MLB Hall-of-Famer Pedro Martinez Describes How He Dominated His Domain: ‘I Dictate How I Want My Balls Rubbed Up’

Pedro Martinez is right there with the greatest Major League Baseball pitchers of all-time. Even as his prime years were stuck in the despised steroid era, Martinez was able to cut through loads of power hitters to collect historic pitching numbers.

How was Martinez able to dominate his domain on a nightly basis? Being extra finicky about his balls.

“Guess what, it’s my game and I dictate how I want my balls to be rubbed up,” Martinez said on MLB Network. “And if you didn’t do a good job of rubbing the balls the way I wanted them and I wasn’t comfortable, I was gonna do whatever.”

Before every MLB game, dozens of baseballs are rubbed up with mud by an umpire, or an umpire’s attendant. New balls are too slick and slippery for pitchers to get a good feel, so if Martinez received a ball that wasn’t rubbed up to his liking, he’d keep tossing them back to the umpire until he found one that felt right.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently announced a crackdown on foreign substances being used by pitchers on the mound. The rule reinforcement comes as strikeout rates are up and batting averages are down, with pitchers being accused of using controversial products to doctor the baseball.

But with the crackdown on “sticky” stuff such as Spider Tack, pitchers will need to rely on umpires rubbing the balls to their liking. So pitchers, take the advice of hall-of-famer Pedro Martinez, and dictate how you want your balls rubbed.

Watch above via, MLB Network