Pedro Martinez Pitches In Oldtime Baseball Game To Benefit ALS Research
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) - Red Sox great and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez took the mound at St. Peter's Field in Cambridge Thursday night.
It was a one, two, three first inning for number 45 during the 24th annual Oldtime Baseball Game benefiting the ALS Therapy Development Institute and longtime NESN videographer John Martin who has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease.
"What a great guy to do it for and a great cause too because this is a disease that I have been asking myself, 'why don't we know more about this disease?'" Martinez said.
"We're encouraged you know and a night like this, this is an emotional boost, you know this is really ya know, it's a lot of fun," John Martin said.
Organizer and Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley was thrilled to see kids and their parents sprawled out on blankets under the lights watching some good old fashion baseball.
"I have been joking the first year we couldn't find baseballs, now we have road closures, so it gives you an idea of how far so many people have come over the years," Buckley said.
One of the highlights are the flannel jerseys that date back to several eras of baseball history.
"Just being able to see baseball played in a pretty pure form between wood bat baseball and really great college talent mixed with some older guys," said player Joe Skoczylas of Winthrop.
It's a chance for these young ball players to get some advice from a great while giving hope to those like John Martin, that a cure will someday strike out ALS.
