Pedro: Georgie Porgie Cannot Buy Fear In My Heart

[Wolf Hopper]

Now, this is just getting silly.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0709/1578476.html

Wednesday, July 9
Martinez irked at Steinbrenner's comments
ESPN.com news services

Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, upset at comments made Monday by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, lashed back at him yesterday before the Red Sox played in Toronto.

"Georgie Porgie, he might buy the whole league, but he doesn't have enough money to buy fear to put in my heart," Martinez said, according to the Hartford Courant.

Steinbrenner was upset Monday after Martinez hit both Alfonzo Soriano and Derek Jeter with pitches, knocking both Yankee middle infielders out of the game. He suggested after the game that Major League Baseball should investigate Martinez.

Red Sox manager Grady Little was not sympathetic to Steinbrenner's claims.

"He's seen Roger Clemens pitch a lot for his team. What's he seeing there? Doggone it, it's just the game," Little said to the Courant. "That's how you play the game. All of our hitters know the way Roger Clemens pitches. There's not a whole lot of conversation about that. And all their hitters know that Pedro has got a plan that he tries to execute also."

For the second straight day Martinez insisted he wasn't trying to hit either Yankee. Both players sustained bruised hand bones -- Soriano after fouling an inside pitch off his left hand.

"Soriano is my kid from the Dominican, there is no way I want to hurt him," Martinez said to the New York Post. "Jeter's another nice guy, there is no reason to hurt him. He's had plenty of at-bats against me. I've never hit him, not that I remember. If I wanted to hit them, I could hit them with one pitch. I know how to do that."

Asked if Steinbrenner was trying to stir up the Yankees-Red Sox feud, Martinez said to the Post, "He doesn't need to, it's already enough of a good rivalry."

Jeter, when told that Martinez claimed he wasn't trying to hit either Yankee, said to the Post, "Of course. I don't think there has ever been anybody who said they tried to hit somebody."

The Post reported that Martinez and Kevin Millar, who was hit by Roger Clemens Saturday, were still sore at Clemens, who vowed to make adjustments against David Ortiz the next time he faces the left-handed hitter who homered off him Saturday.

"I have no idea. It's obvious he was the one getting lit up -- I wasn't," Martinez said to the Post. "And what he said about Ortiz was more obvious than trying to put thoughts on what I did [Monday]."