It’s been almost two decades since Pedro Martinez’s dominant performance in the 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and it’s still difficult to put into words.
Friday marks the 19th anniversary of Martinez’s midsummer masterpiece, in which the legendary Boston Red Sox ace struck out five batters over two innings en route to earning MVP honors in front of his hometown fans at Fenway Park.
The crowd at Fenway was electric that night as Martinez stole the show. He struck out the first four National League hitters he faced and ended up with five K’s total. The other out came when American League catcher Ivan Rodriguez gunned down Matt Williams, who reached on an error, at second base to end the second inning.
Martinez’s strikeout victims included Barry Larkin, Larry Walker and Sammy Sosa in the first inning and Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell in the second inning. Wow.
The whole night was one of the most memorable in Fenway Park’s illustrious history, as the festivities also included an appearance by Red Sox legend Ted Williams, who was swarmed by those playing in the game before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
The American League ultimately won the contest 4-1.
Simply amazing.
