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Sporting News, The, Nov 8, 2004 by Stan McNeal

There goes Pedro Martinez hoisting the World Series trophy and gallivanting around Busch Stadium, joy beaming from his face. In the clubhouse, not even a crowd of reporters jabbing microphones within whiskers of Manny Ramirez can wipe off his ear-to-ear smile. Back on the field, David Ortiz and Curt Schilling have joined Martinez to shoot a "so you've won the World Series, what are you going to do now?" commercial. Hugs and smiles abound.

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Watching grown men who play a game for a living let their hair down--and the Red Sox, as we know, have plenty of hair to let down--makes for one of those never-gets-old moments. Just ask the dozens of family members and friends romping on the field or the throng of Red Sox fans cheering in the stands. This celebration barely has slowed even though nearly two hours have passed since the Red Sox completed one of the most improbable runs in postseason history, sweeping the 105-win Cardinals after an unprecedented rally from a 3-0 deficit against the 101-win Yankees.

The Red Sox dominated the Cardinals on offense and on the mound, outscoring them 24-12 and out-hitting them .283 to. 190. The Cardinals never led in the Series, and after Game 1, they were tied only once--0-0 after the top of the first in Game 2. In the final three games, the Cardinals scored three runs and had 15 hits.

By the time you read this, more than a week will have passed since the Red Sox powered past 86 years of history with the same strength Ortiz exhibits when turning on an inside fastball. Schilling will have undergone surgery on the most famous ankle in the history of medicine. Many of the Sox will have headed home with their places in history--and their spots on next year's roster--secured. And undoubtedly, the revelry still will be raging on in parts of Red Sox Nation.

Rest assured, though, the party will have ended at team headquarters. There's a pitching staff to rebuild, an offense to retool and decisions to make on a roster more than half full of free agents. But even for the suits on Yawkey Way, it's too early to know how the impact of a Red Sox October will play out in the coming months. At this point, we're left to speculate on what Boston's championship will mean for the Sox, some ex-Sox and even the Cardinals.

Martinez. No player looked happier after Game 4 than Martinez, the Game 3 winner. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits, to win what was his first World Series start and possibly his last for the Red Sox. The way he addressed his impending free-agent status could be interpreted as a farewell or a plea for a new contract.

"It's been a great ride. I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did," he said. Two sentences later, he added: "I hope I get another chance to come back with this team, but if I don't, I understand the business part of it. I just hope that many other people understand--and understand that I wasn't the one who wanted to leave."

In other words, Martinez believes he can get a better offer elsewhere. He was the highest-paid pitcher in the game in 2004 at $17.5 million, but the Red Sox don't figure to pay him anything close to that again. Martinez, 33, tied a career high with 33 starts this season, but his 3.90 ERA also was a career high. His fastball still reaches 95 mph, only not as often as in the past. In shutting out the Cardinals, Martinez benefited more from a pair of early-inning baserunning blunders than from overpowering stuff. But he got stronger as he ate up the middle innings and then retreated to the dugout for a congratulatory head shimmy with Ramirez after throwing 98 pitches. His troubles often begin at the 100-pitch mark.

What Martinez has lost on his fastball, however, could be made up for with experience. No current pitcher under 35 has started more big games than Martinez, who has made an entire season of starts--33--against the Yankees, regular season and postseason combined. Martinez has said that, if not Boston, his first choice would be a National League team in a warm climate. The only one that would seem able to afford him, the Dodgers, already has a bundle invested in its rotation.

Then there are the Yankees, who figure to overhaul their rotation with their usual unrestrained financial approach. So imagine this possibility: When the Red Sox are presented their championship rings at next season's home opener, which happens to be against the Yankees, the opposing starter could be Martinez.

Ramirez. The Red Sox couldn't give away their highly paid, great-hitting, questionable-fielding left fielder last offseason, and aren't they glad about that now? Aren't they just as glad he didn't show up for spring training with a Nomar Garciaparra-like chip on his shoulder? Ramirez was a happy camper all season after reporting with a "whatever happens, happens" attitude that served him and his team well. Ramirez was named MVP of the World Series after hitting .412 with one homer and making an important throw from left field, and he could win regular-season MVP honors as well. He likely will finish no lower than third in the voting.

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Sporting News, The, Nov 8, 2004 by Stan McNeal

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