COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Pedro Martinez turned the Hall of Fame induction ceremony into his personal party Sunday, dancing on stage, with the throng of exuberant fans from the Dominican Republic screaming his name over and over in the thick, hot air.
Martinez, wearing a coat of arms from the Dominican Republic on his right arm and the USA on his left, was the last inductee to speak. He pumped and twirled his arms when he walked onto the stage, started dancing to the merengue music, took the microphone and shouted, “Hola!”
The crowd of about 48,000, including several high-ranking Dominican government officials, started cheering wildly, and then when Martinez yelled “Hola!