Aces of Diamonds

Baseball Digest, July, 2000 by Gordon Edes

"It all depends on how a guy is put together and how he goes about doing his job," said Gullett, now the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds. "Pedro Martinez probably throws harder than anybody around, other than Randy Johnson. And look at the contrast.

"What Pedro has is a God-given gift. A guy that small, he creates that type of velocity by using his entire body. It's not all arm. It's the physical leverage that he gets from his legs and his torso, the torque he gets. Plus, he also has tremendous arm strength."

Mike Mussina 1999-18-7, 3.50 ERA, 203 IP, 172 SO 1995-1999--84-45, 3.68 ERA, 1, 100 IP, 927 SO

Attitude is essential

The Yankees, who have won three of the last four World Series, finished eighth in the American League in home runs last season, but their fourth starter was a five-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens. At 37, he may not be the ace he once was, but his place is secure on the All-Century Team, not to mention Cooperstown.

Besides Clemens, the Yankees have a perfect-game pitcher in David Cone, a new Mr. October in Orlando Hernandez, and a left-hander, Andy Pettitte, who would be a No. 1 on lesser clubs. Throw in their unhittable closer, Mariano Rivera, and is it any wonder they've won 18 of their last 19 postseason games?

The team the Yankees beat in the Series, the Atlanta Braves, was outscored by six National League teams last season, but still won its eighth straight division title and fifth pennant of the '90s. How? Miss Gandy's third graders can recite the reasons faster than their multiplication tables: Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine, complemented over time by Steve Avery, Denny Neagle, and now Kevin Mill wood, who may be the ace-in-waiting, especially with Smoltz out for the season after elbow surgery.

Not every good pitcher, Leyland emphasizes, can be an ace.

"A lot of guys pitch successfully until the bright lights are on all the time," he said. "There are only so many guys confident enough to do that."

The ace, Gibson said, embraces the burden of being depended upon by his teammates.

"I don't know if that's a responsibility you have to take on, but it's an attitude you have," said the man who completed eight of the nine World Series games he pitched, winning seven of them including three against the Red Sox in 1967.

"Some guys don't want the pressure.

"But as an ace, you still have to pitch and win without your good stuff. I've got to be out there. That's an attitude you have. You learn that you go out there no matter what, because the team needs you.

"A lot of guys are so good, even when they're going half-speed they're still better than the other guys. (Martinez) happens to be one of them."

1999-19-9, 3.57 ERA, 219 IP, 136 SO 1995-1999--90-35, 2.47 ERA, 1, 158 IP, 570 SO Greg Maddux

An element of fear

An ace, Schilling said, can win a game even before he steps on the mound.

"I believe that absolutely," he said. "I thought, when I watched Pedro come in that game in Cleveland, I thought the game was over."

Schilling was referring to what already has passed into legend in Boston, the fifth game of the Division Series against the Indians when Martinez, despite a strained muscle in the back of his shoulder, came out of the bullpen in Jacobs Field and threw six hitless innings against the highest-scoring team in half a century.