Pedro Martinez

Born Manoguayabo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic

Pedro J. Martinez was told that he was too small to be a major-league power pitcher, yet from his first appearance he consistently overpowered the best hitters in the world. He won three Cy Young Awards in a span of four seasons and to date has a record of 219 wins and only 100 losses. In 2000, the very heart of the home-run/steroid era, Martinez had an earned-run average of 1.74-more than three runs a game less than the American League average; he allowed only seventeen home runs in 217 innings pitched. Baseball authority Peter Gammons believes that "Pedro's seven-year period, 1997-2003, was the most dominant stretch of any pitcher in baseball history." Martinez is also widely applauded for his commitment to advancing opportunities for less fortunate children in his native Dominican Republic and in the United States, where he is a naturalized citizen.

Artist Susan Miller-Havens titled this portrait El Orgullo y Determinación (Pride and Determination) as a statement of Martinez's accomplishment in overcoming obstacles and becoming one of the most dominant pitchers of baseball's modern era.