Posted on 07/26/2015 2:07:55 PM PDT by big'ol_freeper
Martinez went 19-7 in 1998 and finished second in the American League Cy Young Award vote, then posted a season for the ages in 1999 – going 23-4 with a league-best 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts, winning the pitching Triple Crown. He became just the eighth pitcher to post two 300-strikeout seasons, set a new mark (since broken by Randy Johnson) with 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting. ... (next season) He allowed just 128 hits in 217 innings pitched en route to a WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) of 0.737 – by far the best single-season mark in big league history. He accomplished all this in one of the most prolific offensive eras in baseball history and pitching on a home field (Fenway Park) that ranks as one of the most hitter-friendly in the game’s history. He battled shoulder problems in 2001, but rebounded in 2002 with a 20-4 record, again leading the AL in ERA (2.26) and strikeouts (239). After leading the league again in WHIP, ERA and winning percentage in 2003 en route to a 14-4 mark, Martinez began showing wear and tear in 2004 – posting a 3.90 ERA while going 16-9. But Martinez still finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting – and helped the Red Sox end 86 years of frustration when they captured the World Series title for the first time since 1918. Martinez’s seven shutout innings in Game 3 on the road in St. Louis gave the Sox a commanding 3-games-to-0 lead and effectively wrapped up the title.
(Excerpt) Read more at baseballhall.org ...
Is that why they call him "Beaner"?
Extraordinary marks, for the modern era
He certainly ruined the season for Yankee fans in 2004. I’m no Red Sox fan, but I was happy the Yankee’s lost in the ALCS that year.
As a Yankee fan I hated the guy, but anyone who can put up numbers like that — especially in the Steroid Era — is a phenomenal pitcher.
It looks like that “Vote for Pedro” thing paid off.
Man, was he ever fun to watch!
This was accomplished in a year at the epicenter of the steriod era. Lineups looked liked the WWE. I saw a game from this time on one of those classic sports channels, the Oakland A’s lineup probably outweighed the Oakland Raiders offensive line.
31 wins, 6 losses
1.96 ERA
48 Games Started, 28 Completed
336 IP
280 strikeouts (7.5/9)
63 walks (1.7/9)
Great pitcher that year, 1968, but a terrible human being and he will never be in the Hall of Fame.
He didn’t face the juiced up lineups that Pedro did, and at the time in the AL the pitcher batted. No comparison.
Mc Clain , Detroit ‘68?
Yaz won the batting title that year at .299.
Exactly. They lowered the mound the following year to create more offense.
Geez - somebody who played for the Phillies in the Hall of Fame - pigs flying.....
Congrats to Pedro and the other HOF Class of 2015.
And the 2004 Red Soxs had to fight back in the ALCS to be able to make it to the World Series.
i must admit he was a formidable pitcher; but HOF? In my opinion he should have been suspended and or banned for the cowardly bitch slap he delivered to Don Zimmer, a man thirty years his age. An admitted pitch assassin the Yankees should have tore his head off.
Justin Verlander 2011
24-5 ERA 2.40 250 K MVP and Cy Young.
also, much more ..”palatable”, than Pedro ever was.
denny mcclain.
overshadowed by Lolich in the Series that year, however.
mcclain turned out to be a crook......lol
Lolich had 3 starts and 3 wins vs. the Cardinals.
He won the second game, the fifth game, and came back on TWO DAYS REST to win the seventh game, allowing only one run and beating Bob Gibson.
27 IP, three complete game wins.
I don't think we will see a performance like that in the World Series again.
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