Pedro HOF Induction

[mvp 78]

His suit is amazing. Will his speech be as good as Ricky's was?

 

Glad that Boggs, Rice, Fisk and Eck are there.

[mvp 78]

Bagwell >>> Biggio

[mvp 78]

"Gritty sparkplug." Vomit.

[mvp 78]

285 HBP! Modern day record!

[VA Sox Fan]

I DVR'd it and am watching now. YAY PEDRO!!!

[a700hitter]

Gary Thorne is Master of Ceremonies

[VA Sox Fan]

Gary Thorne is Master of Ceremonies

 

Yeah, that part sucked. Pedro was amazing. But I was more moved to tears by Randy Johnson. Someone I saw as cold and stoic. He was awesome and so human. Pleasant surprise.

 

Damn though. I love PEDRO MARTINEZ!!!

[a700hitter]

Yeah, that part sucked. Pedro was amazing. But I was more moved to tears by Randy Johnson. Someone I saw as cold and stoic. He was awesome and so human. Pleasant surprise.

 

Damn though. I love PEDRO MARTINEZ!!!

They have to be robotic to be successful as players, and when they retire they are freed to let it all hang out. I enjoyed all of their speeches.

[VA Sox Fan]

They have to be robotic to be successful as players, and when they retire they are freed to let it all hang out. I enjoyed all of their speeches.

 

I did too. Although I didn't watch Biggio's.

[mvp 78]

My dad left me a tearful message about Pedro's speech. It was really good, but it wasn't dusty at my house.

[SoxHop]

Pedro was the best............. we got to see the best on our team.........

 

I hope I still have that Sports Illustrated article with the cover picture being him and showing how his fingers bend.......... ...... To me that is my prize Sox possession.

[Behindenemylines]

Pedro had some of the best pitched baseball seasons in history.

[a700hitter]

I read Pedro's book and was surprised to learn that Theo ("Young Buck" as Pedro called him) was jacking up the radar gun at Fenway for competitive advantage when Pedro pitched in 2004. Pedro was throwing mid to high 80's by then, but Theo had them pump the gun by a couple of mph. Pedro could pitch just fine at that velocity as long as he had his command. He had enough of a repertoire to keep hitters off balance and he had some heat in the tank when needed. I'm not sure what Young Buck thought he was achieving.

[Bellhorn04]

I read Pedro's book and was surprised to learn that Theo ("Young Buck" as Pedro called him) was jacking up the radar gun at Fenway for competitive advantage when Pedro pitched in 2004. Pedro was throwing mid to high 80's by then, but Theo had them pump the gun by a couple of mph. Pedro could pitch just fine at that velocity as long as he had his command. He had enough of a repertoire to keep hitters off balance and he had some heat in the tank when needed. I'm not sure what Young Buck thought he was achieving.

 

Strange anecdote. I have no clue what competitive advantage could possibly result.

[Bellhorn04]

We all remember Pedro's infamous relief stint in 2004 ALCS Game 7. After giving up the 2 runs Pedro was throwing smoke to get the last 2 outs of the inning. The radar gun had him throwing high 90's on a few of those pitches. I've got the DVD to prove it, as I'm sure a lot of us do. Edited September 30, 2015 by Bellhorn04

[a700hitter]

Strange anecdote. I have no clue what competitive advantage could possibly result.

There were a lot of interesting stories in the book that I did not know. As Pedro tells it, Schilling's ankle injury resulted from Schilling adopting Pedro's technique of "hooking the rubber" where the pitcher's foot is partially on the rubber during the delivery. Shill noticed this with Pedro in Spring Training and they talked about it. Most pitchers just have only the side of their foot next to and touching the rubber as they deliver the ball. Pedro always had part of his foot on top of the rubber. It gave him more stability and leverage when delivering the ball. When Big Schill tried it, it added a couple mph to his fast ball so he stayed with it. It pinched his ankle joint and damaged the nerve. Doctors warned him the he would get necrosis in the joint if he continued, but he was having too much success and he continued until the point where he needed regular injections of numbing agents. Pedro believes that at age 37 and with Schill's big body it was too late for him to incorporate the technique.

[a700hitter]

Strange anecdote. I have no clue what competitive advantage could possibly result.

Here is a question for you. How many guns are on the pitcher during a game. Is there a different stadium gun? Was Theo meddling with the gun or just the reading posted on the score board? It makes me wonder about the integrity of the data we get on pitchers. I have already heard stories that the guns at Fenway were quicker than at other ballparks because of the closer proximity of the gun to the pitcher.

[sk7326]

The stadium guns (the ones that make it onto the scoreboard) are usually jacked I think - Pitching equivalent of chicks digging the longball. But the scouts bring their own guns (and one assumes the Sox are no different). There is no real reason for the opposing teams to not know what the guy is actually throwing. And anyway, straight, poorly located 97 gets hit.

[a700hitter]

The stadium guns (the ones that make it onto the scoreboard) are usually jacked I think - Pitching equivalent of chicks digging the longball. But the scouts bring their own guns (and one assumes the Sox are no different). There is no real reason for the opposing teams to not know what the guy is actually throwing. And anyway, straight, poorly located 97 gets hit.

Which guns are the feed for statistical data? It wouldn't be handheld guns used by scouts.

[sk7326]

Which guns are the feed for statistical data? It wouldn't be handheld guns used by scouts.

 

Pitch F/X ... whether that data gets on the scoreboard is another matter (my guess is no)

[a700hitter]

Pitch F/X ... whether that data gets on the scoreboard is another matter (my guess is no)

If teams can mess with that, it really calls into question the reliability of the data.

[sk7326]

If teams can mess with that, it really calls into question the reliability of the data.

 

It would - I am inclined to think that pitch f/x stuff is legit. It's installed in every stadium, and just from a pure game theory perspective it doesn't make much sense to tinker with it too much.

[a700hitter]

It would - I am inclined to think that pitch f/x stuff is legit. It's installed in every stadium, and just from a pure game theory perspective it doesn't make much sense to tinker with it too much.

I am curious to look back at Pedro's recorded velocity in 2004. If it shows him in the high 80's and low 90's the stats are not genuine, because according to him, he was not throwing that hard.

[sk7326]

I am curious to look back at Pedro's recorded velocity in 2004. If it shows him in the high 80's and low 90's the stats are not genuine, because according to him, he was not throwing that hard.

 

Pitch F/X only was installed in parks in 2006. I am sure Pedro is right (relative to what you saw on NESN's broadcast for instance), but I am also sure that other team's advance scouts had their own readings of his velocity.

[Bellhorn04]

Now I have to check my 2004 DVD's!

[a700hitter]

Pitch F/X only was installed in parks in 2006. I am sure Pedro is right (relative to what you saw on NESN's broadcast for instance), but I am also sure that other team's advance scouts had their own readings of his velocity.

Is there no official statistical record of velocity prior to 2006? The fact that scouts also take readings makes Theo's attempts to misrepresent the velocity seem quite silly and pointless.

[sk7326]

Is there no official statistical record of velocity prior to 2006? The fact that scouts also take readings makes Theo's attempts to misrepresent the velocity seem quite silly and pointless.

 

or fictional

[a700hitter]

or fictional

Pedro is making it up?

[mvp 78]

Stadiums pump up the guns all the time. Even Don and Jerry talk about it during games.

[sk7326]

Pedro is making it up?

 

I love Pedro to death - he is keenly aware of his legend.