Pedro Martinez
Date of Birth: 10/25/1971
Rookie Card Year: 1991
Investment Rating: 7.0
Overview
During his 18-year big league career, Pedro Martinez was one of the most feared pitchers to ever set foot on the mound. As a three-time, Cy Young Award winner, Pedro Martinez cards and autographed memorabilia are valued by a wide array of collectors. Being a key member of the team that brought Red Sox their first World Series Championship in 86 years endeared him to the team's fan base for life.
The lone Pedro Martinez rookie card can be found in 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition. At the time, his late-season cardboard debut went unnoticed by many collectors who may not have heard of the Dodgers' Dominican prospect.
Pedro Martinez has many minor league cards that often sell for more money than his rookie card. Hightlights of his minor league checklist include:
- 1990 Great Falls Dodgers Sports Pro #12
- 1991 Classic III #T55
- 1991 Classic/Best #355
- 1991 Bakersfield Dodgers Cal League #32
- 1991 California League All-Stars #2
- 1991 ProCards San Antonio Missions #2971
- 1991 ProCards Tomorrow's Heroes #244
Pedro Martinez is another popular player whose first certified autograph card is part of the 1996 Leaf Signature Series set. As is the case with several other players within the set, Martinez has three signed cards, a base version with a known print run of 3,500 copies and two parallel versions, Silver (1,000 copies) and Gold (500 copies).
In 2000, both Fleer and Upper Deck would provide collectors with Pedro Martinez's first memorabilia cards. The most popular of these is 2000 SPx dual game-used cap and jersey card, which is serial numbered to 100.
Pedro Martinez retired in 2009. Since that time, he has been the highlight of several high-profile autograph events and sports collectibles shows. He is always glad to take a picture with requesting fans and still seems appreciative of his popularity despite being out of the game for several years. As would be expected, anything related to Boston's 2004 World Series with Martinez's signature on it carries a premium.
Although it was all but a given, his election to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot means there will be sustained demand for Pedro Martinez autographs and memorabilia in the years to come.
Top Early Pedro Martinez Cards
1990 Great Falls Dodgers Sports Pro Pedro Martinez#12
This is one example of Martinez's cards that sells for higher than his rookie card. It is his very first baseball card and is most often found already graded, which can command a premium. That said, it's more affordable than a lot of other Hall of Fame minor league cards from his generation.
1991 Upper Deck Final Edition Pedro Martinez RC #2F
This set was produced late in the season after teams were allowed to expand their rosters to 40 players. Martinez's inclusion in the set gave Upper Deck the jump on other companies. As a result, this is his only rookie card. Even so, production was so vast that it carries very little value on the secondary market when you consider how great a pitcher he was.
1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez #92
Sometimes the stars align and a second-year card is more popular than the rookie. Such is the case with the 1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez. Produced in smaller numbers and part of one of the most popular sets of the 1990s, this card carries more value than the 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition Pedro Martinez.
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Autograph Guide
Pedro Martinez Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide
Below you will find an example of what Pedro Martinez's authentic signature looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Some of the trusted sources within the sports memorabilia market include the following companies: PSA, JSA, Steiner, Mounted Memories and Tristar. Click on any of the images below to view full size photos.
Pedro Martinez Cut Signature Exemplar
Pedro Martinez Key Signature Attributes: An authentic Pedro Martinez signature autograph will exhibit several distinguishing characteristics. Regardless of the type of item or when it was signed, look for the following signature features:
- Martinez's signature is fluid, distinct, fairly legible and unique -- all the characteristics you want in a player's autograph.
- The "P" is over-sized in comparison to the rest of the letters. It displays a narrow oval loop with a tail that comes back and to the left of the vertical line.
- The letter "M" has very narrowly spaced humps and the right most vertical line has a small curl at the end.
- The letter "z" is expressed with a short squiggle line that drops below the plane. A horizontal oriented loop and long tail down and to the right finishes the signature.
- The other letters in both the first and last name are narrowly spaced together.
Pedro Martinez Signed Baseball Pricing
Active Listings for Pedro Martinez Signed Baseballs
Pedro Martinez Signed Jersey Pricing
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Pedro Martinez Signed Photograph Pricing
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More Info
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