Pedro Martínez played up his heritage and spoke directly to his fellow Dominicans today at his Hall of Fame induction, dedicating the honor to his home country and declaring the award a “sign of hope, faith, determination, strength, courage, and dignity.”



That’s in light of recent events involving Colin Cowherd, to which the immortal hurler issued a strong response earlier this week. Martínez closed by calling up the last Dominican to be enshrined, Juan Marichal, to pose with the nation’s flag; he spent a good portion of the speech speaking Spanish, the translation of which we’ve highlighted in the full, unedited closed captioning transcript below.

Hello! Hello! Let’s go to the serious stuff. It’s now to get serious. So, my people, let’s be serious Now just for the moment Withstand up and ask after we Finish we continue. Well, I start in english but I’m Sure I’ll finish in spanish. Let me just start by saying god Bless each and every one of you Here today. Before anything, I would like to Apologize because I’m speaking In my second language. Remember I’m dominican, even Though I get away with english Pretty well. I remain dominican and I have a Hard time sometimes expressing Myself this way. So bear with me everybody, Please, bear with me and I’m Going to ask a translator as Well. Bear with me. Be patient. If I don’t forget something or Someone to mention, please don’t Feel bad.

It’s been 32 years before we get This opportunity to get here and If I get emotional or I don’t Say something or don’t mention Someone or don’t say it Appropriately please forgive me. Well, first of all, welcome Everybody. I would like to take a moment Actually to say hello to all my Peers, the hall of fame, jane, Jeff, brad, the whole staff. Thank you for having us. It’s a great honor to be here. It’s a great moment not only for Me, for my family, it’s a great Moment for the dominican Republic and latin america. I would like to also welcome my Friend, my friend the new Commissioner rob manfred. We have a lot of work to do in Thedom — dominican republic so Keep bringing people to the hall Of fame. I would like to thank mlb Baseball also. I would thank my colleague. I got you. I got you. My blood, my boy, guys, john, my Colleagues, everybody. I have you here in my heart.

Tony clark is not here, but he Represents the association, the One we were proud of for a long Time, for me 18 years. We have them here. I would like To thank members of the media. I couldn’t thank you enough. In ‘99 I had a little stretch, I Told you guys didn’t like it. Didn’t like me, so — but hey, You made it and you showed me That you really care. I think I just made three new Brothers, three guys, that were Competing against them and Looking at them and learning From them gave me great joy. I love to learn. I love to take with me up to This moment. Greg, what a headache you were On the bases and hitting as Well. I couldn’t realize I could throw On time. Especially in the count. John, what a competitor. If you put me and randy together I would say as far as stops we Compare. I think randy and I made of the Statement stuff. That’s how talented you were, John. I really appreciate you, bro. Randy johnson, the big unit, my Brother from another mother. How much I enjoy getting to know You and having you coming over With me. Thank you. You’re special. I just want to ask a question. Why don’t you — how does it Feel when you stand up.

My class is a unique class and Today is a unique day. I don’t have enough to thank you All enough. My peers back here, in the next Day we’re going to have — I Know I’m going to be with some I Here that. I would also like to welcome all The government officials from The united states from the Dominican republic. We have a huge amount of people With the government that Represents our country, thank You so much. Also the official the secretary, He became my friend. He’s also a friend from boston, Welcome aboard. Thank you for being here. The Dominican parade is here. I Assume we all have people to Thank. We all have different reasons That made us special and made us Be here. I don’t think I could Be here without having all the Things that I have happening in My life in general and also as a Player. I would like to thank my people From dominican republic and my Family members and all the Friends from all over the Country that came over. I would like to thank america For the opportunity that they Have to offer for me. The power to build and I chose Two words to describe pretty Much how I feel today and this Special today with all of you. There are so many things I would Like to say, and now if I could Find the words in spanish or English, but my god I’m Thankful. I’m thankful for everything.

The two words that I chose today Were god and thank you. Just god because it’s the reason We are all here. It’s the one That allows us to be here. He Is the one that pretty much Builds a way for you to make it Here. You’re going to make Actually become who you are. I have here the reason why pedro Was so determined out there. I have here the glorious god With me and I can only look — And I have all the motivation I Needed to be the way I was in Baseball, my family. My kids. Boys, it’s been really hard, but My god it’s rejoiceful to be Here. Actually I love you guys. You are actually my legacy, my Generation next. It’s a huge commitment as you Can see. Not only with baseball, not only With your peers, not only with The fans. You have a huge commitment with The legacy that I have built for You guys, so thank you and I Love you all.

My mom, the nucleus of our Family. My dad is not here today but I Have a second dad ramón right There. You are my second dad. My brother ramón. Another veteran of the big League. I follow his footsteps and led Me where I did not expect to be Today. So thank you, bro, for being my Support and paving the way where I was going to walk. So thank you, bro, I love you Forever and respect you as well. The rest of my family, my Brother, jesus. Let me say something to Everybody right now that I can. In 2002, I was supposed — Because I was a start — well, That’s how long I’ve been Waiting because I wanted an Opportunity for a kid named john Hank and why do I bring it up? Because as poor brothers as we Are, ramón, me and eventually Jesus, maybe make it to the big League. But jesus is not there because The organization that he was Playing for did not find a Chance to give him one pitch in The big league. So head to be in the records. That’s the main reason why I Decided to not take that to give It to george. Because I felt that my brother Did not experience what it was Like to pitch in that game that Day. So, jesus, don’t feel bad. We’re pitching for you and we Are here. So, love you. Baseball is yours too. And what we get is ours. I would like to thank god also For my beautiful wife, my other Mother, my other partner in Crime, my nephews, lilly. I don’t have enough words to say How much I appreciate you. My in-laws, all the people that Have influence in my life, but I Must say what you are doing the Way you’re dealing with me. I know, I’m not an easy out when It comes to making me keep Quiet. I love you. I appreciate what you have done For my family, the things you Have gone through to get all my Family here close to 100 people We have here, ladies and Gentlemen. And jerry and nancy lane, they Were responsible for us being Here and making this moment so Special. I love you all. Thank you for being another Mother for me.

People in baseball feel so Fortunate to have by my side. When I look over there it’s Funny because there are so many Names. I don’t want to miss any because I waited ten years for this and You have to imagine there were a Lot of people involved in this, So I’m going to just drop a Couple of names that I would Like to mention. I thank god for the beautiful Family that is witnessing what We have today. Right away I have to thank avila Rafael avila, the man with the Biggest history of all players Coming out of the dominican Republic just in case you didn’t Know. Rafael avila, my first mentor And my friend more than 50 Players he made into the big League. Rafael avila, an icon from latin America, and a symbol in Baseball and the dominican Republic. And my first coach who was Always there to take the baby Steps that I needed to take to Become better every day. I have a gentleman here that I Think he’s crazy. A gentleman here whose name is Dan duka. He was crazy enough to trade Twice for the same player and Both times he ended up looking Great. He wanted me for a third time, But I was too old. So, dan, thank you so much for Having so much faith in me, Trusting that I was going to Look good. I told you, you were good Looking without me but I guess I Shape you more. I have here a name — I’m going To say two names, but I can’t go Without mentioning. Felipe alu. And felipe I’m going to mention Tony harper. Harper, felipe gave me the Opportunity and wanted to take Advantage of it. I was not performing to the Level and you gave me the best Advice I could ever take with Me. Thank you for telling me to keep Playing because at that moment I Felt I was failing and you just Told me that only a little Slump. You do you get through it? You get by pitching. You have to come out of it and I Kept my faith and head open and Today I can say I thank you for That and it kept me playing.

I would like to take a moment to Thank all the franchises that I Play for. L.A. Dodgers, montreal, boston Red sox. And at the same time say to the That we appreciate you all. Montreal I hope you get a team Pretty soon. I don’t have enough words to say How much I love you. I was given an opportunity there To showcase a little bit when Someone picked me up, thank you. When I finish my career — Little do I know when I finished The career the foundation was Great and philadelphia was Great. To all of you, thank you. The mets fans, well if you look At me and you see me going wild, That’s a mets fan. That’s how we are. So queens, I love you. I have it thank one of them my Dear from the dominican Republic, an all time friend. She has been able to put up with A lot with me. I couldn’t go without mentioning Her. My agent fernando, he’s out There. I have to thank guy conte and His wife janet as well. I have to thank the family that Introduced me to the United states. All from montana. Thank you, my uncle. I know you’re somewhere out Here. Thank you so much. I have to thank some people in Montreal. Mike guttenberg thank you for Supporting me. Thank you for being there for me And it’s too bad you don’t have A team. All the coaches and trainers I Was able to spend time with. I could never forget. Wherever you are, I love you, I Appreciate it and play god bless You. I would like to thank god for All the team I have. Kevin millar, david ortiz, I Would like to thank all of you. They’re the ones I play with and The ones I competed against Because you guys helped me on The field, help me defeat this Other team and at the same time You guys built my courage, Strength and desire to get out There and try to beat the Competition. I want to acknowledge you. And I want to say that I Respected you sometimes. I would like to thank god for The opportunity of being here. I would like all of you.

Don’t look at me as numbers or Baseball but as achievement. I would like you to actually see Me as a sign of hope from a Third world country from latin America, someone you can really Look up to and feel comfortable To say, I’m proud of you. Thank you, my people. Today I want to run into numbers I pitch. I just want to make sure that my People get a little message Across from me. And see me as a hope for future Generation. I have to switch to spanish Because I would like these People to really feel what I Felt today and what I

We, the dominicans, we have not Had this chance often. Thank god for what we have, for What we will get. This is the moment. I want to tell you all this way Of faith of determinations among That fought to show the values That were taught in our families And an early age, a person that Feels happy to be dominican, Proud to be of his country and His people. Thank you, thank you so much. I want to tell you all that god Has exclusive ways to make Things happen. I don’t know if you remember That January 6, michael arrived And he was to tell me that I Have entered to the hall of fame In the front door. I want you to listen well, Because god has unique ways to Work with us and the day of Children, day of kings, yes, King’s day. Today is the day of parents in The dominican republic. I want to let you all know so You can all enjoy with me of This parents day, enjoy this Moment as a gift that god offers And he uses me as a bridge to Bring you all the parents in the Dominican republic, and I wanted To dedicate to you, to all the Children and all the parents in The dominican republic that Celebrate this day and respect It. I want you all to feel this is Part of them. I dedicate it to them. I want you all that from now on, Don’t look at pedro martinez That got the numbers. I want you to look at pedro Martinez as the one that Entering the hall of fame and Has an award. I want you to take in your heart The hope that I got what I was Able to get, that you can sit on Me and you identify yourself When you see me and you can see A sign of hope, of faith, of Determination, of strength, Courage, with dignity. I want you, all dominicans, to Remember this is a great base For us — place for us to say we Want the dominican republic with More dignity, a dominican Republic more committed for the New generation like we said. I went to send this message, the Legacy, and merit child behind Me — marichal behind me. The legacy he left for us, I did Not know he was going to live It, but I hope him and I in this Day, that we are sharing with You that you also can do it Another day. Vladimir guerrero, and know you Are somewhere with me, in two Years we will see you here. As I say, I don’t want to say Goodbye to all of you and I want You all to see this award and See the sign of hope that god Gave us. I want you to see great Gratitude and the faith that god Put on us from where did god Bring me so I could get here. Mom, on parents day I want to Acknowledge you. I want to acknowledge all the Mothers here because they are The future of us. They understand the next Generation is their legacy. I want to thank you all. I want to thank my country. I want to thank the united States, the american embassy That work with us all this year. Our counsel in the dominican Republic and to the ambassador That help us so we could share This special moments, thank you All.

What I just said, I will resume It. I feel proud to represent the Dominican republic. I just dedicated this day to all The fathers in the dominican Republic because today is Fathers day in dominican Republic. And when I got the call on the Hall of fame, it was in kings Day and god has funny days. The day I was called to join the Hall of fame was kings day, was The children stay — children’s Day. The day I am here is fathers Stay in the dominican republic. To all the fathers in a Dominican republic, feel this is A gift today. I thank you all for your Patience. I would like to do something That will probably break the Protocol, but I would like to Give my people the opportunity That we don’t get very often. And we have to wait 32 years for Us to do. I would like to invite mr. Marichal to come forward. A gift that they waited 32 years To get. Congratulations. Thank you so much, thank you for Having us. God bless you all. This is an opportunity from Dominican republic to you.