Then Martinez noticed a hulking lefthander warming up, his pitches almost too fast to track. It was the first time Martinez saw CC Sabathia, and he did the only thing he could think of.
He ran and hid.
“I didn’t want to catch that guy,’’ Martinez said. “He was throwing 98 and 99. I knew I couldn’t handle that.’’
But there was no choice, and in time Martinez and Sabathia became partners on the field and eventually good friends. They played together briefly in the minors, then for seven seasons with the Indians. Martinez became an All-Star and Sabathia a Cy Young Award winner.
Those were the experiences Martinez drew on when he faced the challenge of being traded to the Red Sox in the midst of a pennant race last season and had to learn a new pitching staff overnight. They are what help him now as Martinez dives into his first spring training with the Sox.
“CC let me take charge of the game for him. He let me call the pitches and it was only a few times he shook me off. He put all his trust in me and, man, that meant a lot,’’ Martinez said. “That makes me feel great when I get behind the plate. After catching him, it was easier to catch everybody else.’’
Sabathia also was traded, leaving Cleveland for Milwaukee, then signing with the Yankees as a free agent before last season. But being two of the centerpiece players in baseball’s greatest rivalry has not changed the friendship he and Martinez share.
“To me, he’s as good as it gets,’’ Sabathia said. “I’ve known him for so long, we’ve been friends for a long time.’’
Sabathia thinks the Red Sox made the right decision committing to Martinez as their catcher, saying his defensive skills are better than he is generally given credit for.
“I think it definitely gets undervalued and overlooked. He’s worked hard at it, because early in his career, he wasn’t that good,’’ Sabathia said. “He had to work at it and he’s gotten a lot better.
“It was easy to talk to him and the communication was great. In between innings on the bench, he always wants to know if he’s getting it right. The biggest thing for a pitcher is that you’re on the same page with your catcher. It’s reassuring.’’
