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Home , Bill Mueller, Carl Everett, Jeff Frye, Joe Morgan (manager), John Valentin, Jon Miller

The Red Sox Friday, April 17, 2020

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Are players facing further salary reductions?

Alex Speier

Baseball players know they won’t be receiving their full salaries in 2020.

An agreement governing the financial relationship between MLB and the Players Association, reached in late March, stipulated that salaries would be adjusted to reflect the percentage of the regular season that was played — with the possibility there would be no games in 2020 due to the shutdown forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even if there is a season, could further player salary reductions follow? The possibility was introduced by New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, who in an interview with CNN relayed that Mets COO Jeff Wilpon had suggested that owners might see further salary concessions by players if a season is played in empty ballparks.

“Apparently, would have to make a deal with the players because if you have no one in the stands then the numbers are going to change, right?” Cuomo said. “The economics are going to change.”

A major league source said that owners had not broached the topic of potential salary reductions with the MLB Players Association,

A major league source said owners had not broached the topic with the Players Association, but the possibility is unsurprisingly being disputed.

MLB believes the agreement was premised on the possibility of games taking place in stadiums with fans, and believes the document codifying the agreement is clear on the point. The MLBPA, however, feels the sides already reached an understanding about the financial rules that would govern a season.

“We already addressed this issue,” agent said. “In the agreement that was done just [20] days ago, it specifically addresses games in neutral sites and playing games without spectators. In concession for that, players said, ‘I will play for a fraction of my salary.’ It’s already been done. There’s nothing new now that was not in play 45 days ago. So I’m a little bit perplexed that they’re suggesting that something different has to be done.

“The players made their concession early on in the process,” Boras added. “They actually have an agreement that they anticipate neutral sites and players playing without fans. All of that was a consideration when they agreed [in March] … If owners want additional concessions, they should have asked for them then.”

* The

Red Sox’ 10-best seasons in the last 10 years: No. 2, 2018

Jason Mastrodonato

By the time was hired as the new Red Sox in the winter of 2017, everybody in baseball knew Mookie Betts was better than he showed in 2017.

There were just differing opinions on what would get him there.

But Cora was so sure of what needed to happen that his confidence during an interview with Red Sox owner John Henry was momentarily mistaken for arrogance.

Cora wanted Betts to be more aggressive. He wanted the entire offense to be. And he wanted Betts back in the leadoff spot after he finished the 2017 season hitting third and fourth.

“I believe Mookie Betts is going to change the lineup,” Cora said during that year. “That’s why he’s leading off.”

Cora started referring to Betts in the leadoff role as “instant offense.”

And within days of camp starting in Fort Myers, Fla., that February, Betts was feeling the chemistry with his new skipper.

“There’s a lot I can do better,” he said after a disappointing 2017 season in which he just .264 with 24 homers and an .803 OPS. “You just have to go in and play with urgency. We weren’t as urgent as we should have been. As we saw all the other teams, they were coming out ready to go. We were kind of lax for the last two years. I think we know that and we can make some adjustments there.

“I think it will be fun. Those guys are a little younger. Cora just got done playing so he may have a different view on things. I think it will be fun. I’m curious to see how things will go.”

We all were. And when Betts began spring training 0-for-16 at the plate, Cora laughed when asked what was going on.

Going back to leadoff was “like going home,” Betts had said. And while he took some time to get adjusted during spring training, he finished hitting .472 in his final 36 at-bats leading into the regular season.

Thinking back on 2018, it’s hard to remember exactly what made Betts so dominant. Cora helped re- energize him. J.D. Martinez taught him how to better prepare, understand his own swing and read opposing . But there was a certain confidence about Betts’ play in 2018 that had been missing since retired in 2016.

On April 17, we were reminded of that.

Shohei Ohtani had taken MLB by storm by starting the year 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA as a two-way player. He started a game in Anaheim with a low to Betts. It was demolished for a home .

The Sox were up 7-0 by the third when Betts went deep again. He finished the game with three homers.

“I just ride the wave,” he said.

On May 2, Betts did it again against the Royals.

Re-watching his third of that game now, it almost looks like the video footage has been photoshopped. How else does one explain a player who feasts on inside pitches going after a fastball high and outside the zone, but pulling it to left-center and soaring the ball over everything onto the streets behind the ?

On the NESN broadcast, was in disbelief. Many of us still are.

It was that game that we realized Betts wasn’t having a good season. He was having a generational season.

“I know what I can do and I know I have the ability to drive the ball and I’m kind of showing it,” he said. “I think it’s more surprising, kind of, to everybody else.”

The secret was in a bit of advice Ortiz had given him years earlier: stop thinking.

“You just get to a point where you just kind of swing and there’s not much thinking going on,” Betts said. “When you have those days, it’s fun.”

The Red Sox offense was thriving, the team was winning at a record pace, and yet the players couldn’t help but simultaneously take time to be bystanders.

Even as a , Drew Pomeranz would spend his games thinking about Betts.

“It was pretty cool,” Pomeranz said. “I’m just trying to shut them down long enough to let Mookie get at- bats. When he gets hot like that, we’re all cheering for more at-bats for him. They keep throwing him pitches, but he’s sitting on everything they threw at him. It’s pretty awesome to watch.”

Betts said his aggressiveness changed the way he approached at-bats. And while he was more aggressive early in the year, he was forced to adapt as teams became leery of throwing him anything around the zone.

By the end of the year, his swing percentage was 36%, the same as it was in 2017. But the player was not.

He had hit three homers twice. He had hit a on the 13th pitch of an at-bat against Jays lefty J.A. Happ. He had become the second 30-30 player in Red Sox history ( was the first). And he had put together a season on par with the greats in MLB history.

“You expect greatness with him every night,” Cora said.

It was a mid-August game in Toronto that gave Betts another chance at history. He had singled, doubled and tripled in his first three at-bats. In the ninth inning, on a 3-2 count against Ken Giles, Betts got a hanging curve and cracked it on a line drive over the left-field fence.

“I’m going to say a cycle is probably harder than a in bowling,” Betts said afterward.

By the end of the year, when it was clear the Red Sox were far-and-away the best team in baseball, it had stopped becoming a matter of if they would win but how they would win and what kind of milestones would be reached during the win.

From 2017 to 2018, Betts increased his average from .264 to .346, homers from 24 to 32 and OPS from .803 to 1.078.

He wasn’t just one of the game’s premier power hitters; he was also the first Red Sox player to win a batting title since in 2003, and the first to lead the majors in average since in 1988.

The eventual MVP by winning 28 of the 30 first-place votes ( and Martinez each received one), Betts established himself as one of the best players in the world.

And though he hit just .210 with one homer in the postseason, his home run in the clinching Game 5 against the Dodgers was a memorable one.

“Everything I did is kind of irrelevant,” he said after the champagne celebration. “We have 25 guys here to win a game. We proved that it’s not just one guy. We put everything together and played a great series.”

THREE QUOTES

Cubs president in March:

“Mookie certainly, from where he was when we drafted him, we didn’t anticipate him being second in the MVP and one of the better overall players in the game. So, credit to him for what he was willing to do to get the absolute most out of his physical ability and establish himself as a player.”

Cora in May:

“It seems like even his misses are fun to watch … feel he’s coming up every inning. When the lineup is moving the way we are capable of, the middle of the lineup is getting on, it seems like he’s hitting every inning. One baserunner away from getting Mookie up there.”

Dustin Pedroia in October:

“I can tell toward the end of the year this year that his mindset is changing when he walks onto the field. He’s growing up, and in a good way. Guys know that he’s our leadoff hitter. The first pitch of the game, he’s dictating the way we’re going to play. He understands that. And how many wins we have, he’s obviously sending the message.”

THREE STATS

Betts led the majors in wins above replacement (10.9), the highest mark for any position player since in 2002 (11.8).

Highest WAR by a Red Sox player, -season: , 1967, 12.5; , 1946, 10.6; Mookie Betts, 2018, 10.6.

Highest single-season WAR for position players before turning 26 years old: , 1920, 11.9; , 1927, 11.8; , 1956, 11.3; Mantle, 1957, 11.3; Betts, 2018, 10.6.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Small guys can rake, too.

* RedSox.com

Pedro was at center of magical '99 ASG

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- The electricity that was in the air at the night of the 1999 All-Star Game could be felt by everyone who was there or watching on television.

One of the most magical events in baseball history was streamed live recently on MLB's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms, as well as redsox.com.

What made it such a special night, aside from the historic venue that was hosting the All-Star Game for the first time since 1961?

It started with the unveiling of the All-Century Team’s Top 100 players in history.

From Ted Williams to to to to to and countless others, the most revered players ever lined up on the diamond together in a pregame ceremony for the ages.

If that wasn’t enough, Williams -- in what would be his final public appearance at Fenway Park -- threw out the to as the fans at Fenway went crazy.

But the most spontaneous moment of the night came just after that, when all of the current All-Stars swarmed Williams near the pitcher's mound.

Cal Ripken, , Mark McGwire and many others players went up to Williams to either express admiration or simply to talk baseball.

Then, the game started, and hometown hero Pedro Martinez put on one of the most sparkling performances in All-Star history, striking out five of the six batters he faced.

Martinez, at the height of his powers that summer, was throwing 99-mph and knee-buckling changeups and to the best hitters in the game.

The American League went on to a 4-1 win, with Martinez taking home the MVP trophy.

* WEEI.com

Joe Kelly calls investigation of 2018 Red Sox 'a debacle'

Rob Bradford

If you're going by the reaction from those on the 2018 Red Sox, the investigation by Major League Baseball isn't going to reveal much in regards to whatever alleged cheating was going on.

Earlier in the week, MVP said of the accusations, "That's such a joke to us."

Thursday, another member of that team, current Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly, echoed a similar sentiment.

"The whole thing is a debacle to me," Kelly said when appearing with Mike Mutnansky on WEEI's replay of Game 3 of the . "Now sitting at this point with no baseball being played and no results on an investigation, I just feel like was I dreaming? Is there actually an investigation? It’s like the Boogeyman series, what’s the deal with this thing? From the get-go I just thought it was laugh out loud funny. Now that this is the last thing on people’s mind obviously with how the world is right now. Whenever the investigation is done I’m interested in seeing what is in the investigation. If there is cheating involved with how good our team was we should have won every single out. We should have not even lost an inning if there was some good cheating involved, which would have been a lot more fun because we would have won in four. We would have swept through the playoffs and made it really, really fast and been able to go to Hawaii or go to Mexico and go on vacation a lot sooner than we did."

Appearing on OMF earlier in the day, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom offered what he perceived as the reason for the delay in MLB issuing its findings.

"As you guys know, given that it is an ongoing process there obviously isn't much we can or should say about it. I would say we still are at the same point where we think everybody is to reserve judgment until we see what comes out of it," Bloom said.

"It is obviously frustrating that we don't have that outcome yet. But with what is going on in the last month I think it is understandable. I know the commissioner was on a timetable doing everything he could to wrap it up before the season. Sometime early to mid-March, the coronavirus took over pretty much of every ounce of everybody's available time and energy. I think we're still at that stage. We are hopeful at some point when everybody gets a chance to come up for air ... I know the commissioner has said the investigation is complete and it's a question of getting into the report. We're hopeful there is time to do that so we can all see the results and move forward. I think you have to cut everyone some slack given our industry and everybody has been dealing with something we really haven't faced before, something for which there is no road map and understandably it has dominated everyone's attention for the last month or so."

* The Athletic

Distant Replay: The night Pedro Martinez beat in duel for the ages

Chad Jennings

My guess is that many of you remember May 28, 2000. Even if the date doesn’t ring a bell, these names certainly will: Pedro Martinez vs. Roger Clemens.

In our ongoing look back at some of the great games in Boston sports history, we’ll turn today to one of its great pitching duels. The Red Sox and Yankees were tied atop the , the Red Sox emerging as contenders with the foundation of the championships to come, and the Yankees were still in their dynasty years with another title on the way.

Martinez was 28 years old, 7-2 with a 1.19 ERA, the reigning winner and boasting two complete games already that season. He would win his third Cy Young at season’s end.

Clemens was 37. He’d won Cy Young awards in two of the previous three seasons and would win two more. He’d struggled mightily in two of his previous three starts but would eventually win nine straight decisions in a burst of second-half dominance. He was older, but he was still Roger.

I honestly don’t know whether I’d ever seen this game. I would have been a 20-year-old living in a Missouri fraternity house at the time, and my guess is that I watched it. on ESPN. I would have known it was Pedro and Roger. I probably had it on while I drank some perfectly legal and age- appropriate Coca-Cola. Hi mom!

But this was surely my first time watching it while able to fully appreciate what I was seeing. And there was some comfort when the broadcast opened with the familiar sound of and . At a time when national broadcasts still carried a lot of weight, those two called some good ones. The Wikipedia page for Sunday Night Baseball has a section devoted to “notable games,” and Pedro vs. Roger is the first one mentioned.

First inning, 0-0 Two things jump out: There’s an advertisement for ESPN Classic right behind home plate – seems fitting – and Jeff Frye is the Red Sox leadoff hitter. Jeff Frye? Turns out, Jose Offerman was hurt and Frye actually had a .364 on-base percentage that year. Sorry I doubted you, Jeff Frye.

Anyway, I’m not here to see anyone hit – except , we’ll get to that later – and Clemens is out of the gate throwing 95 mph with that awesome splitter. It’s a 12-pitch inning.

“And on the mound for Boston, there he is, Pedro Martinez,” Miller says.

Morgan is, of course, talking about Pedro’s three-pitch mix. He starts with a fastball away, and my goodness, the movement. Morgan says hitters have to go after Pedro right away. Can’t get behind. He’s through the top of the Yankees order on 10 pitches despite a little infield single by .

Second inning, 0-0 is in his second game back from a hamstring injury, and it shows. Morgan will end up talking about it a lot in the later . In his first at-bat, Clemens starts with a , then an inside fastball, and then a split for a three-pitch . It’s the first of three Ks for Garciaparra, who’s about to have the best season of his career.

Carl Everett follows with a single, but Clemens picks him off. Then strikes out on a high fastball. Nine pitches. It will get harder for Roger.

Meanwhile, it won’t get much easier for Martinez. He’s through the bottom of the second on just seven pitches, most impressive were back-to-back curveballs to strike out .

“I think once you get behind Pedro – you get to 1-2 or 0-2 – you’re in trouble,” Morgan says. “You just have to become defensive because he has such a variety of pitches to throw to you.”

Third inning, 0-0 Clemens with a 95 mph fastball up to Troy O’Leary.

Miller: “Roger’s got a little …”

Morgan: “… giddy-up on that fastball.”

Miller: “That’s it. I was looking for that phrase.”

Morgan: “Yeah. He’s got a little giddy-up on it.”

Morgan and Miller go on to discuss what makes Clemens’ split so effective, just as swings over one and the frame ends.

The third inning ends up being the first real test for Martinez. He needs 24 pitches, and it takes nine of them to finish off for the final out. A longer inning gives ESPN time to show two prerecorded interviews with Pedro. In one of them, he talks about the impact of his brother Ramon – “My mentor, my father, my brother, my friend, everything to me,” Pedro says – and the other is about his reputation as a headhunter.

“I don’t need to mention the things that I’ve done to prove that pitching inside works,” Pedro says. “And, you know, it’s not just the level – being a head-hunter – that’s going to work to my advantage. It’s the fact that I’m going to pitch inside, and if they want to put that in their mind, that’s a plus for me.”

Fourth inning, 0-0 Clemens starts Frye with a , and Morgan notes that he’s changing his pattern second time through the order.

“When Roger gets ahead of you, he gets you to chase pitches.,” Morgan says. “When Pedro gets ahead of you, he just basically overpowers you.”

Clemens strikes out two of three in the top of the fourth, but it’s Martinez’ half of the inning that might be the most impressive of the night.

Jeter opens with a down the right-field line. Not particularly well hit, but effective (one of three hits for Jeter). Paul O’Neill, though, seems to have no shot at driving Jeter in. Morgan notes that O’Neill respecting Pedro’s changeup keeps him from fully attacking the fastball. When O’Neill foul-tips a 96-mph fastball, Miller asks: “All right, is he going to throw him a changeup here?”

Morgan answers: “Well, me and Paul O’Neill do not know that.”

Sure enough, it’s an offspeed pitch and O’Neill strikes out.

Pedro then jams for a popup. When he falls behind Posada 3-1, Pedro seems to surprise the Yankees with a for a strike – second pitch of the at-bat that Posada clearly wasn’t expecting – before finishing him off with another breaking ball as Posada nearly falls down swinging and missing.

“He gets into the hitters’ heads,” Morgan says

Just an unbelievable inning for Pedro. His stuff is just too good. Leadoff double and he’s through the inning on 16 pitches.

Fifth inning, 0-0 Clemens sets the side down in order, and he’s faced the minimum through five. When he struck out Everett for the second out of the inning, it was his fifth strikeout in six batters, and eighth overall. On the broadcast, they noted that he had twice struck out 20 in a game. Not even halfway finished, this game was already looking like an all-time pitching performance.

In the bottom of the inning, Pedro falls behind and throws something that looks like a slider or a cutter. Miller isn’t sure what the pitch was.

“He doesn’t really throw a slider,” Morgan says. “So that’s just the movement on his fastball. He can grip it a little bit off to the side, and you’ll get that movement like a cut fastball.”

Next is a fastball down that almost had two-seam action, and then 90-mph away for a fly ball. After another fly ball, a single and a , steps in. At 5-for-17 in his career against Pedro, he’s tops among the Yankees. But Pedro gets him to pop up on a changeup down and away and the inning is over.

Sixth inning, 0-0 Two different home plate umpires called this game. That’s because Ed Rapuano was drilled in the knee by a Ricky Ledee foul ball in the bottom of the fifth, and he finally took himself out of the game before the top of the sixth. The broadcast cuts away to hitting a home run in San Francisco while first-base Brian Runge gets ready to take over behind the plate. The broadcasters note that different umpires call games differently and the strategy might have to change for Clemens and Martinez, but Clemens gets through the inning with his 10th strikeout.

When Pedro takes the field, he does some early stretching after sitting for roughly 23 minutes. Pedro’s velocity is not great on his first two fastballs, but he has this sequence against Jeter: 84-mph called strike outside, 88 outside again for a ball, 80-mph foul ball, 88 away for another ball, then 92 mph for a swinging strikeout.

“Blown away” says Miller.

It’s the only time Jeter makes an out in this game. He’ll finish with three of the four Yankee hits.

“He was just overmatched there,” Morgan says. “This fastball, it looked like it just took off. I mean, this one looks like it explodes right at home plate, and it does. I mean, it says 92 mph, but it just exploded. Like, there’s no chance for you to hit that pitch.”

Seventh inning, 0-0 This is one of the high points for Clemens, because it’s one of the few times he gets into trouble. Nixon was very nearly thrown out at third on a one-out to left-center field (on one replay, he looked out, on another he looked safe, but this is a different era and there aren’t many angles).

Now Clemens has to face the Red Sox’ No. 3 and 4 hitters with one out and a runner at third. He strikes out both of them. He worked Brian Daubach away – Morgan wondered if Clemens might be pitching around him since Garciaparra was fresh off the – and then he hammered Garciaparra with pitches down and in the dirt.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Morgan says. “If he would have swung at any of those pitches, put them in play, more than likely he would have hit it on the ground.” When Garciaparra swings at the final splitter, Clemens literally leaps off the mound.

No such drama for Martinez. First-pitch fly to center. Ground ball to second. Deep fly ball to right field. That’s a six-pitch inning against the middle of the Yankees order. Pedro, man. Impressive.

Eighth inning, 0-0 The Red Sox make Clemens work this inning, and that might be the difference in what happens next. It’s a 1-2-3 inning with his 13th strikeout of the night, but Clemens goes to three balls against all three batters and throws a total of 17 pitches. It’s the second inning in a row he’s had to throw that many, and he threw 17 pitches in the fifth inning, too.

“I know a lot of people like to see the 10-9 games,” Morgan says. “They like to see the home runs, like to see all those long balls. But I’ll tell you what, this is a baseball game. You’re seeing two pitchers at the top of their craft, and you’re seeing the hitters trying to deal with it.”

In the bottom of the eighth, Pedro has his own 17-pitch inning. He’s setting up fastballs with curveballs, and curveballs with fastballs. The broadcast is now comparing this game to the famous 1912 “duel of the year” between and at Fenway Park. Wood pitched a day earlier than scheduled just to set up the head-to-head.

With two outs, a great 2-1 pitch from Pedro hits the outside corner. Brosius fights off another outside fastball at 94 mph, then swings through 94 mph up high. Pedro is rolling.

“He’s been getting better as the game has gotten longer,” Miller says. “He’s retired 10 in a row.”

Top of the ninth, 0-0 It’s a 1-1 count against , and as Clemens blows into his hand, Miller says: “Clemens is at 114 pitches. The most he’s thrown in a game for the Yankees this season is 125.”

Clemens gets Valentin to ground out on pitch 116, and Varitek tries to on pitch 117 for a quick out.

“I would say Roger is appreciative of that,” Morgan says.

So, it’s two outs on five pitches, and Clemens is very nearly through the ninth, but all the work it took to get through the eighth seems significant. His first pitch nearly hits Frye, and the next one is lined off Clemens himself for an infield single. First pitch to Nixon is a fastball up and away. It’s 94 mph, but way off target, and Posada goes out to talk to Clemens on the mound.

“I think he went out, Jon, because that last pitch bothered him,” Morgan says. “That’s one of the worst pitches that Roger has thrown tonight. The ball got up and away from him, which tells you that maybe he’s tiring a little bit and he didn’t bend enough, and Posada wants to make sure because, at this point in the ball game, you do not want to make a mistake.”

Good split away. Now a 1-1 count. Another split down in the dirt, and it’s 2-1. The next pitch is 93 mph, supposed to be outside but caught too much of the plate, and Nixon is on it.

“Deep and on its way!” Miller shouts. “It is no longer a scoreless game. Two-run homer for Trot Nixon, and the Red Sox fans at suddenly make the big noise.”

It was Nixon’s second home run in nine at-bats against Clemens. The pitch was belt high.

“What happens is, you lose just a little bit off your fastball,” Morgan says. “I know the gun is saying 93 mph or 94, but that means that you’ve lost a little of the hop off your fastball. But, I mean, that happens anyway. You can’t throw 125 pitches without losing a little something.”

Bottom of the ninth, 2-0 Closer is getting loose in the , and Pedro has to face the top of the Yankees lineup. He stands on the mound as Miller calls him “the successor to Roger Clemens.”

Martinez opens with 90 mph for a called strike. It’s his 111th pitch. His season high at that point was 130. A 92-mph fastball is fouled off, and on an 0-2 put-away pitch, Pedro lets slip a fastball that hits Knoblauch on the arm. Up comes Jeter who’s 2-for-3 – the rest of the Yankees lineup is 1-for-23 – and Jeter stays on a pitch down and away for a single to right field. Two on with no outs and O’Neill coming up, so naturally Red Sox manager is coming out of the dugout.

“Well, I think what we’re doing here,” Morgan says, “you see Jimy Williams, he’s going to go out and look Pedro in the eye, and he wants to know, what do you think? Because, this is a situation where, I think, a lot of times a manager will say, ‘I’m going to take you out.’”

Just as Morgan finishes that sentence, Williams walks off the mound and leaves Martinez in.

“Although, he’s not going to take him out,” Morgan says. “There are times during a year where a manager will say, ‘You pitched great, I’m not going to let you lose this ballgame. I’m only going to take you out and give you a chance to win it.’ And you’ve got your stopper ready to go in the bullpen, but he has so much confidence in Pedro that he’s going to leave him in. And I’m sure Pedro looked him in the eye and said, ‘I’m OK.’”

And as we all know, no Red Sox manager has ever gone wrong in Yankee Stadium looking Pedro Martinez in the eye and trusting when he says, “I’m OK.” Right?

Anyway, here’s Paul O’Neill. “Like Roger Clemens, 37 years old,” Miller reminds us. First pitch is 90 inside and O’Neill swings through it.

“That’s a great pitch right there,” Morgan says. “But I tell you what, it’s tough to have to get Paul O’Neill out this many times in this many clutch situations.”

The 0-2 pitch is 77 mph and fouled off, then O’Neill swings through 95 mph outside. This was O’Neill’s third at-bat with a runner on base, and his second at-bat with a runner in scoring position. He goes back to the bench 0-for-4 with three and a double play.

“Man,” Morgan says. “You know what, maybe when Jimy Williams went out there, Pedro just got mad. He got mad at Jimy for coming out. And I mean, he has shown us tonight that when runners are in scoring position, he gets tougher. He’s not striking out a lot of hitters like he normally does, but in clutch situations, tonight, he has been able to reach back and strike out the hitters that he has needed to strikeout.”

Now it’s Bernie Williams. Just a helluva group of hitters for Martinez to face in this situation this late in the game. Again, Martinez is working inside, and the second inside fastball is hit to deep right field. Miller seemed to think it might leave the park.

“Actually, Jon,” Morgan says. “That was just a ballpark scare because he jammed him really nice. He got the fastball in. As I said, he’s trying to keep him from extending. Watch, this fastball gets in. He actually breaks his bat in there. He knows it’s down the line, but he didn’t get much of it. He got jammed. That was just a great pitch.”

Now it’s Posada, and he swings out of his shoes at a 96 mph fastball for strike one. By the way, Pedro is sitting at 96 mph after 120-plus pitches. He goes upstairs again, this time at 94 mph for strike two.

“That’s it,” Morgan says. “He’s just going to reach back and say, OK, I’m going to give you what I got left. See if you can catch up to this high fastball.”

When Jeter steals second, Morgan notes that Pedro wasn’t remotely thinking about the runner. He’s locked in on the hitter. Posada fouls off another 96-mph pitch that could have been strike three, but Pedro has to keep going and hits Posada on the back elbow. Posada’s not happy. Martinez doesn’t seem too fussed. He’s just hammering fastballs and daring the Yankees to beat him. The bases are loaded, there are two outs in the ninth, and Yankee Stadium is going absolutely bonkers. Pedro worked from the stretch against Posada after Jeter stole second, but he’s back in the windup against Tino Martinez, who takes a big swing and a misses on the first pitch. The next pitch is the last, 94 mph and high, and Martinez hits it on the ground. Frye double clutches on the play – must have lost his grip – and the play is much closer than it should have been, but the game is over.

“Wow!” Miller says. “What happened?”

“Wow is right,” Morgan says, not giving a damn what happened. “I broadcast a game two weeks ago with Kevin Brown and , and I thought that was a great ball game, and it was. Both of them pitched great. But tonight’s game, these guys, they were magnificent, both of them.”

As the final scenes unfold, both men in the booth recognize this game for what it was.

“So, they give us a night to remember,” Miller says. “Baseball’s version of a night to remember.”