Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez Shares Stories In Bangor

Red Sox great Pedro Martinez brought a wealth of stories to fans in Bangor Tuesday night, offering a rare, candid -- and often hilarious -- look inside the career of the Hall of Fame pitcher.

It was a capacity crowd at the Gracie Theatre on the Husson University campus, where Sports Radio 92.9 The Ticket hosted Martinez, who met fans and signed autographs before the 90-minute question-and-answer session.

An animated Martinez, 46, talked with the Ticket's Dale Duff about a wide range of topics including Boston's historic 2004 World Series win, the retirement of his No. 45, and his relationships with teammates including David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

He also talked about his enduring love for Boston and its fans.

"Why did I click so well withe the Boston fans?" Martinez said. "They're fun. They'e loud. They're passionate. They know their game. Put it all together ... We were a marriage right away. I wasn't there to make friends, and that's the way Boston likes it.

"My heart never left Boston," said Martinez, although, as a free agent, he signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the New York Mets after the 2004 season.

Martinez also addressed his only regret -- his infamous run-in with New York Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer in the 2003 ACLS.

"It's the only blemish I have, and something that I would like to take away from my career," Martinez said. "But I would never get away because it happened between the Yankees and the Red Sox, and whatever happens there is going to stick."

Martinez finished his career with 3,154 strike outs and a 2.93 ERA.