behind the New York Yankees. It would be a rare "pitcher's duel" amidst the greatest hitters era in history as Pedro was taking on Andy Pettitte (though even Pettitte was struggling in 1999 with at 12-11 with a 4.60 ERA). The Sox's ace entered at 21-4 and had worked heavily, throwing more than seven innings 17 times and more than 120 pitches nine times coming into that night's game at Yankee Stadium.
Far too many times, he'd thrown on four-days rest and been absolutely untouchable; once striking out 30 men in back-to-back starts on short rest. No matter how much Jimmy Williams worked him, Pedro continued to pile up strikeouts and wins. Five days before the match-up with the Yankees, Martinez had thrown 126 pitches in a 15 strikeout effort against the Seattle Mariners. Call it a warm up.
The Yankees' lineup wasn't quite as built for the long ball as it is in 2011; they focused primarily on getting on base ranking second in the American League in OBP at .366. They wore pitchers down, striking out 151 fewer times than the AL leader. Regardless of how they did it ,the 1999 New York Yankees raked, averaging 5.56 runs per game.
They would only get one on Sept. 10, 1999. In the second inning, Chili Davis hit a home run to right-center field. Then Pedro got big, striking out 12 of the final 19 batters and allowing zero men on base. The righty set down Derek Jeter twice, Bernie Williams twice and Ledee all three times on strikes. Davis' home run was the lone line drive in the entire game. Martinez struck out the side in the ninth to finish with a 17-strikeout, one-hit performance.
It was the greatest game I've seen pitched and there's an argument to be made that it's the most impressive performance ever. Consider the factors working against Martinez: tiny ballpark, team that won 98 games and swept the World Series, team that did not strike out often and walked like crazy, steroids (not that I'm accusing anyone in that Yankee lineup, but it was that era), a lower pitching mound than Koufax and Gibson and the pressure of the rivalry and pitching on the road.
Here's how Pedro's legendary gem compares to some of the other greatest games pitched and the competition they faced:
Pedro Martinez: 1 hit, 1 run, 17 K's, 0 walks vs. 1999 Yankees: 5.56 runs/gm, .366 OBP, .819 OPS
Roger Clemens: 3 hits, 1 run, 20 K's, 0 walks vs. 1986 Mariners: 4.43 runs/gm, .326 OBP, .724 OPS (also led AL in K's)
Sandy Koufax: 0 hits, 0 runs, 14 K's, 0 walks vs. 1965 Cubs: 3.87 runs/gm, .307 OBP, .666 OPS
Roy Halladay: 0 hits, 0 runs, 8 K's, 1 walk vs. 2010 Reds: 4.88 runs/gm, .338 OBP, .774 OPS
Kerry Wood: 1 hit, 0 runs, 20 K's, 0 walks vs. 1998 Astros: 5.40 runs/gm, .356 OBP, .792 OPS
Bob Gibson: 5 hits, 0 runs, 17 K's, 1 walk vs. 1986 Tigers: 4.14 runs/gm, .307 OBP, .692 OPS
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