AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v INDIANS

October 11, 1999

Pedro Martinez

Troy O'Leary

A. (TROY O'LEARY) Well, last night was like a miracle night to try to bring us over here for a fifth game. John Valentin had a great game. All year it's been a team effort. It's not only been Nomar or Pedro. It's been Jason Varitek. It's been a great effort all year. It's been, what's that word you want to say, camaraderie type of thing and it's been a team effort all year.

A. (TROY O'LEARY) It's been like that all year because of the player he is and the star that he is. Sometimes I respond. Sometimes I don't; but tonight was a good night and now we just have to go on and play the Yankees.

A. (PEDRO MARTINEZ) No, not at all. As a matter of fact, I had doubts about my feelings out there. Once I stepped on the mound, I never did. The first time I tried to pick up a ball, I was in pain and then the next day, after working so much, almost day and night, I showed some good results and then today, I had to come in at about four and I threw four or five pitches and I felt pretty good and I don't want to find out anything else. I just wanted to get the adrenaline going and get the mind going and hopefully that would drive me to just throw the ball over the plate and see what I could do and that's what I did tonight.

A. (PEDRO MARTINEZ) No, not really because you're not pitching to just one more team. It's the Cleveland Indians, the best offensive team that you can probably find. You know, it was just a matter of, you know, when it was going to get tight or, you know, how far the team would let me go and my team, Troy and those guys, they picked me up and they gave me the lead and I decided I was the one that had to be out there until my shoulder respond for me and I did that and we ended up winning the game, so I wasn't thinking about coming out, but I knew I couldn't push myself to throw the fastball as fast as I could, I couldn't throw my pitches as hard as I could, so I just laid the ball over, made good pitches and hit the spots.

A. (PEDRO MARTINEZ) Well, it didn't, really, it felt a little bit tighter in the last two innings, but I guess the adrenaline at that point and knowing that we had the lead and knowing that I had to make sure that we kept the lead, I guess I was going a little stronger and stronger and, you know, probably my muscles got looser a little bit, but I felt a little bit tighter in the back, but I wasn't going to let go, I wasn't going to. I decided that I was going to be out there and whatever happened happened and if they decided to take me out in the middle of an inning, I would do that, but I had to be out there as long as I could.

A. (PEDRO MARTINEZ) Not after this performance. I know at least I could go five, six innings and stay there as long as I can and I talked to Dr. Pappas before I picked up the first, the ball the first time and he said to me that my shoulder, my rotator cuff is not in danger at any point because it wasn't under the shoulder blade and it doesn't have anything to relate with the rotator cuff, which is the dangerous spot and after that, I got confident it was just a matter of getting the strength and loosening up a little bit and getting the shoulder going.

A. (TROY O'LEARY) Well, you guys know we have to have Pedro healthy, his brother. I think we played well against them and I hope that we can respond, you know, and win. I just want to say that, you know, we got a lot of heart on this team and Pedro tonight showed it. He came out, he was hurt, he came out and pitched today like the Cy Young winner that he is. He gave a good performance out there today.

A. (PEDRO MARTINEZ) Thank you. Just like you. You looked like MVPs today, the team, to me, all of you are MVPs.