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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 37 · NOVEMBER 9, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #037 · STEROID ERA
Pedro Martinez — 2000
Season And The Greatest
Pitching Peak Ever
On May 6, 1999, Pedro Martinez struck out 17 Yankees in a one-hit shutout at Yankee Stadium — one of the
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL greatest individual pitching performances in baseball history.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE PITCHED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEROID ERA AND WAS STILL 191% BETTER THAN AVERAGE.
2000: 1.74 ERA. 291 ERA+. 0.74 WHIP. The Most
Dominant Season In The History Of Baseball, Full
Stop.
PEDRO MARTINEZ 2000 ERA+ BOB GIBSON 1968 WALTER JOHNSON 1913
PEDRO 2000 ERA PEDRO 2000 WHIP LEAGUE ERA IN 2000
Pedro Martinez in 2000: 18-6, 1.74 ERA, 291 ERA+ (highest ever), 0.737 WHIP (historical), 217 K in 217
innings. The steroid era was at its peak. Offense was historically high. He was still nearly 3 runs better
than every pitcher in his league. His ERA+ of 291 means he was 191% better than the average pitcher that
year.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS New York Yankees MAY 6, 1999
17 1 0 W 3-0
IP K HITS ER RESULT
17 Yankees
ONE-HIT SHUTOUT AGAINST NEW YORK — 17 STRIKEOUTS
Pedro struck out 17 Yankees in a one-hit shutout on May 6, 1999 at Yankee Stadium. Chili Davis got the only
hit — a 4th-inning single. The Yankees lineup that day included Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill,
and Tino Martinez. Pedro retired the last 22 batters he faced. Broadcaster Bob Costas said afterward: 'That
may have been the greatest pitching performance I have ever seen.' It was not even Pedro's best season.
ERA VS ERA 03
Greatest Pitcher's Season In History — Pedro 2000 Or Gibson
1968?
PEDRO MARTINEZ 2000 BOB GIBSON 1968
ERA+ ERA
291 — highest ever 1.12 — lowest ever
ERA VS SHUTOUTS
1.74 — steroid era 13
CONTEXT RESULT
Offense was at all-time peak MLB lowered the mound for him
Gibson's 1.12 ERA is lower in raw numbers. Pedro's 291 ERA+ is the highest in history — he was 191% better
than his league average during the peak steroid era. Both are the most legitimate claims to the greatest single
pitching season ever. The honest answer: no definitive answer exists. Pick your metric.
Greatest single pitching season in history?
PEDRO 2000 — 291 ERA+ GIBSON 1968 — 1.12 ERA KOUFAX 1963 — 1.88 ERA JOHNSON 1913 — 1.14 ERA
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
2004 ALCS · THE REVERSAL
He Called Yankees Fans 'My Daddy' And Then Went
Out And Proved It Wasn't True.
After losing to the Yankees in 2003, Pedro famously said 'I just tip my hat and call the Yankees
my daddy.' In 2004, the Red Sox were down 3-0 in the ALCS. They came back to win four
straight. Pedro pitched Game 5 — 6 innings, 2 ER — as part of the greatest comeback in
baseball history. Boston broke the curse. Pedro never called anyone daddy again.
I was wrong. Nobody's my daddy.
— PEDRO MARTINEZ, AFTER THE 2004 ALCS COMEBACK
THE STAT VAULT 05
2000 ERA+
2000 ERA
291 The highest single-season ERA+ in 1.74
In the peak offensive era of baseball
baseball history. He was 191% better than
history. League ERA was 4.95 that year.
league average.
CY YOUNG AWARDS
2000 WHIP
0.737 3 1997, 1999, 2000. All three are legitimate
One of the lowest season WHIPs in
arguments for the best pitcher in baseball
modern baseball history.
that year.
2004 WORLD SERIES RING WITH BOSTON
After 86 years of the Curse, Pedro was a key part of the championship that ended it.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
John Olerud
TORONTO BLUE JAYS · 1989-2005
.295 CAREER BA · 255 HR · 3X GOLD GLOVE
Hit .363 In 1993 — Closest To .400 Since Williams. Quietly HOF-Adjacent.
Nobody Discusses Him.
John Olerud hit .363 in 1993 — the closest anyone came to .400 between Williams (1941) and Gwynn's .394
in the strike-shortened 1994. He won three Gold Gloves at first base and hit .295 for his career. He's on no
Hall of Fame ballot discussion and rarely mentioned in any era overview.
THE CONNECTION:
Olerud hit .363 the year before Gwynn's near-.400 season. Back-to-back seasons where someone
almost hit .400. Nobody noticed the pattern. Nobody really noticed Olerud.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Randy Johnson was 6-foot-10, threw 100 mph, and struck out 4,875 batters. He also once killed
a bird mid-pitch.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.