Pedro Martinez Hopes to Pitch Another Full Season, Says His ‘Heart Belongs to Boston’

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Aug 31, 2010

Pedro Martinez Hopes to Pitch Another Full Season, Says His 'Heart Belongs to Boston' Former Red Sox great Pedro Martinez hopes to pitch another full season in the major leagues, and he doesn't seem to be ruling out a triumphant return to Boston.

The 38-year-old righty (he turns 39 in October) said on The Baseball Reporters on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston on Tuesday evening that he expected the offers to come pouring in after his postseason performances for the Phillies last year. Those, however, did not come in time, and Pedro promised his family he'd be spending more time with them.

Now, though, his children are in school, and Martinez said he's healthy enough to pitch a full season in the majors.

"My shoulder's fine. My body is fine," he told Tony Massarotti and Dan Roche. "If I decided to go back to doing anything, I'm totally healthy. … If I do it again, I'll start from the get-go of the season."

Though he found some renewed success with Philadelphia in 2009, going 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts before going 0-2 with a 3.70 ERA in the playoffs, Martinez said he wouldn't rule out a return to Boston.

"Boston was probably the No. 1 team in the American League that I would consider," he said. "Boston has always been in my heart. I love Boston, I miss everything about Boston.

"Having the opportunity to finish there, it was always my dream," he added. "To me it would have been great. Too bad the offer didn't come in time for me to change my mind and actually break the promise to my kids."

Martinez also said that the reason he never formally announced his retirement is because he didn't want to have a "Brett Favre situation."

"Now, I do nothing but wonder and wait," he said, "because if I decide to retire now and then I'm bored at home, what am I gonna do? Go and drop a Brett Fave and say, 'I'm not retiring anymore'?"

Martinez also went to great lengths to express his fond memories of Boston, particularly the 2004 World Series.

"2004 was probably the most spectacular year that I have ever seen in baseball," he said. "The city of Boston will probably never hold another parade as special as that was. You will never see fans more proud than they were that specific year. My World Series ring — you could give me five more on any other team, and I wouldn't take it for the one I got.

He also said he holds no ill will toward the Red Sox' front office, after the team elected not to sign him following the 2004 season.

"As beautiful as baseball as, as green as the grass is, baseball has a dark side, which is negotiations," he said. "I don't hold any grudges to [Larry Lucchino, John Henry or Theo Epstein] for not signing me for the years that I expected. That's the dark side of baseball. That's business.

"The business part of baseball is ugly," he said. "The place — Boston, the city — to me is one of the best cities to play baseball."

In the interview, Martinez wouldn't openly campaign for a return to the Red Sox, but he came just about as close as possible. It may be nothing more than a pipe dream, but he's at least put the ball in Boston's court.

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