Pedro Martinez

Quote: "If I wasn't playing here, I'd be playing back home in a softball league." -- Red Sox rookie Brian Daubach, who spent nine years in the minors.It's a fact: After seven major-league starts, Jeff Weaver has stopped Tigers losing streaks of six, two and five games.Who's hot: The Rangers' Rusty Greer has four homers in six games.Who's not: The Yankees' Chuck Knoblauch is in a 1-for-34 slump.On deck: The Yankees' David Cone faces the Red Sox and Pedro Martinez, the major-league leader in victories, tonight.

Red Sox: Have scored two or fewer runs in seven of their last eight games.Tigers: Frank Catalanotto got his first start of the year at second base in place of Damion Easley, who's 0-for-10 in his career against Tim Wakefield. Detroit has already faced all five AL pitchers who won 18 or more games last year -- Rick Helling, Aaron Sele, David Cone, Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. It went 1-4, beating only Helling in the season opener at Texas.Blue Jays: Have homered in 10 straight games. Toronto is 8-1 on its current homestand.

BOSTON -- National League catcher Mike Piazza stood on deck last night, on the verge of getting another crack at pitcher Pedro Martinez. Perhaps Piazza would have experienced a flashback in this 70th All-Star Game, which no doubt would have made his heart race and his hand throb.Piazza's last experience with his former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, in a June 1998 game at Fenway Park, left him hurt and disturbed enough to fire off a few verbal shots at the Boston Red Sox ace. Martinez knocked Piazza from the three-game series with a fastball that bruised his hand, leading to an angry exchange and accusations of revenge.

CLEVELAND -- For most of the season, the way Pedro Martinez pitches has strained belief. Last night, it strained his back.Martinez, Boston's sure Cy Young Award winner in the American League, lasted only four innings at chilly Jacobs Field before having to leave the game. The Cleveland Indians took advantage of his absence -- and of a strong start by Bartolo Colon -- to come back for a 3-2 win over the Red Sox in the opening game of this American League Division Series.Cleveland, down 2-0 when Martinez left, broke a 2-2 tie in the ninth when Travis Fryman singled with one out and the bases loaded.

Quote: "I've never done this situation before. I'm doing this on a volunteer basis. I'd like to get back out there and redeem myself a little bit."-- Tim Wakefield, who blew his first save as the Red Sox's emergency closerIt's a fact: There were five errors in the Chicago-Boston game, all by third basemen. The White Sox's Greg Norton had three and the Red Sox's Lou Merloni had the other two. Norton has 17 errors on the season.Who's hot: The Royals are 5-1 on this 10-game homestand after a 1-8 stretch.

Quote: "I've kind of made a deal with myself that I would retire either when my wife told me to or the hitters told me to. Right now, the hitters are screaming that message." -- Jeff Montgomery, the Royals' struggling closer, on whether he might retire at the end of the season.It's a fact: The Royals have not won more than four straight home games since winning six straight in June 1995.Who's hot: Tigers rookie Gabe Kapler has six homers and 13 RBIs in his past 12 games.Who's not: The Athletics' bullpen blew a save opportunity for the fourth time in 11 games on its 13-game road trip.

Ivan Rodriguez failed to win the Most Valuable Player Award for his own team, but was named MVP of the American League yesterday. Pedro Martinez received the most first-place votes for Most Valuable Player, but he finished second, in part because two writers left him off their ballots.The bizarre nature of this year's voting, then, assures that the selection of Rodriguez will go down as one of the most controversial in baseball history. "I'm not going to start crying about it," said Martinez, the Boston pitcher who was picked unanimously for the AL Cy Young Award earlier this week.

BOSTON -- The Colorado Rockies' Larry Walker took a handful of grass as a memento of his visit to Fenway Park. Every player will take something more lasting: The memory of surrounding Hall of Famer Ted Williams on the mound as he prepared to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the 70th All-Star Game last night.Driven to the infield on a cart because of a series of strokes in recent years, Williams had tears in his eyes as players came over to shake his hand, pat his shoulder and steal a few seconds of conversation.

BOSTON -- National League catcher Mike Piazza stood on deck last night, on the verge of getting another crack at pitcher Pedro Martinez. Perhaps Piazza would have experienced a flashback in this 70th All-Star Game, which no doubt would have made his heart race and his hand throb.Piazza's last experience with his former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, in a June 1998 game at Fenway Park, left him hurt and disturbed enough to fire off a few verbal shots at the Boston Red Sox ace. Martinez knocked Piazza from the three-game series with a fastball that bruised his hand, leading to an angry exchange and accusations of revenge.

George W. Bush is not campaigning for election so much as cruising toward coronation.Who but City Hall would invest in a hotel lacking financing, an operator or prospective owner that seems designed for an activity that is illegal?Martin O'Malley for mayor! But not before the IRA begins decommissioning.There's nothing wrong with the O's that a few pitchers like Pedro Martinez wouldn't help.Pub Date: 7/16/99

NEW YORK - - When the gates opened Tuesday to Yankee Stadium's Great Hall where Philadelphia Phillies players and coaches sat at tables waiting to be interviewed, hundreds of media members ran to Pedro Martinez's station. It had all the makings of a stampede. Reporters and photographers couldn't get to Martinez fast enough. Everyone wanted his reaction to getting the ball in Game 2 on Thursday for the Phillies. "This might be my last game on the big stage," said Martinez, who is pitching in his second World Series.

Clearly, what the Orioles need to do is hold one of those town hall meetings that are all the rage right now. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail should open the stadium on Thursday's day off and set up a lectern on top of the home dugout and let Orioles fans let loose with their comments, questions and complaints. In another discouraging second-half slump, I'm sure there are a lot of fans who would jump at the opportunity to vent their frustration at the progress of the club's latest rebuilding plan.

Break in tradition It was a strange season opener for the Orioles. No orange carpet to run down. No orange and black balloons to loft into the afternoon sky. For that matter, there was no afternoon, no sky. For only the third time in the past 28 years, the Orioles began their regular season on the road, playing against the Minnesota Twins at the sold-out Metrodome. It was the first time since 1995 they didn't open at Camden Yards. It was only the second time in club history they've opened at night and the first start in a dome.

In the spirit of renewal, I'm ready to leave football behind and start singing to the seamheads. For many, this might seem a little early in the year to start talking baseball. We're still almost two months from pitchers and catchers reporting and three from the first meaningful pitch of 2007. But January is as good a time as any to lay the groundwork for a great draft. By mid-March, you want to know this stuff so well that it stands ready for instant recall, like your spouse's birthday or your voice-mail pass code.

The New York Mets have been baseball's best team. They practically wrapped up the National League East before Memorial Day and they seemingly score 15 runs a game. A month ago, they were penciled in to the World Series. Well, get the erasers out. Because Pedro Martinez has a new daddy: his calves. Dominant pitching wins titles. And, when on his game, Martinez projects dominance. He's 6-2 in the postseason with a 3.40 ERA, and that includes hiccups against his old daddy, the New York Yankees.

Good morning --Pedro Martinez--Just like in Napoleon Dynamite, Red Sox fans would still vote for you.

NEW YORK -- It was starting to look like so many other games in this long and frustrating road trip for the Orioles, with a young pitcher making just enough mistakes to lose, and an offense that simply could not offer enough support when it was truly needed. But in the top of the seventh inning last night at Shea Stadium, the home of baseball's hottest team, the Orioles' fortunes finally changed. It started with two walks and continued with a clutch sacrifice bunt from a player making his first appearance of the season.

On deck -- Mets vs. Phillies-- Pedro Martinez of the Mets tries to improve to 6-0 tonight.

On deck -- Nationals vs. Mets -- Pedro Martinez is scheduled to make his season debut tonight against Washington.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Pedro Martinez's first spring start resulted in three scoreless innings, and the Orioles committed four errors in an 8-0 loss to the New York Mets. The only hit off Martinez came from the game's first batter, Brian Roberts, who reached when third baseman David Wright collided with catcher Paul Lo Duca while chasing a high pop-up. Martinez walked one and struck out two. Orioles vs. Marlins Fort Lauderdale, Fla., today, 1:05 p.m.