Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Watch behind-the-scenes footage of Pedro Martinez at his number retirement ceremony

Behind the scenes at Pedro's No. 45 retirement

Pedro Martinez is the greatest. This is not an opinion -- this is indisputable fact. He was the best on the mound, putting up arguably the best season ever for a pitcher (His 1.74 ERA in 2000 gave him a 291 ERA+ -- the highest for any qualified starter in Major League history). Here, enjoy a GIF from his almost as dominant '99 season when he had a 2.07 ERA and 243 ERA+ season: 

description

He was the greatest off the field, doing things like wearing a Yoda mask while in the dugout: 

description

And the speech he gave at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in July was, like everything else he did, also amazing. The starter switched between English and Spanish -- something no one had ever done before -- and paid homage to his Dominican roots by bringing Juan Marichal up onto the stage: 

description

So naturally, when Martinez's number was retired at Fenway Park on July 28, it was going to be great, too. He even made sure to sneak in a selfie with David Ortiz before it was over

And now you can go behind the scenes with the man himself. You'll see the archduke of baseball pitchers tell Chris Sale that he "should be the Little Unit, but you're too tall," hang out with Ortiz and, of course, dance: 

description

Perhaps best of all is when Pedro sees his catcher from his Red Sox years, Jason Varitek. Despite Varitek admitting that he's covered in sweat, Pedro doesn't care. He's just happy to see his buddy. 

description

If you are someone who spent many hours watching the two of them work magic together on the field, you may not help but get teared up at this reunion. Pedro truly is the greatest. 

Read More: Boston Red SoxDavid Ortiz