Dear Pedro Martinez,
It would be difficult to argue with somebody that said, “Pedro Martinez was the most dominant pitcher in baseball during his prime.”
But it should be obvious to anybody that has been watching you this season, that those days are long gone. It has almost reached the point where you are almost a liability in the rotation, and it is time that you do something about it.
It is one thing for a pitcher to dominate hitters and win games while he is in the prime of his career with all the talent in the world, but it is a new level of success when he can re-invent himself into a new pitcher that can still win games without that blazing fastball and perfect control he used to have. Pedro, you haven’t reached that point yet where you have figured out how to beat hitters without your best stuff, and it’s starting to hurt the team.
Before your start tonight, try and figure out a new strategy with which to approach hitters. Throw pitches in spots that you’ve been afraid to before, just to keep hitters off balance. Most days you still have high quality off-speed stuff, but figure out how best to mix it and where best to place it. Naturally this is all easier said than done, but it has been done and more than once.
Your former teammate Tom Glavine re-invented himself right in front of your eyes with the aid of Rick Peterson. Glavine’s two biggest changes were incorporating a breaking ball more often and not being afraid to throw his changeup inside. Trevor Hoffman has transformed in front of baseball’s eyes from a fireballing young pitcher to a crafty veteran who beats people with a deceiving changeup.
Do these changes inspire you to do anything? Do they give you any ideas? I hope so, because you have a pretty important start tonight, and the way you have pitched lately won’t cut it.
Pedro – dig up that crafty ole veteran that’s inside you so you are a useful pitcher for the Mets down the stretch. Plus, if you find a new way to present yourself and a different way to get batters out, you can probably extend your career by a year or two. Don’t be afraid of change, especially when you need to realize it is necessary to win.
Pete Lappin (3)
