Pedro Martinez sends World Series message to Mets’ aces

Jul 20, 2019; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez arrives at the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the Parade of Legends. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Pedro Martinez’s tenure with the New York Mets is not remembered as fondly as his time with the Boston Red Sox. Part of that is because of the lack of championships he won with them. Martinez is apparently still bothered by that.

Martinez was one of many former Mets players at Citi Field on Saturday for the team’s Old-Timers’ Day event, and he admitted he took a moment to speak to star pitchers Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. Martinez’s message to the pair was to settle the “unfinished business” Martinez feels he has in New York.

“Me in particular, I felt like I had unfinished business. So today I was quick to ask two of the most talented pitchers that we have in the team, which is Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer,” Martinez said. “I don’t normally ask for much, but this time I did. I said, ‘Can you get it done for me?’ I felt like it was unfinished business.”

Martinez spent four seasons with the Mets, where he was excellent in 2005 before injuries began to take their toll. The Mets’ best chance to win a title during his time there came in 2006, when the team fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in the NLCS. Martinez did not appear for the Mets in the playoffs that year due to injuries.

Getting that sort of message from someone like Martinez has to be motivating for deGrom and Scherzer. Of course, they have plenty of other motivation to win a title, too.