The following article is in today's Boston Globe. I thought it was very interesting and thought anybody thinking on betting on Sunday's Red Sox / Orioles game might find it interesting...
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Fine tuning amid turmoil
By Bob Hohler, Globe Staff, 4/6/2002
ALTIMORE - Things may be coming together for Pedro Martinez. He not only believes he has made a major breakthrough in his pitching mechanics, he has regained some of his fighting spirit.
Red Sox fans can thank Toronto manager Buck Martinez for the latter. The Blue Jays skipper, irked that the Sox ace socialized with some Toronto players when a security detail ushered him through the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park before Wednesday's rainout, called the incident ''uncalled for.''
What's more, Buck Martinez alluded to Pedro plunking Toronto's Shannon Stewart on Opening Day. ''If I was Shannon Stewart, I've got to think of taking a pop at him or something,'' the Jays manager said.
The Sox ace countered: ''If you want to pop one in, just go ahead and take your chances. He doesn't have to send Stewart to do it. He can always come himself and do it if he wants to.''
Sox security officials escorted the pitcher to the visiting clubhouse after he participated in the team's pregame meet-and-greet session at the turnstiles. He said he chatted briefly with friends - Carlos Delgado, Raul Mondesi , and Jose Cruz - and made an observation about the tiny size of the clubhouse, which he had never seen.
''The way I did it was completely innocent,'' he said. ''I had no idea it would cause any problems or Buck would be upset about it.''
The Toronto skipper insisted Martinez had violated one of baseball's unwritten rules by entering the opposing clubhouse, even though several Toronto players, including Opening Day starter Chris Carpenter, passed through the Sox clubhouse to use the weight room. Martinez said he agreed with the Toronto manager in principle. But he said he was surprised by the harsh nature of the manager's comments.
''I actually thought he liked me,'' Martinez said. ''He was always nice to me when he was working on television and radio. I never thought he would think something like that. I actually had a lot of respect for him.''
When Sox manager Grady Little was asked if his Toronto counterpart may have overreacted, Little said curtly, ''I don't know. I've never been an ESPN analyst.''
Martinez identified the flaw in his mechanics by watching a video of his 1-0, complete-game victory over the Tigers when he was pitching for the Expos in 1997. ''I've always referred to that game because I felt so much in command and so good about my mechanics,'' he said. ''I felt like I made very few mistakes that day.''
By checking the tape, Martinez discovered he was not using the full power of his legs in his delivery. In fact, he said, ''I wasn't using my legs at all.''
He has thrown in the bullpen since making the discovery and reported significant improvement. To Little, it was a crucial development.
''It means his concern for his shoulder is going away,'' he said. ''I knew when he got over that fear of the pain that he would start thinking about the other things that make him a great pitcher.''
Martinez said he could not predict if he will pitch better tomorrow than he did on Opening Day. He indicated he still is nagged by some uncertainty, as are Sox fans.
''If I'm healthy, they know I'm not going to struggle like this all year long,'' he said. ''If I do, it's going to be a rough year for me.''
Baltimore righthander Calvin Maduro, who went on the disabled list last month with right forearm stiffness, will return to start against Martinez.
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Fine tuning amid turmoil
By Bob Hohler, Globe Staff, 4/6/2002
ALTIMORE - Things may be coming together for Pedro Martinez. He not only believes he has made a major breakthrough in his pitching mechanics, he has regained some of his fighting spirit.
Red Sox fans can thank Toronto manager Buck Martinez for the latter. The Blue Jays skipper, irked that the Sox ace socialized with some Toronto players when a security detail ushered him through the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park before Wednesday's rainout, called the incident ''uncalled for.''
What's more, Buck Martinez alluded to Pedro plunking Toronto's Shannon Stewart on Opening Day. ''If I was Shannon Stewart, I've got to think of taking a pop at him or something,'' the Jays manager said.
The Sox ace countered: ''If you want to pop one in, just go ahead and take your chances. He doesn't have to send Stewart to do it. He can always come himself and do it if he wants to.''
Sox security officials escorted the pitcher to the visiting clubhouse after he participated in the team's pregame meet-and-greet session at the turnstiles. He said he chatted briefly with friends - Carlos Delgado, Raul Mondesi , and Jose Cruz - and made an observation about the tiny size of the clubhouse, which he had never seen.
''The way I did it was completely innocent,'' he said. ''I had no idea it would cause any problems or Buck would be upset about it.''
The Toronto skipper insisted Martinez had violated one of baseball's unwritten rules by entering the opposing clubhouse, even though several Toronto players, including Opening Day starter Chris Carpenter, passed through the Sox clubhouse to use the weight room. Martinez said he agreed with the Toronto manager in principle. But he said he was surprised by the harsh nature of the manager's comments.
''I actually thought he liked me,'' Martinez said. ''He was always nice to me when he was working on television and radio. I never thought he would think something like that. I actually had a lot of respect for him.''
When Sox manager Grady Little was asked if his Toronto counterpart may have overreacted, Little said curtly, ''I don't know. I've never been an ESPN analyst.''
Martinez identified the flaw in his mechanics by watching a video of his 1-0, complete-game victory over the Tigers when he was pitching for the Expos in 1997. ''I've always referred to that game because I felt so much in command and so good about my mechanics,'' he said. ''I felt like I made very few mistakes that day.''
By checking the tape, Martinez discovered he was not using the full power of his legs in his delivery. In fact, he said, ''I wasn't using my legs at all.''
He has thrown in the bullpen since making the discovery and reported significant improvement. To Little, it was a crucial development.
''It means his concern for his shoulder is going away,'' he said. ''I knew when he got over that fear of the pain that he would start thinking about the other things that make him a great pitcher.''
Martinez said he could not predict if he will pitch better tomorrow than he did on Opening Day. He indicated he still is nagged by some uncertainty, as are Sox fans.
''If I'm healthy, they know I'm not going to struggle like this all year long,'' he said. ''If I do, it's going to be a rough year for me.''
Baltimore righthander Calvin Maduro, who went on the disabled list last month with right forearm stiffness, will return to start against Martinez.
