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MARC TOPKINPedro Martinez leads a group of expensive free agents to be.
ST. LOUIS - Their celebration was as unique as the circumstance.
When Pedro Martinez's work was done Tuesday, when the Red Sox had their third straight victory of the World Series secured, Manny Ramirez gave him a hug. Then they sort of flipped their long stringy hair together. Then they pointed to the sky.
"That was the way we congratulate each other and at the same time we thank God for whatever happened, for whatever good deed we had done on the field," Martinez explained. "And that's the way we do it. We told each other we were going to let our hair grow together, we did it. We do it our own way, and that's how we are.
"That's just Manny being Manny and Pedro being Pedro."
For the past four years, they have been the Red Sox, two players who, as much as any others, have been at the core of their successes and failures.
But that soon could change.
Once the Red Sox get over this World Series - and general manager Theo Epstein figures he'll probably take two full days off - they will have to make decisions on a handful of potential key free agents.
And though catcher Jason Varitek is part of the team's foundation, and shortstop Orlando Cabrera has been a welcome addition, and starter Derek Lowe has won some big games, there will be no bigger issue than whether they keep Pedro in Boston.
After his Tuesday night gem, Martinez made it clear he wanted to stay, though it's easier to say that now than at the negotiating table.
"It's been a great ride. I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. Even with the struggles that I've had up and down during the season, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed every moment. I enjoyed my career in Boston. I'm really happy things went the way they have," Martinez said.
"I hope I get another chance to come back with this team, but if I don't, I understand the business part of it. I just hope that many other people understand and understand that I wasn't the one that wanted to leave. I'm only doing what I have to do. And they're going to have their chances to get me back in that uniform. If they don't get me it's probably because they didn't try hard enough. ...
"I consider Boston my house. It's actually my house. I just hope everything works out okay. ... I think four times out of seven years in the playoffs is not bad, is not a bad average. And also performing like I did (Tuesday night) and in previous games in the playoffs is not bad. If I have to leave, I will leave and I'll be proud of it."
It sounded like a touching farewell, but Epstein said that wasn't necessarily the case.
"I don't think Pedro's comments were inappropriate," Epstein said. "They were heartfelt. And I feel that he has given everything he has for the Red Sox.
"If he wants to come back, we want him to come back and we'll do everything we can to accomplish that. But we're going use the same team concept in building the '05 team that we did in '03 and '04, which is to not put one guy before the team. But I'm pretty confident we'll find a way to bring back most of the guys."