No mas, said Pedro Martinez that day 10 years ago. No mas.

After four innings, baseball's best pitcher asked out of Game 1 of the 1999 American League division series against Cleveland. Martinez said he had strained his back. Back in New England, Red Sox fans sputtered and wondered out loud if his self-diagnosed injury meant he had no spine.

Thursday night, one of baseball's greatest divas walked onto the sport's biggest stage. Unwanted by general managers looking to strengthen pitching staffs and unloved by fickle fans, Pedro Martinez's sense of drama was front and center. He challenged one of baseball's great lineups with slow breaking balls and change-ups, mixing in a fastball that mocked what he once threw.

He struck out Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez twice before he left in the seventh inning. He struck out Mark Teixeira and former teammate Johnny Damon. Baseball's smart guys expected a batting practice pitcher wearing Pedro's uniform.

Instead, Martinez did his best to turn back the clock.

It was a different Red Sox world in 1999. Jimy Williams was the manager and Nomar Garciaparra played short and batted cleanup. Mike Stanley had replaced Mo Vaughn at first base and Michael Coleman was the hot outfield prospect. By the end of the season, Pedro was 23-4. He had a 2.07 earned-run average and had struck out 313.

He was the new Sandy Koufax, the new Bob Gibson, and most definitely, the new Red Sox savior. And then he turns around and takes himself out of the first game of the playoffs.

"I wouldn't have come out if it didn't hurt," he said that day.

Red Sox fans have long memories. During the 1986 World Series, Roger Clemens came out of Game 6. He said Manager John McNamara took him out. McNamara said Clemens looked at his blister and asked out. In 1980, when boxing still reached into our lives, we watched Roberto Duran quit in his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. No mas, he said. No mas.

By definition, divas are thin-skinned. You can assume Martinez knew how his no mas played out. When Cleveland and Boston were tied after the first four games of their best-of-five series, Pedro came out of the bullpen to pitch the last six innings of Game 5. He was all but perfect, striking out eight and allowing no hits.

It was a miracle. Or the brilliance of a physical therapist.

Bret Saberhagen, part of the Red Sox starting rotation, said he saw Martinez in tears after Game 1. "He couldn't pick up the ball two days ago."

Red Sox fans put aside their cynicism and did their own 180-degree turnabout. Pedro was embraced.

"I wouldn't come out," said Martinez after beating the Indians in Game 5. "As long as I was able to throw the ball over the plate, I was going to stay in there."

Flash ahead to 2003 and Game 7 of the ALCS against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. With the lead, Manager Grady Little goes to the mound to ask Martinez if he's tired. History answered because Pedro wouldn't. He stayed in the game and the Red Sox lost in extra innings.

If you haven't done so, put Pedro in your sports hall of heroes. He's not much different from Larry Bird and Tom Brady and Bobby Orr and all the others. He sings in the same choir with football's divas, the wide receivers, and basketball's power forwards

Pedro was always defiant. From his insistence to pitching inside to batters, to his stroll in from the bullpen at Yankee Stadium in 2004 to pitch in the ALCS. Sixty thousand fans chanted "Who's your daddy?" so loudly, the stadium seemed to be vibrating.

One man, facing down 60,000, and the defiant Pedro didn't rattle. Weeks earlier after a loss to the Yankees, he uttered the quote that will outlive us all: "I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy." He knew what he was saying. He knew how it would bounce back at him. The best athletes can find their motivation in strange places and Pedro did.

He didn't want the money the Red...