68 replies to this topic

[mabrowndog]

Twelve hours later and I still get chills thinking about it. What a moment.


Reuters/Adam Hunger


Reuters/Gretchen Ertl


Boston Globe/Jim Davis


Reuters/Gretchen Ertl


Boston Globe/Stan Grossfeld


Boston Globe/Bill Greene


Reuters/Gretchen Ertl


Reuters/Gretchen Ertl


Boston Globe/Jim Davis


AP Photo

[NickEsasky]

I wonder if that little kid ever got his ball and Sharpie back last night.

[AlNipper49]

I missed it after buffering upstairs only to have my kid screw with the remote. Any video of this online?

[mabrowndog]

ESPN footage of the pitch only:


Distant but pretty awesome fan footage from 3B roof:

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

That Dominican Diva! How dare he upstage Neil Diamond like that!

Sorry about that everyone, my computer was possessed by John Dennis for a moment.

It was awesome, I was half-paying attention and was shocked when I saw him. Great, great moment last night. Kudos to the Sox.

[amh03]

Twelve hours later and I still get chills thinking about it. What a moment.


Reuters/Adam Hunger

It was fabulous!! What a fun guy he was...not sure how it came out on tv, but in the bleachers, everyone was chanting Pedro...Pedro. Had chills for a while afterwards. And when he embraced Pesky...just a terrific moment!!

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I was caught completely by surprise with Orsillo began his introduction of Pedro last night. It had never occurred to me that he'd be the guy to throw out the first pitch. Everything we loved about him was on display: the charisma, the charm, the hamming it up for the crowd, the big smile, the love he had for the fans, the control of the moment. I had to laugh when Tek shook his head at Pedro and chuckled at his antics on the mound.

A really well-done moment by the Sox' staff in setting that up. It was amazing to see him back in a Sox uni for the first time in 6 years.

[donutogre]

I don't suppose anyone has cooked up a link to the full walk out->pitch->Pesky hug? I missed everything due to my local bar's incompetence. Don't know why the fuck I didn't turn on the DVR at home.

[Titoschew]

I was caught completely by surprise with Orsillo began his introduction of Pedro last night. It had never occurred to me that he'd be the guy to throw out the first pitch. Everything we loved about him was on display: the charisma, the charm, the hamming it up for the crowd, the big smile, the love he had for the fans, the control of the moment. I had to laugh when Tek shook his head at Pedro and chuckled at his antics on the mound.

A really well-done moment by the Sox' staff in setting that up. It was amazing to see him back in a Sox uni for the first time in 6 years.

Serves as a preview as to how well done the event will be when they retire his number, hopefully.

Edited by Titoschew, 05 April 2010 - 08:40 AM.

[Rooster Crows]

Bummer - ESPN didn't show the game (or first pitch) in NY, and YES didn't show it (unless I passed out for those few moments). When it was rumored he was in the house, I suspected it would be to throw out the first pitch, and was looking forward to it. Thanks for the video.

Edited by Rooster Crows, 05 April 2010 - 08:46 AM.

[bluefenderstrat]

Pedro's moment with Johnny Pesky is up there with Jordan Leandre running the bases a few years ago for me. Maybe not quite so emotional, but close.

[Lose Remerswaal]

It looked like Ortiz wasn't expecting him to show up, which was pretty cool if they kept it from him

[Razor Shines]

Just a minor critique: I don't think they needed to blare the Phil Collins song during Pedro's walk to the mound. They should have just let the crowd noise be heard. The song obscured the ovation, which was too bad.

Definitely a nice thing to see, though. If there was any acrimony from his contract negations here, it appears to all be gone now.

Edited by Razor Shines, 05 April 2010 - 08:53 AM.

[Guapos Toenails]

Just a minor critique: I don't think they needed to blare the Phil Collins song during Pedro's walk to the mound. They should have just let the crowd noise be heard. The song obscured the ovation, which was too bad.

I disagree. The crowd WAS heard. I thought it was perfect.

[RedOctober3829]

I think it was the best moment at Fenway since they lowered the banner in 2005. Pedro is my all-time favorite player and I'll admit I shed a few tears watching him come into the ballpark with that white #45 jersey on. My teenage years were full of his performances. Rules be damned, 45 should be up on that facade next to the all-time greats ASAP if he is truly done. Sign him to a 1-day contract and have the ceremony that night.

The whole pregame ceremony was well-done last night by the Sox.

[Gambler7]

Definitely a nice thing to see, though. If there was any acrimony from his contract negations here, it appears to all be gone now.

I think his return here in 06 did a very clear job of showing that.

[Sleepy108]

Thanks to all for the pictures. I did not get to see this last night on ESPN2. It looks like it was a great night at Fenway and it was good to see the W.

[NYCSox]

Bummer - ESPN didn't show the game (or first pitch) in NY, and YES didn't show it (unless I passed out for those few moments). When it was rumored he was in the house, I suspected it would be to throw out the first pitch, and was looking forward to it. Thanks for the video.

Oh they showed it for about 20 seconds. And that little bitch Michael Kay went on and on about how Pedro hammed it up, took forever to walk to the mound and then mocked the first pitch for not being a strike.

[John DiFool]

So is he officially retired? Or, if we suffer injuries to the rotation somewhere down the line, is there a smidgen of a chance he heads to the minors to get in game shape?

[Maalox]

I disagree. The crowd WAS heard. I thought it was perfect.

Nothing involving Phil Collins' music is perfect.

[MidnightC]

The surprise of his appearance made it even better. I was lounging on the couch while watching all the festivities, but when Orsillo began his introduction, I was suddenly sitting bolt upright with my jaw dropped.

That was a truly special moment. It was the sweet, sweet caramel center of the delicious chocolate Easter egg that was Opening Night.

[Al Zarilla]

Oh they showed it for about 20 seconds. And that little bitch Michael Kay went on and on about how Pedro hammed it up, took forever to walk to the mound and then mocked the first pitch for not being a strike.

ESPN2 showed it for, guessing, less than a minute with no crowd shots. If it were a Yankee event, they'd have been all over it. Still, I was grateful they showed any of the Pedro first pitch stuff.

[curly2]

The Sox came back from deficits of 5-1 and 7-5 to beat the Yankees, and yet Pedro was easily the best part of the night for me. That's how great it was to see him back in a Sox uniform.

I'm 44 and have been a huge fan of baseball and a big fan of most sports as long as I can remember, and I have never enjoyed watching an athlete more than I enjoyed watching Pedro.

One of my all-time favorite moments was in game 5 in Cleveland in 1999. Sandy Alomar had walked, and was trying to throw off Pedro by calling time to retie one shoe, then the other. Pedro looked over with him with a smile and shook his head, as if to say, it's not going to work.

[Redkluzu]

I disagree. The crowd WAS heard. I thought it was perfect.

Someone in the game thread said that song should have always been Pedro's theme song. I think it absolutely fit the moment. And only Pedro could milk that moment. Plus, he looked so good! Young! Vibrant! More Pedro than I remember Pedro!

[AlNipper49]

FUCK. All I want to do is see that and in this day and age all we get is a shitty ESPN clip.

(looks around for his HOT TUB TIME MACHINE)

[B H Kim]

[Seven Costanza]

Nothing involving Phil Collins' music is perfect.

This is Sussudio. A great, great song. A personal favorite.

[joyofsox]

He may have been extra happy last night because of this.

[Redkluzu]

This was a pretty funny comment involving Pedro in the NYTimes today.

Still searching for work, Martinez did not have his fastball Sunday, and neither did Beckett.

Edited by Redkluzu, 05 April 2010 - 10:38 AM.

[joyofsox]

This is Sussudio.

Not in that clip, it ain't.

(I hate Phil Collins. He is up there in the Michael Kay territory of hate.)

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I thought it was a great moment. I only wish I could have experienced the "holy shit, it's Pedro" moment that others in this thread are describing. I didn't experience it because I was watching the NESN pre-game when, unprovoked at the end of his segment, CHB blurted out his "prediction" that Pedro would be throwing out the first pitch. And that jackass did it with that smarmy I'm so clever look on his face so you knew he knew he was letting the cat out of the bag. Made me want to punch him through the TV.

He ruined the surprise, but he couldn't ruin the moment overall. Pedro was excellent as always.

[Seven Costanza]

Not in that clip, it ain't.

(I hate Phil Collins. He is up there in the Michael Kay territory of hate.)

I know. Poor attempt at humor. It's a movie quote.

"Do you like Phil Collins?"

[mabrowndog]

That ought to make Nip and anyone else who missed it happier, but I really hope someone uploads the post-pitch stuff -- the long embrace with Pesky, and his handshakes and high fives with just about every fan in the 30 or so front row seats to the right of the dugout.

[Leon Trotsky]

Great moment, and the bleachers were going crazy - only thing that woulda made it better would have been the K-men running up and down the aisles with Dominican flags like the old days.

[24JoshuaPoint]

That's fantastic; thanks for the vid. I was driving across the state when it happened so i completely missed it. Seeing that in person must have been a sight to behold.

[mabrowndog]

CHB blurted out his "prediction" that Pedro would be throwing out the first pitch. And that jackass did it with that smarmy I'm so clever look on his face so you knew he knew he was letting the cat out of the bag. Made me want to punch him through the TV.

You have no idea how grateful I am that I missed that. I was driving back to my place like a bat out of hell, praying I wouldn't miss any of the game. Castiglione worked his way through all the Sox reserves, then finished introducing the starting lineup. I violated at least 30 different traffic laws during the anthem, pulling into my driveway just as she was finishing. I had literally sprinted to the house, scrambled to unlock and get through the front door, and turned the TV on 10 seconds before Orsillo began his introduction. I felt like Jack Bauer trying to defuse a bomb with the pounding clock from "24" echoing through my brain.

I had no clue what was coming, and was completely stunned.

Edited by mabrowndog, 05 April 2010 - 11:02 AM.

[BoSox Rule]

Shaughnessy may have let the cat out of the bag on NESN but I somehow knew before that. Was it on the news or something? At about 7:00 my mother called me to tell me he was throwing out the first pitch. I don't remember the exact time but it was definitely before CHB said it because I wasn't surprised when he did.

[Miskatonic PhD]

Amalie tweeted it, for one thing.

Which is a bit different, in that you don't have to look.

CHB is a douchenozzle.

The earth is round.

Pedro is awesome.

[mabrowndog]

A longer (18 sec) ESPN clip with a behind-the-plate view of the pitch is here.

Shaughnessy may have let the cat out of the bag on NESN but I somehow knew before that. Was it on the news or something? At about 7:00 my mother called me to tell me he was throwing out the first pitch. I don't remember the exact time but it was definitely before CHB said it because I wasn't surprised when he did.

That's around the time Adam Hirshfield posted it at NESN.com.

Edited by mabrowndog, 05 April 2010 - 11:17 AM.

[maufman]

That's fantastic; thanks for the vid. I was driving across the state when it happened so i completely missed it. Seeing that in person must have been a sight to behold.

My wife was there. She said the ovation was on par with the reception Ted Williams would get during his occasional Fenway appearances in his later years.

If inTrade took bets on whether Pedro Martinez would pitch another major-league game, the market would've moved 10-20 points last night in the "no" direction.

[dirtynine]

Anybody have the clip of the rosters being introduced? I heard Lowell got a nice ovation - be cool to see that.

[ragecage]

I have some crappy video from my phone that I may be able to upload later. I think what made it so great was the surprise of it. I was at the game with my sister, and we were listening to DO do the intro. I was listening, but not really giving any thought to who it could be. As it quickly became clear who he was talking about we went nuts. Such a surprise and a nice moment. Seeing him walk all the way in from the Monster with that huge smile was so great. He kept stopping and doing the double finger point (made me with Manny was there pointing back at him). I may be reading too much into it, but it just seemed like he really felt at home. It's nice after everything to have that for Pedro and the fans. A very cool moment indeed.

I'll try to link that video later because you can't see much close up, but you get the feeling of him walking all the way in.

[MarkInLondon]

Pedro with Pesky reminded me of when all the players surrounded Teddy Ballgame at the ASG at Fenway.

Not in that clip, it ain't.

(I hate Phil Collins. He is up there in the Michael Kay territory of hate.)

Collins is a total douche.

Years ago I went to see Millwall play away at Arsenal. He was announced at half time to do the raffle draw. He came onto the pitch in a Gunners shirt, waving and soaking up the applause. They thrust a microphone under his nose and he told everyone he was a 'lifelong Arsenal fan.'

Later the same season we were away at QPR - exactly the same thing happened, only this time he had a Rangers shirt on....

[DeltaForce]

Shaughnessy may have let the cat out of the bag on NESN but I somehow knew before that. Was it on the news or something? At about 7:00 my mother called me to tell me he was throwing out the first pitch. I don't remember the exact time but it was definitely before CHB said it because I wasn't surprised when he did.

The Baseball Tonight guys reported the "rumors" that Pedro may be throwing out the first pitch. I don't recall precisely when they said it, but I think it was really early in the show. (Not long after 7pm).

As much as I miss him as a Sox player, I'm so thrilled to see him appear in the old #45 as a Sox alumnus. He's the most important and probably most beloved Sox player of this era -- a pretty great era in Sox history, to put it mildly -- and it would have been a huge disappointment if the bad blood or whatever from '04 would have kept him from fully embracing his role in Sox history (or would made the front office from fully embracing him, or whatever). It's great that none of that will happen. Welcome home.

[Rudy Pemberton]

43 posts and not one mention of Charles Steinberg, who was surely behind this?

Like the Nomar move, kudos to all involved. A feel good moment. It's nice to have legendary Red Sox players be willing to associate themselves with the Sox and to be welcomed with open arms, by management, fans, etc.

Interesting that the Sox have now had Millar and Pedro both throw out first pitches...don't recall any other teams having players who are technically active do such things.

[mabrowndog]

43 posts and not one mention of Charles Steinberg, who was surely behind this?

I'm sure this was in jest, but the only portion of the pregame that evoked The Dentist's involvement was the little kid giving the Herb Brooks speech (which I found extremely lame).

The Pedro return, as well as Nomar's retirement, seem to have John Henry's fingerprints all over them. As Peter Abraham noted last night, JWH is "settling all family business, but in a good way."

FWIW, Peter's post at 6:24 pm appears to be the earliest media mention of Pedro.

[mabrowndog]

Two more fan videos, still nothing with Pesky:

[Oil Can Dan]

I have to echo the posts about how awesome it was in the bleachers while this was going on. My initial reaction when the PA started announcing it was "OMG - Nomar's going to throw out the first pitch!", but when he said "back to back CY Young awards" I completely freaked out. As an avid Pedro lover, words cannot describe how happy I was to have seen that.

Hats off to the organization (and to Pedro) for making that happen. Something I will never forget.

[Cha Cha the first DH]

Anybody have the clip of the rosters being introduced? I heard Lowell got a nice ovation - be cool to see that.

Lowell got the longest, loudest ovation of anybody other than Pedro. The only reaction almost as loud was when the five year old reciting the Herb Brooks speach uttered the words "screw them."

All in all, other than the ring ceremonies in 05 and 08, this was one of the bese Opening Day ceremonies they have ever had. Pedro seemed to really soak up the ovation and had that typical Pedro smile the entire time.

Edited by Cha Cha the first DH, 05 April 2010 - 02:45 PM.

[SteveCrawford]

I know. Poor attempt at humor. It's a movie quote.

"Do you like Phil Collins?"

I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual.