I don't understand Pedro's critics

[BombersBlvd]

I don't understand when people equate loss of a few mph on a fastball w/ loss of skill. Also, people equate losing your 1000% dominant status as a pitcher to mean that such a pitcher is easily beatable. Crazy. Smart pitchers (Maddux, Rivera, Clemens) adjust when they lose that ability to be consistently super-human, and this is an adjustment year for Pedro Martinez. I guarantee you this guy, if healthy, will win 18 games next season. Yeah, he has been beaten this season, but he is still one of the best in the biz and is far from being a non-factor, unfortunately. When you are regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game early in your career, there's only one direction you can expect to go, so of course you will see some decline. And as Maddux and Moyer have shown, speed isn't everything.

[ClayParker]

Originally posted by BombersBlvd
I don't understand when people equate loss of a few mph on a fastball w/ loss of skill. Also, people equate losing your 1000% dominant status as a pitcher to mean that such a pitcher is easily beatable. Crazy. Smart pitchers (Maddux, Rivera, Clemens) adjust when they lose that ability to be consistently super-human, and this is an adjustment year for Pedro Martinez. I guarantee you this guy, if healthy, will win 18 games next season. Yeah, he has been beaten this season, but he is still one of the best in the biz and is far from being a non-factor, unfortunately. When you are regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game early in your career, there's only one direction you can expect to go, so of course you will see some decline. And as Maddux and Moyer have shown, speed isn't everything.

We saw this season how bad Moose looked with a few miles off his FB.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Pedro Martinez is still one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Yankees made him work and drove his pitches with solid contact when he's overworked inning by inning and flat pitches from Pedro.

[deranged2005]

Originally posted by ClayParker
We saw this season how bad Moose looked with a few miles off his FB.

Also, I believe Joe Girardi said the same with Loiaza. The fastball sets up all the pitches. A 95 MPH fastball and then a 87 MPH changeup is a lot better than a 90 MPH fastball and 87 MPH change.