Pedro Martinez admits he doesn’t excited easily.
“I’m an old goat. I’m very hard to get excited,” Martinez, 37, told The Post yesterday. “Probably maybe a good-looking woman will get me excited, and that’s my wife.”
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The charismatic Martinez may be beyond acting like the Phillie Phanatic about the opportunity he’s about to have, but he appears set to be introduced as a new Phillie.
Martinez took his physical yesterday with no problem, and according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he reached a one-year, $1 million deal that includes $1.5 million in incentives. An announcement is expected today.
“I feel really happy to be able to pitch,” Martinez said, though he added, “I have been able to pitch all the time.”
Martinez said he lacked the proper circumstances to return earlier, but now the free-agent right-hander finally has found them with the Mets’ archrivals. Martinez hasn’t pitched all season. But people familiar with how he has thrown praised what they’ve seen.
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One person said Martinez threw his fastball between 87-90 mph with life and command, and added he appeared to be strong physically and ready to go.
By joining the first-place Phillies, his new home stadium will be Citizens Bank Park, which is very hitter-friendly and very Pedro-unfriendly. He has posted a 7.85 ERA there in four starts. Of course, now he would often be facing inferior lineups to those he faced before.
Martinez’s agent, Fernando Cuza, has said that Martinez could probably throw 80-90 pitches now, but presumably he would require some time before he’s ready to pitch in the majors. A Foxsports.com report has suggested a three-week timetable.
Martinez, who threw six one-hit shutout innings in the World Baseball Classic, told the Philadelphia Daily News yesterday that there wasn’t anything he could say to prove himself.
“Proof is not talking,” he said. “Proof is in the field.”
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Carlos Beltran (bone bruise) will be examined today or tomorrow. . . . Jose Reyes was headed back to Port St. Lucie yesterday.