The Book of Pedro: Q&A with Mike Silverman

[Reverend]

Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald (@MikeSilvermanBB), who worked with Pedro to produce his memoir, has kindly agreed to do a Q&A with us about co-writing a book about--and, significantly, with--Pedro.
 

 
We pretty much assume you're all going to buy the book and keep it under your pillows. But this is a chance to ask about what it was like to actually talk to, work with, and, well, just hang out with Pedro.
 
This is a special opportunity.
 
So post your questions. We'll leave this thread open for about a week or so, and then publish the questions with Mike Silverman's answers on May 5th (the release date for the book).
 
In Pedro.
 
 
https://twitter.com/45PedroMartinez/status/588742808296652800
 
 
Edit: I made some tweaks to the opening post to more accurately reflect the book as Pedor's memoir. Also, I want to re-emphasize that Mike has agreed to answer questions about the writing process itself and what it is like to work with Pedro.

 

[Al Zarilla]

When did Pedro develop the I can beat anybody and most likely will confidence? Was it while he was still with Montreal or after he came to the Red Sox? With the Dodgers even, maybe? I watched his first Red Sox start on TV, don't think I'd seen him at all with Montreal. Going in I was wondering if he'd be all he was cracked up to be (typical Sox fan skepticism). He was more, so much more.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Mike, first off, it's exciting to think about the kinds of insights we might get into one of the all time great Red Sox players over the next couple of days. So thank you for writing this book and for taking the time to chat with us!
 
So, on to the question. Listening to Pedro talk, it quickly becomes apparent that his success was driven by so much more than his natural gifts. His knowledge about the game, the amount of preparation he did, the thought that went into every at bat, every pitch sequence, every pitch was just incredible. When talking to Pedro about pitching, how often did you just sit back and think "Holy cow. I had no idea just how much information he has rattling around in his head."
 
I imagine we only get a glimpse of the depth of his knowledge when he sits in the booth. What's it like actually being in a room with him and just letting him share the breadth of his wisdom and experience?

 

[AlNipper49]

What did Pedro smell like?

 

[cahlton]

1. During the late 90s and early Aughts, did he ever wish he were pitching for a better team, one that could get him to the World Series?
2. Why didn't he retire when he got hurt? Was his decision to remake his mechanics and keep pitching founded entirely on wanting to compete, or was it motivated by money as well? To what degree did he find it frustrating, post-injury, not to be able to blow batters away any longer?
3. Did he have anything revealing to say--anything we haven't heard before--about Grady Little's fateful decision not to pull him from Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS?
3. Whose decision was it to pitch Pedro in the 7th inning of Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS?

 

[santadevil]

Mike, thanks for doing this for SoSH. Pretty awesome of you.
 
I assumed you got into the Yankee game 1-hitter from 1999, where Chili Davis hit the homerun in the 2nd inning.
Did Pedro mention if that homerun really focused him more that game, or was he just so dominant that year, that it was just a normal extension of his season?

 

[Comebacker to Foulke]

Who is coneclearly, Boston feels like Pedro is "theirs", that he is first and foremost a Red Sox, does he feel like if he could do it all again, would he have done more on his end to try and work things out with JH/TE, so he could remain in Boston after 2004?
 
Also, did he ever drill a guy 100% on purpose?
 
And one more:
 
Who is Karim Garcia?

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Mike, thanks for doing this chat, and huge congratulations on getting the book deal of a (sports) lifetime.
 
My questions are a little generic, please use them as a jumping-off point to answer the question you want to answer:
 
1. What was the best story you heard from (or about) Pedro that just had to be cut from the book (for whatever reason)?
2. How would Pedro answer the question, "in baseball, does winning create chemistry more or less than chemistry creates winning?"
3. Would you say there was any opponent (Batter or even another starter) who Pedro regarded as his nemesis?
4. Tell us what you know about the conversations between Duquette and Pedro when the terms of the Montreal trade were agreed to, and they wanted to give him the extension.  What made Pedro believe Boston would be the right place for him?  He could have picked his destination, and named his price.  Why say yes to the Duke?

 

[jasvlm]

Mike, did Pedro try to impart any aspects of his game or approach to the younger Red Sox pitchers who were with the team while he was?  He seems to relish this role with the team now, and I am curious if he made a habit of this during his active days.
If he had to get 3 outs to save a game for him, what reliever, ex-teammate or not, would he choose to close it out?

 

[Laser Show]

Thanks a bunch Mike.
 
Who, playing the game today, would Pedro most like to face?
What does Pedro think of today's depleted offensive environment and has he thought about what kind of obscene numbers he would've posted?

 

[Reverend]

I've long thought about how great it is that Pedro overcame the bitterness that surrounded his departure for the Mets.
 
Do you have any insight as to how Pedro was able to overcome that bitterness and the process--not just contractual but emotional and psychological--that brought him back to the Red Sox?

 

[Reverend]

Ace pitchers are notorious for being... let's call it, "difficult." Also, writing is hard. What was the most challenging thing about working with Pedro in this process? Was there anything or anytime where he was just plain difficult to deal with? Or annoying about certain parts of the project?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

What really happened in Game 7 both the 2003 and 2004 ALCS series? What was Pedro told in Game 7 of 2003 about coming out after 7? Rumors are that Wallace write Embree's name on the lineup card after the 7th, meaning Pedro was coming out. How did it go down where he was sent back into the game?
 
Whose decision was it to put him in Game 7 of 2004? Pedro claims that for was given little time to warm up and wasn't expecting to be used. True?

 

[Rudi Fingers]

I still remember reading the quote in the papers the day after Pedro's 17 strikeout game against the Yankees in '99:  "It's as good as it gets, I won't lie".  
 
I always felt that the Pedro paid the price for his amazing September - 5 straight starts with 120 pitches or more, where he *lowered* his ERA from 2.36 to 2.08 - with the injuries to his shoulder that came about just in time for the playoffs.
 
My gut feeling is that Pedro wouldn't change a thing about September/October - the pennant race, the career-threatening (and career-defining) ALDS performance, etc.  
 
My question:  in your discussions with Pedro about September and October '99, what stands out in your mind?

 

[Clears Cleaver]

Mike - how did you get chosen to write this book? did you approach Pedro? did he approach you? Can you tell about the pitch to write the book? I'm guessing the curly red-haired guy wasn't in the running to write it...who else was in contention if anyone?
 
who were Pedro's favorite teammates? least favorite teammates?

 

[Dogman]

Pedro has publicly stated he was wrong about throwing Zimmer to the ground in that July game so long ago. 
 
Let's be honest, he really, really, really enjoyed that as much as all of us did, right?

 

[brs3]

Thanks for doing this, Mike. 
 
Based on your conversations with Pedro, and the clear level of knowledge he has about the game, do you think he'll ever take an on-field role, ie as a pitching coach? I suspect this answer might be in the book, so I've already pre-ordered it. Can't wait to dig into it.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Pedro has publicly stated he was wrong about throwing Zimmer to the ground in that July game so long ago. 
 
Let's be honest, he really, really, really enjoyed that as much as all of us did, right?

You sure about that?

 

[ALiveH]

yes

 

[Dogman]

Thanks for the question Rudy.  It's utterly amazing, really, that you didn't ask anything.
 
Mike, Pedro gave me something to give to George King.  Can you get me his address?
 
Aside from Sandra Bullock, who else is on Pedro's childrens book list?

 

[glasspusher]

I was in grad school in Cleveland from 1995 until 2000. Did Pedro say what it was like pitching in the Jake? He was unbelievable. Saw him there many times.

 

[Soxfan in Fla]

I was at the Trop the night of the Gerald Williams mound charge and subsequent 15 attempts at beaning Daubach. How did he keep himself in such a zone that night with all the distractions p take a no hitter into the 9th?

 

[koufax32]

What was his own favorite performance and why?

Does he currently own an Enrique Wilson voodoo doll?

Who was his favorite opponent to K? Anyone he particularly relished making look silly?

Which hitter did he fear the most?

 

[koufax32]

Pedro's career straddled the advent of sabermetrics in baseball. How did this new area of analyzing opponents' strengths and weaknesses affect his preparation? What would his game prep be like in 1998 compared to 2004 or later?

 

[Ramon AC]

Why do Pedro and Posada hate each other so much?

How much money would I have to give to what charity to get Pedro to come to my house and play catch with me?

 

[sfip]

Whom besides Ramon does he credit for teaching him most about pitching at a major league level?

 

[Reverend]

Guys, you can ask Mike what Pedro is like to work with. You can't ask him to pass notes to Pedro for you in class.

You're being weird.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Mike, every now and then a debate resurfaces on this site as to the actual value Jason Varitek had in working with the pitching staff. Pedro recently was quoted as talking about the process he and Tek went through to get comfortable working as a tandem. Is there anything specifically about this covered in the book, or in general about his working relationship with catchers?
 
For me, the lasting Pedro pitching memory is the relief job in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS against Cleveland, when he wasn't at 100 percent.. Did you talk with him about that game; if so, what was his recollection about it. 

 

[PortageeExpress]

During the process of writing the book, was there anything about Pedro that surprised you?
 
How did the writing process work? How do you feel you were most effective in getting Pedro to describe aspects of his career that would make for good reading?
 
He smells like victory, right?

 

[SumnerH]

Mike, every now and then a debate resurfaces on this site as to the actual value Jason Varitek had in working with the pitching staff. Pedro recently was quoted as talking about the process he and Tek went through to get comfortable working as a team. Is there anything specifically about this covered in the book, or in general about his working relationship with catchers? 

This is a great question. Any insights into how important catchers are and in what manner (from an accomplished pitcher's pov) would be greatly appreciated.

Also, how did he go about preparing for a game? Scouting, practicing pitches, watching game tape, etc. What's the process?

 

[EdRalphRomero]

Hi Mike, thanks for doing this and I look forward to reading your book.  I am hoping you could speak to the process of writing this book with Pedro.  I am specifially curious about the change in the relationship which must occur when a writer co-authors a book with an athlete.  You are now collaborators and (in a sense) business partners (in that you share in the revenue associated with the book).  Do you feel this will hinder future objectivity in your writings on Pedro?  Obviously Pedro isn't coming out of retirement (damn!) but in some magical world where he did, do you think you would be able to cover him?  Would you have written this book if Pedro was an active player? 
 
Thanks!

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

How did Pedro's expiernces in Great Falls (Rookie lg), Bakersfield (A+), San Antonio (AA), and Albuquerque (AAA) shape him as a pitcher? Did he discuss any lessons learned at those levels that helped translate to big league dominance?

 

[scotian1]

How difficult was the transition from a totally Spanish speaking environment to a totally English speaking one along with great cultural differences between the Dominican and Great Falls?

 

[yeahlunchbox]

To piggyback on scotian's question, how was it transitioning from Spanish to English, then to French while he was with Montreal

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Hi Mike, thanks for doing this and congrats on your book.  I'm sure it will sell like hotcakes.
 
My impression of Pedro is that he is pretty guarded - or politic - about talking about his ex-teammates or other of his peers.  Do you agree with this?  If so, were you able to get him to open up about other players (both pitchers and hitters) or was this not the focus of your book?

 

[shoebox91]

Mike, thanks for the time and for helping make this book about my all-time favorite Red Sox happen.
 
I always got the sense that he and Schill never really got along and wondered if Pedro addressed that much with you. Was it simply 'this is the guy they're bringing in to replace me so I'm naturally not going to like him" or was it more than that? Was that intensified after the Series was over and Schill was one of the "saviors" with the whole bloody sock deal? 
 
Thanks again for your time.

 

[Skeesix]

Certainly at this point, although he's played in many places, he is probably most attached to Boston. What was the point where that happened? Was it meeting his wife here? Was it the signing of other Dominican luminaries like Manny?

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Thanks for the question Rudy.  It's utterly amazing, really, that you didn't ask anything.

 
He was poking fun about when you thought the Pedro/Zimmer game was in July.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Mike, can you talk about how the writing process worked? Did most of it happen face to face? Over the phone? Through email, text, and chat? Video chat? Assuming you spent some some time with him face to face, what was the most interesting place you guys met and did you ever have to deal with fans interrupting looking for an autograph or just wanting to say "Hello" or "Thank you"?

 

[chechusma]

Hi Mike -
 
I was simply wondering if there were any stories or anecdotes that you would have liked to include in the book, but could not, for whatever reason (Obviously, I don't expect or want you to share anything that Pedro wanted to keep private and out of the public eye). 
 
Thanks! Can't wait to read it.

 

[Reverend]

This afternoon is your last chance to submit any questions to Mike about what it's like to work with Pedro.
 
Pedro.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Thanks Mike. I was wondering if you had a chance to watch any games with Pedro while going through this process and if you did what that was like. Did he analyze what the pitchers were doing in setting up pitches and things like that? 

 

[Super Nomario]

Maybe the wrong forum for this, but Pedro is doing a signing of this book at the Barnes and Noble in the Pru next Thursday (the 7th). Signing at noon, line forms at 8 AM.
 
http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4840083