Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

Of course he didn't get booed. JoyofSox nails it.

For all of Pedro's achievements, I maintain that he is underrated. The fact that he failed to win the AL Most Valuable Player award in either 1999 or 2000 -- although he came close in '99 (F you, George King) -- is proof of how little the media understood what he was doing in Boston.

Martinez's performance in 2000 was the greatest year any pitcher has had since the mound was moved back from 45 feet. Koufax? Gibson? Johnson? Grove? No. As great as those pitchers were, every single one of their seasons -- measured against their peers -- pales next to the Pedro Martinez of 2000. That is not opinion; that is historical fact.

... Pedro is often compared to Sandy Koufax (who posted only the 56th and 70th best ERA+ seasons). While their raw numbers look similar, Koukax pitched from a higher mound (in a pitcher's park (LA)) and at a time when the rule book strike zone was enforced. Pedro's home park favored hitters and he worked in one of the highest offensive eras in the game's history. With no disrespect to Koukax, Martinez leaves him in the dust.