FORT MYERS, Fla. — He is Red Sox royalty, a Hall of Fame talent who already had won a Cy Young Award when he came to the Red Sox from the small market of Montreal in 1998.
The buzz these days is that it takes a year for a star pitcher to acclimate to Boston — Josh Beckett, Rick Porcello, and David Price all come to mind — but it didn’t take long for Pedro Martinez. He was great at Fenway right from the start.
His place in Cooperstown secure, Pedro is a TV commentator now and has a place on the Red Sox corporate masthead as “special assistant.’’ Tuesday at Fenway South, Pedro suited up, grabbed a ball, and delivered some priceless pointers to new and old members of the 2017 Red Sox.
He signed autographs for 45 minutes after the session, then took a few minutes to talk about what it’s like for an ace pitcher (this means you, Chris Sale) to introduce himself to the Boston baseball market.
“I think it’s having to restart your mind,’’ said Pedro, cradling a baseball in his right hand. “For a guy like Price, he pitched in Tampa, where it is quiet and not a lot of attention. It was the same for me in Montreal. It took me almost a year to finally settle in and finally understand what to expect and what I wanted to do.
“It takes these guys a while to make changes because it took them so long to adjust to one thing and then to abruptly change the way you see things and the way things are.
“It’s not the same everywhere you go. I had the opportunity to adjust to that, but as I got older, I got better.’’
He was being modest. In Pedro’s first season with the Sox, he went 19-7 with a 2.89 ERA. He struck out 251 batters in 233⅔ innings.
We reminded Pedro that the first year in Boston has been unkind to recent Sox ace acquisitions. Beckett’s ERA was 5.01 in his first season, and Porcello went 9-15 with a 4.92 ERA. Price did better than those guys, but he was not his normal dominating self.
“I heard a lot about getting lost in Boston when I first got there,’’ Pedro recalled. “But I ended up enjoying Boston as much as anywhere. It wasn’t false that Boston might be difficult to drive around, but it wasn’t like I got lost every day.’’
What about the occasional boo-bird? Beckett, Porcello, and Price heard ’em. Is this something Sale should expect?
“My easiest adjustment was the fans,’’ Pedro said. “I realized right away, as soon as I struggled in a game. They knew what they wanted. They knew what they paid for me. And I was totally fine.
“I did like to follow up with the media because they booed me the first time I struggled, but I wanted to prove that I was worth the money — every penny they paid me — and it worked out.
“It’s hard work. It’s a lot of dedication. It’s a lot more than just being the player. It’s community. It’s relationships and handling yourself in a professional way.
“As soon as I embraced the fans, especially in my first game, I knew that they were on my side. But as soon as I struggled, I could tell . . . when I wasn’t that good, I was going to hear it, and I didn’t have problems with that.’’
It’s startling to look back and see exactly how good Pedro was with the Red Sox. In seven seasons, he went 117-37 with a 2.52 ERA. His 1999 (23-4, 2.07) and 2000 (18-6, 1.74) seasons were among the best in baseball history, and all that greatness was accompanied by a hilarious and diva-esque personality that made him a magnet for fans and media.
No one who was there can ever forget the Mango Tree, “Who is Karim Garcia,’’ and Pedro’s MVP performance in the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway. His last appearance in a Red Sox uniform was his Game 3 victory over the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to come back,’’ he said. “I remember all the good moments. To be out there and smell the grass and pass the message along, that’s all we have to do.’’
He spent a little time Tuesday with Price.
“Last year I wanted to let him be,’’ said Pedro. “This year it’s going to be the same way, but he actually offered to hear what I have to say and said, ‘You’re welcome to tell me whatever you see.’
“It’s lovely to work with guys like him and Porcello. You can see their adjustments right away. It’s delightful to see how quickly they make adjustments.’’
Any concern that Price cares too much?
“No,’’ said Pedro. “He’s too smart. One thing that all those guys who have success are able to do is separate. As long as they step inside the white lines, it doesn’t matter what you say. You just say, ‘I’m Pedro, I’m here to compete. And pitch. And that’s all I care about.’ ’’
It was easy for Pedro in Boston. Right from the start. Mere mortals need a little more time to adjust.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @dan_shaughnessy.
