Pedro martinez hat

[Juicyfruit66]

Seller has this red sox hat as being game worn by pedro against the As in 97 and signed. I messaged asking how that was possible since pedro didnt pitch against the As in 97, he changed in to san fran giants game.....problem is pedro was a montreal expos player the entire 1997 season and never would have worn the hat. Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/182314011335

[Juicyfruit66]

Heres the text

The hat was worn by as he pitched a winning game against the Oakland A’s in 1997. Aside from that one game of wear, it is unblemished, un-scuffed, pristine, signed under the bill, un-personalized, dated, with his #45. Pedro Martinez one of the most inspirational figures, greatest pitchers ever to grace the field. The ball is not part of this auction and is available in another separate auction.

Pedro Martinez, three time Cy Young Award winner, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 (the first year he was eligible with 91% of the ballot) signed this in Oakland CA in 1997 after pitching a win against the Oakland A’s. You can read all about Pedro elsewhere, but here is a story never told.

I gave up a love of baseball after the players strike after the strike of 94-95 as a bunch of greedy men that wanted more money to play a game from other greedy men that owned the teams of men playing a game for a living. Disgusting.

My best friend’s son, Jeff, had been born with a heart condition that required multiple surgeries. His last was in 1993 at the age of 8 in a hospital in Los Angeles. His dad was a little league coach and this kid loved baseball and loved to pitch (he was good too). Pedro did a goodwill tour of the pediatric wing of the hospital and met Jeff. They struck up a conversation and took a liking to each other. Pedro told him that when he got out of the hospital to come to the stadium and get some coaching on his pitching.

Of course Jeff took him up on his offer. They met on the field the afternoon before a game and Pedro, true to his word, spent a couple of hours with Jeff. When his parents came to get him before the game, Pedro said he would send Jeff up to them in a bit. First inning started and they saw Jeff, suited up in an LA Dodger uniform sitting next to Pedro watching the game from the dugout. The friendship continued.

Then the strike and my dropping baseball.

Jeff and his parents came to visit San Francisco so Jeff could visit Pedro in 1997. I met my friends at the hotel and went down to pick up Jeff at Pedro’s room. On the bed was an open bible, and Jeff and Pedro laughing and talking. Over dinner with Pedro and his brother Ramon (also on the Dodgers at the time) Pedro mentioned that it was hard being the highest paid player on the team (now the Red Sox) and with a small minority of players of color on the team faced some discrimination within the team, and he felt a great responsibility to set an example of hard work and honorability. He did not disrespect our country like the assholes in Football are currently doing. He did not claim victim hood for the “micro-aggressions” of discrimination he might have felt. He worked harder, set a higher standard for himself to excel and earn respect by honest play and honorable conduct.

He was making $13M that year. He had already built a school and hospital in the Dominican Republic. I asked what he would do when he was too old to play, and his idea at the time was to open a baseball clinic in the Dominican Republic to share his love of the game with under privileged youth. He was very proud that it was his God given talent that allowed him to excel and not performance enhancing drugs which he implied might be used by others in the game. This, by any measurement was, and is, a good man, a great man. My faith in good men on the field instead of greedy jerks was established. Pedro deserves every dime he was paid, and although I have not followed nor kept in touch, have no doubt that he put his funds to use to the betterment of others. Pedro deserves the title of hero. Hence, this item has value to me.

Bid as you see fit. It will be a beautiful display, unscuffed, signed under the bill, dated, with his #45. The hat was worn by Pedro as he pitched a winning game in Oakland in 1997.

[Juicyfruit66]

Lastly, didn't pedro wear a 7 1/8? This is 7 3/8

[Juicyfruit66]

He wrote back

Thank you. You are correct. It must have been the First of April 1998 and it was against the A's as I initially recalled. But then why is the ball and hat marked with '97? Makes no sense. I was there, he was there, that is when he gave me the ball and hat. But they have the wrong date. I am not going to sell this under these circumstances and will give the ball and hat to my friends son. He was there. He will value it. It will look suspicious to anyone one else and life is to short to have ones integrity impugned. All the best. If eBay will not let me end the auction, I will just raise the starting price to ridiculous levels to take it out of play and let the auction expire.

I then told him the size was wrong as well.

[Juicyfruit66]

Technically, pedro did win the cy young in 97 as an expos player....but still has wrong size and one of those ling winded stories that usually comes with an item that is going to cause some issues. If somehow it was real, i just made price jump from 50 bucks to 100000$. My apologies to any buyers.