From Florida to a parade: How Pedro helped Álex Cora and the Red Sox win

On Feb. 16 I walked into a clubhouse in Ft. Myers on a beautiful 80-degree day. There were boxes everywhere with shoes and shirts and shorts for Boston Red Sox players. Hanley Ramírez had an entire locker stall of product from New Balance, and other players were shaking hands and hugging as batters were reporting for the 2018 season.

The buzz in camp that day was that the Red Sox weren’t a complete roster – yet. J. D. Martínez was still a free agent, and momentum was building that he would sign with Boston soon. He did, 10 days later.

But the real intrigue that day in Florida was around the first bullpen sessions.. As the Red Sox big name starters – Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez – took to the pitching mounds at the back of the complex, there was an excitement from the various coaches and front office executives.

After a few moments I watched as Porcello stopped throwing. A smaller figure emerged from the shadows, offering advice to the former Cy Young Award winner on some mechanical issues to be addressed.

It was Pedro Martínez.

I watched as Pedro gave Porcello a quick lesson. Soon after, the bullpen session moved onto minor leaguers looking to impress. Pedro walked over and spoke with Red Sox legend Luis Tiant, who drove over in a golf cart to watch the new generation of Boston pitching.

It was a new day for Boston, beginning in Florida two days after Valentine’s Day.

As I watched a historic regular season play out, Álex Cora led the Red Sox to 108 wins. Frequently, Pedro would speak up on the various television networks that employ him about things he saw from Red Sox pitchers, and occasionally offer support for Porcello.

Pedro remained confident that his spring training pupil had the goods to make an impact.

Not everything was easy for Cora this year, however.

Ramirez was ultimately released by the team because they had other options, specifically Martinez at designated hitter and, ultimately, the combination of Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce at first base. But letting a player with as much experience – and a contract carrying as much of a burden – as Ramirez was a tough decision.

When October began, it was clear that the Red Sox were the front-runners. They posted the best record in baseball, and their pitching staff was primed for a run. But Sale was coming off an injury and Price had to answer the questions about his postseason resume.

Porcello answered the bell, delivering three starts for the ages to close his playoff performance. Porcello threw well throughout the playoffs as a starter and coming out of the bullpen when Cora called upon him.

The masterful job done by Cora starting in mid-February to communicate with current – and former – players in the organization created a culture of openness that led to on-field success.

And when the Red Sox left Los Angeles to return to Boston for a celebration, Pedro was right there on the plane with the pitchers he had tutored back in February in Ft. Myers. This time, he had Champagne in his hand and a trophy on the seat next to him.

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