BY KEN DAVIDOFF
STAFF WRITER

February 9, 2005


For all of his brilliance on the mound, Pedro Martinez often aggravated Red Sox officials with his punctuality issues. And the issue arose early, annually, as Martinez routinely showed up late for spring training.

With his new team, however, Martinez has a new reporting date: nine days early.

After flying into Florida from his native Dominican Republic Monday night, Martinez reported to the Mets' Tradition Field complex yesterday morning and proceeded to work out for about 4 1/2 hours. He threw in the bullpen with the Mets' new bullpen coach, Guy Conti.

"The new Mets are going to [have] a new attitude," Martinez said. "It's going to be a team that went from last place in other years to being a team that's really going to compete and be in the middle of the race."

Mets general manager Omar Minaya was pleased about Martinez's early arrival. "I want a veteran player like Pedro coming to camp early, working out with the minor leaguers," he said. "When they're working together, on the same field, major leaguers and minor leaguers, it sends a great message throughout the whole organization."

Minaya said he didn't speak to Martinez about reporting to camp early, or even on time. Said Minaya: "He did it on his own."

Martinez owns a home in Miami, and in the coming week, he'll shuttle back and forth between Port St. Lucie and Miami. He probably won't come to Mets camp over the weekend. But beginning on Feb. 17, the Mets' reporting day for pitchers and catchers, he will be a steady presence.

It's more symbolic than anything else, yet it's a meaningful symbol for both Martinez and the Mets. The Mets, coming off three dreadful seasons, very much want to build on the positive momentum they developed this offseason with the signings of Martinez and Carlos Beltran. And they have often seen their new arrivals experience turbulence in their first spring trainings.

Last year, for example, shortstop (turned second baseman) Kaz Matsui injured a nail on the middle finger of his right hand during an infield drill. And back in 2002, coming off a promising offseason, Mo Vaughn showed up clearly out of shape, a foreboding sign for his brief, unsuccessful Mets career.

To have their new ace report so early is encouraging, especially given Martinez's history. More often than not, in his seven years with the Red Sox, the righthander arrived after the team's reporting date for pitchers and catchers. He usually attributed it to staying in the Dominican to celebrate his father's birthday.

The team had no power to discipline Martinez, since the collective bargaining agreement states that players aren't required to show up any earlier than March 1. Yet it typified the "me-first" attitude that others perceived Martinez as possessing.

For now, however, there are no such concerns about Martinez, no negatives to wipe away the progress the Mets made in the last few months.

"There's a new feeling in the organization," Minaya said. "A whole new Mets feeling."

Big whoop, he'll be lucky to win 14 games this year! Adios Peety

this just means his arm will be tired in august instead of september

Have fun with those 180 above average innings he's being vastly overpaid for. oh, yeah, and also have fun being fifteen games out of first yet again.

Have fun getting knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round again.

Hah

What I'm really waiting for is to see how Pedro the Primadonna can adjust to not having his ass kissed by the management of the team. Or to see if the Mets management will reneg and kiss his ass just like Boston did

Wow, when did Pedro Martinez turn into Mr. Subliminal from SNL?

I find it funny that a grown man is punctual and someone writes about it. I find it even funnier that management makes a comment like "he did this all on his own". Is this MLB or Pre-k?

It's news because he came and went as he pleased in Boston. It's an optimistic article for Mets fans, and laughable for the rest of us.

reminds me of how everyone implied what a gladiator tom brady was for playing in the superbowl after his grandma died.

you mean he had a death in the family and he still showed up to his job? amazing!

I guess thats why i find it funny

I don't know about "gladiator", but it would be hard to perform at your absolute best even at McDonald's if you just lost a close family member. My fiance's grandmother died and I was in bad shape for 3 days and I still had to work and my work suffered.

i don't recall anyone calling him anything... they were too busy on TO's crotch...

it's sad knuckles that you never had a grandmother who you loved

I'm gonna derail this thread for a second cause I just noticed something.

Bostonlou, I just saw your signature. Do you realize that by saying the yankees choked gives no credit to your team at all. Your basically saying that the red sox got lucky because the yankees choked. You should be proud that your team outplayed the yankees. But, it seems that your more happy that the yankees "choked". Thats all.

i don't disagree with you at all. But all the stories i heard made it sound like he was making some superhuman effort just to be playing the big game - which i won't argue it wasn't an effort, but i fail to see how it's any more "superhuman" than any other human who loses a family member and gets his/her job done.

you're a classy one, i'll give you that

he did that just to throw it in the redsox's face. I really think he is a peice of shit thats is on the down slope. he isnt the picture he was. I hope he goes on the dl 10x this year.

good lord, i'd hope they'd just move him to the 40 or 90 day dl after the second time.

It's slightly different because you don't do your job on TV in front of hundreds of millions of people, 70,000 people in the stands, the entire city of Boston pressuring you, etc. etc. etc.