Posted on 12/14/2004 9:52:13 AM PST by raccoonradio
And to think if we'd just shown him a little more "respect," Pedro Martinez would be back pitching with the Red Sox for the next three years.
Maybe if we'd put his statue on top of the golden dome of the State House. Maybe if Peterborough, N.H., had changed its name to Pedroborough. Maybe if we'd built a Pedro Library on Columbia Point, something equal to the JFK Library. Maybe that would have been enough respect to keep him here.
Actually, no. Upon further review, it now can be said that Pedro knows only one measure of respect. And that is money. All the love and sellouts and Dominican flags and "Keep the Faith" billboards, and championship rings . . . they don't offer any kind of peace or happiness for Pedro. And they certainly don't guarantee respect. No. In the mind of Pedro, respect is measured in one thing -- "how much are you paying me compared with how much you are paying Curt Schilling?" Oh, and guaranteed years, of course.
He doesn't need the money. He has more money than anyone ever could spend. The Sox have paid him $92 million over the last seven years and were set to pay him another $40.5 million for the next three years. But in Pedro's mind, the Mets respect him more because they are willing to guarantee a fourth year at those rates.
Four years guaranteed, $54 million. This is what makes him happy. This is what makes him feel wanted. Now he gets to compare his salary next to Schilling's and be happy about it. He gets the same years and more money than Carl Pavano. With Pedro, it's not about winning championships, or lifestyle, or fan appreciation. It's about wallet-measuring. Whose is bigger?
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Meet the Mets Greet the Mets Come on out and beat the Mets (where's the hitting and defense to help Mr. Who's Your Daddy at Shea?)
Do the Red Sox? Getting the most you can as a professional athlete is smart. It does not matter rather you need the money or not.
Almosts sounds like the "Big Dig"
Hint Paydough, money don't buy happiness either.
Now I'm supposed to feel bad for the Red Sox & their 2nd highest league payroll?
Personally, I can't wait for Pedro to bat. We'll see how he deals with a 90+ MPH fastball aimed at his own head.
Pedro knows only one measure of respect. And that is money. He doesn't need the money. He has more money than anyone ever could spend. All the love and sellouts and Dominican flags and "Keep the Faith" billboards, and championship rings . . . they don't offer any kind of peace or happiness for Pedro.
Im sure when salary negotiations come up around the Boston Globe, Dan Shaughnessy sings happily:
Whatever you guys want to pay me is fine! I have plenty of money. The New York Times offered me a forty percent pay increase, but you guys put a nice Irish flag on my cubicle and are usually polite to my wife. Thats all I need.
>>Meet the Mets
Sing along everybody! So much for "Tessie"...
http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/9083/meetthemets.htm
Hey, "It's Money That I Love" as Randy Newman once sang. He'll put some fannies in the seats at Shea. Maybe he just wanted a change of pace. Won a Series, bunch of awards,
devoted fans at Fenway. Now he goes to NY where he'll
be booed by Yankee fans (during the interleague games)
and by the Mets fans if he doesn't deliver big. Where
he'll have to risk being hit by pitches in retaliation
for when he hits a batter.
Sure, he won't have to face a DH as a pitcher but he'll
have to DH (Ortiz) to help him win games.
Mets have had a great history of signing big-money players. Mo Vaughn did pretty well there, didn't
he? (/sarcasm)
>>Sure, he won't have to face a DH as a pitcher but he'll
have to DH (Ortiz) to help him win games.
oops--that should say HE'LL HAVE _NO_ DH...
>>The New York Times offered me a forty percent pay increase
uh, technically the Times owns the Globe.. :)
uh, technically the Times owns the Globe.. :)
Thats OK. Technically, the Yankees own Pedro.
Let him go. Pedro is on the down-side and I doubt he wins fifteen games for the Mets.
April 11, 2005: When Red Sox are given their rings at Fenway in home opener vs. Yankees, #45 will instead be at Shea Stadium for Mets home opener vs. Houston (according to schedules on the respective sites). Be interesting to see some of the signs in the stands.
Will (28" tall) Nelson de la Rosa, Pedro's petite
Dominican pal, be there to accept Pedro's ring on
behalf of the hurler?
Pedro, to quote a certain rock band that once did a show
at Shea Stadium nearly 40 years ago:
I don't care that much for money
Money can't buy me love.
As someone said yesterday, it's fitting that a DIVA should become a Met.
Interesting how the BoSox are already announcing how "sad" they are to see Pedro go, when the Mets have still not yet officially signed him! Doesn't appear to be much sorrow in Beantown at losing Pedro. Maybe the Red Sox will sign Matt Clement, a younger power pitcher, to replace Martinez. My hometown Indians would love to get Clement, but his price is probably too high now.
Sox are reportedly negotiating with David Wells. Wish they could have gotten Andy Pettitte, but Pettitte was determined to play at his home in Texas, which is very understandable, given major league travel.
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