Following the basketball buzz that came surrounding Netflix’s Staring 5 docuseries, the streamer is back with another sports-centered project that’s taking viewers back in time to the 2004 MLB World Series. At the time, Pedro Martínez was among Boston Red Sox team members who helped win the coveted championship. While he’s had a passion for the game since his teenage years, it’s likely the three-time Cy Young Award winner wouldn’t be nearly as successful without the support of his wife, Carolina Cruz de Martínez. The power couple has been married since 2005, welcoming four children and working together to successfully build the Pedro Martínez Foundation in the decades since. Now that The Comeback docuseries is available on Netflix with plenty of information about the World Series-winning pitcher, here’s everything you need to know about his other half.
Former Pro MLB Player and His Partner Both Come From the Dominican Republic
Pedro was born on Oct. 25, 1971 in Manoguayabo, making him the fifth of six siblings. While he now lives the luxurious life of a retired pro-athlete, growing up, his house was made of palm wood with a tin roof and dirt floors. Martínez couldn’t afford real baseballs in his youth, so instead he and his brothers improvised using oranges.
While his older brother, Ramón, was pitching at a Los Angeles Dodgers camp in their home country, Pedro tagged along and carried his bags, occasionally getting some pitching practice in. One day at camp, Ramón reportedly clocked his younger sibling’s balls at somewhere between 78 and 80 miles per hour when he was just a teenager. Pedro’s wife, Carolina, also hails from the DR, though she was born nearly ten years later on Oct. 1, 1981. Their shared cultural background has helped bring the Martínez’s closer throughout their relationship.
Pedro Martínez’s Wife Majored in Journalism at Boston College
Carolina attended Boston College as a student-athlete in the late 90s, Boston 25 News reports. Outside of playing volleyball for the school, Pedro’s wife also majored in Journalism while supporting her partner’s professional career. “I was busy with school, so I would go on-and-off,” she told Boston.com of how their relationship worked at the time. “When we went to the Mets, we got married, and I traveled a little bit more with him,” Carolina continued.
“It was a really demanding schedule and that was probably one of the reasons why he rushed his retirement, I think, because they get tired of hotels, of traveling, of eating hotel food. I think by the time, they’re 38, 39, they’re ready to just be home. Some of them. Some of them just keep playing, but some of them are ready to say goodbye to that lifestyle. I know he misses the competition, but I know he doesn’t miss the traveling or the hotels.”
Before Marrying the Red Sox Hall-Of-Famer, Carolina Cruz de Martínez Worked for ESPN
While some women who settle down with professional athletes opt not to work, Martínez’s career has continued to be an important part of her life. After completing her degree at Boston College, the 43-year-old went on to work for ESPN Deportes as a sideline reporter, keeping viewers up-to-date on the latest sports action. These days, she spends her time running the Pedro Martínez Foundation, which continues to give back to communities in their native country overseas and at home in America.
Couple Built a School Together Through Their Charitable Foundation
In November 2023, Pedro Martínez’s wife joined him in organizing their seventh annual gala in Boston, which she noted would be their largest yet. The purpose of the event was to raise money “to provide access to education, athletics and health services to kids and communities both here in the United States and in the Dominican Republic.” Thanks to their efforts, the couple was able to build a school for 1,700 children, and in previous years, funds raised were used as relief efforts in wake of Hurricane Maria striking the Caribbean islands. “If they want, [they can] go into sports or computer engineering. It’s going to be a great site. Become a doctor, nurse, mechanic, whatever they choose to be,” the MLB legend said of the project,” the MLB legend said of his project in 2023, per WCVB.
Carolina and Pedro Share Several Baseball-Loving Children
Since tying the knot in 2005, Pedro and Carolina have welcomed four children – two of whom are following in their father’s footsteps. Pedro Martínez Jr. inked a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2017 as an international free agent, but his mom has made it clear there’s no pressure to reach the same heights as his patriarch.
“One of the good things is that he’s not going to be a pitcher, so that definitely will diminish the comparisons a little bit. He’s a third baseman,” she explained. “I think Pedro has made it really clear to his sons that they don’t have to be him, they don’t have to become him.” Elsewhere, Pedro Isaías Martínez signed at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but the future plans of their youngest two – Enyol and Nayla Martínez – have yet to be determined.
After His Professional Sports Career, the Martínez’s Are Happy To Be Retired
As much as he loved his time in the MLB, Carolina told Boston.com that retirement is going well for her husband so far. “I think he’s doing an interesting crossover from being on the mound to being on the cameras. He’s having fun, and most importantly, his analysis is getting the same respect that he got when he was playing baseball in the sense that it’s really thoughtful,” she remarked of his transition to MLB Network commentator.
Of his final World Series-winning game with the Phillies in 2009, Pedro Martínez’s wife shared, “I don’t think he wanted to retire yet. I don’t think it was in mind, and neither was it in ours as a family, but just a memory of having him walk off the mound in that last game versus the Yankees. For me, I think that’s the most beloved memory because that’s the last time we saw him in a uniform.”