Pedro Martínez (Baseball Pitcher)

Biography: Pedro Martínez was a Dominican-American professional baseball player known for his time as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned from 1992 to 2009, during which he was recognized for his impressive winning percentage, low ERA, and high strikeout rate. Martínez was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 and is considered one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history.

Martínez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1988, influenced by his older brother, Ramón Martínez. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 1992 but was traded to the Montreal Expos before the 1994 season. Martínez's skill as a pitcher blossomed with the Expos, earning him the National League Cy Young Award in 1997.

Following his success with the Expos, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1997. During his tenure with the Red Sox, he achieved three Cy Young Awards and played a pivotal role in their 2004 World Series victory, the team's first in 86 years. Martínez also played for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 2009.

His career statistics include 219 wins, a 2.93 ERA, and over 3,000 strikeouts. Notably, he achieved a high strikeout rate during the steroid era, which was heavily skewed in favor of batters.

Outside of baseball, Martínez is married to Carolina Cruz de Martínez and established a charitable organization. He became a naturalized American citizen in 2006 and has four children, with his two sons also pursuing baseball careers.

After retirement, Martínez joined the Boston Red Sox as a special assistant to the general manager and worked as a studio analyst for MLB on TBS and MLB Network. He published an autobiography, Pedro, in 2015, and has been honored by having his number retired by the Red Sox and being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.