The Billiken's Bluff

Pedro Martinez is on his way to the Mets. Pedro is the most controversial figure in baseball not involved in the steroid scandal. This diminutive right-hander is a lightening rod for media scrutiny. In Boston he was loved, throughout the rest of the league, particularly in NY, he is reviled. Pedro receives more back page NY newspaper headlines than any other out of town athlete. Not only has he thrown at Derek Jeter's head half dozen times, but he matadored the 72-year old Don Zimmer during a fracas in the 2003 season. Despite all this Pedro is quite the pitcher, and has won 3 Cy Young awards. The much beleaguered Mets fans finally having something to cheer about.

But I’m not talking about Pedro, I’m talking about Pedro’s pal, the lilliputian Nelson De La Rosa. Nelson slipped right under my radar while I was away. Apparently, Pedro first brought this good luck charm public during the Yanks/Sox October 2004 ALCS. And Nelson certainly provided the good luck as Boston completed the most improbable come back in professional sports history fighting back from 3 games behind to beat the Yankees in 7 games. Pedro swears by Nelson and carries him along nearly everywhere he goes.



Pedro: "My friend is Nelson. His name is Nelson. He's 36 years old. He's from the Dominican Republic and very funny character, and very animated. Everybody's happy with him. He's our lucky charm now. Now a days. The guys are falling in love with him."

CBS-4's Dan Roche to Nelson: "How do you feel about being the lucky charm of the Boston Red Sox?

Nelson: "Se siente mejor"

Dan Roche to Pedro: "What'd he say?"

Pedro: "He say it feels better, to be the lucky charm."

Nelson is primed to take this town by storm. Think appearances on the Howard Stern Show (which is need of some new Wack Pack talent ever since the untimely death of Hank the Angry Dwarf). He is a shoe-in to land his own float during next summer’s Dominican Day Parade. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Pedro, no stranger to making outrageous requests from his employer, demands that Nelson serves as the Mets bat boy.

The circus is coming to Shea. If nothing else, this should be entertaining. And really what more can you ask for $54 million over 4 years?


Addendum-

Things just took a turn for the weird. While searching for pictures for this post, I found that Nelson De La Rosa is no stranger to the spotlight. He starred as Marlon Brando's influential sidekick, Majai, in the 1996 spectacle The Island of Dr. Moreau. No, seriously.