Pedro Martinez’ New Book: ‘Pedro’ Covers, Friends, Foes, Family and Flowers

Pedro Martinez has just released his autobiography, simply entitled Pedro.

The Boston Herald is reporting that Martinez’ new autobiography follows his career from the minor leagues to Montreal, being traded to the Boston Red Sox, almost being traded for Mariano Rivera, and much more.

Co-written by the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman, his autobiography is simply titled “Pedro.” chronicles Martinez’ colorful career. Mostly focused on the baseball, there are excerpts that deal with many off-field issues, and parts that delve into Martinez’ personal live, including lessons he learned from his mother.

For example, early in Martinez’ years in Boston, the relationship between him and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan was beyond strained. Once, Martinez showed up late, just 45 minutes before a game. Kerrigan had convinced then head coach Jimy Williams to bench Martinez. After a heated debate, Martinez sat, until the 7th inning, when Martinez was put in and closed the deal, winning the game.

Later in Martinez’ career, while he was rehabilitating a shoulder injury, Williams was fired and Kerrigan promoted to head coach by Boston general manager Dan Duquette.

“It was a good thing I was not with the team or near a microphone when I learned who my new skipper was going to be,” Martinez writes, “but I vowed not to let it slow my recovery. I wasn’t going to stop working hard to return just to avoid Joe. I figured that since I had ignored him as a pitching coach, ignoring him as a skipper should come easily to me.”

The New Yorker reports that much of Martinez’ roots are grounded in his upbringing, which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that Martinez’ first love is flowers, not baseball. It goes back to what he learned from his mother about flowers; “They teach you how to be, how to live inside.” That passion can be used to cope with negative situations, as well. Martinez is a life-long Dodger-hater, ever since the team traded him; “They turned their back on me, which is why, to this day, my back is turned on them.”

The book is not the “rah-rah” kind of book, it’s more of a tracing of Martinez’ life, dealing with leaving the Dominican Republic and coming to America to become a major league pitcher. Martinez shares many anecdotes, one of which deals with former teammate Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez had received a bottle of Mama Juana, a combination drink of rum, red wine and honey with herbs. Ramirez then doctored the combination further with more wine, honey, some gin, and three 100 milligrams of Viagra.

Welcome to the big leagues, Pedro.

[Image courtesy of Boston Herald]