At Least Pedro Was Clean…
Well, despite all the steroid drama with named players, we may know of at least one guy who was clean. The Mets’ own Pedro Martinez, perhaps the best pitcher from the late 90’s to the early part of the decade, proclaimed he was clean and free of drug use throughout his career.
Here’s the prose of Mr. Martinez:
“I dominated that era and I did it clean,” he said. “I can stand by my numbers and I can be proud of them.”
No longer the No. 1 pitcher on his staff, Martinez reported to spring training Thursday with the New York Mets and soon was asked about baseball’s doping scandal.
Here’s how he got through pain and how he feels about drug testing…
“I have a small frame and when I hurt all I could do was take a couple of Aleve or Advil, a cup of coffee and a little mango and an egg — and let it go!” he said.
Martinez’s point: He wasn’t going to try human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance. In fact, he would welcome a more stringent drug-testing program in baseball.
“I wish that they would check every day. That’s how bad I want the game to be clean,” said Martinez, who had his best years with Montreal and Boston from 1997-2003. “I would rather go home [than] taint the game.”
No doubt one of the toughest pitchers ever in baseball, you have to appreciate where he’s coming from.
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