The exploding fastball is still there, registering as high as 96 mph at times this spring. The dastardly changeup, perhaps the game's best ever, still freezes hitters in the box. The curveball, less sharp than before, is coming along, thank you.

But there's something different about Pedro Martinez this spring, and it's not just the additional 14 pounds of muscle added to his upper body. For if Martinez is bigger in frame, he seems somehow slighter in other ways.

	Pedro Martinez Starting pitcher Boston Red Sox Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM IP W-L BB SO ERA 18 116.2 7-3 25 163 2.39

Baseball's otherworldly pitcher, looks, dare we say it, mortal. The trademark swagger is misplaced. No more Travis Bickle-inspired "You talkin' to me?" staredowns as a failed hitter trudges back to the dugout.

As the 2002 season kicks off, there is more to Pedro Martinez than his usual arsenal of pitches. There is uncertainty, humility and just maybe a little fear.

Martinez missed a good chunk of the second half of last season with shoulder woes, growing particularly alarmed when it was detected by Dr. Lewis Yocum that there was a slight tear, or fraying in his rotator cuff. Martinez couldn't help but recall his older brother Ramon's shoulder problems, which ultimately cut his career short.

Newly dedicated this past winter, he began an exhaustive conditioning and exercise program in his native Dominican Republic. Instead of giving his prized right arm a rest and playing with the chickens on his mother's farm, Martinez worked to stengthen the muscles in his right shoulder, and maybe, to save his career.

In the short-term, the effort seemed to have paid off. Martinez reported to camp with a bigger, stronger frame, the difference in his physique obvious to the casual observer.

His upper body isn't the only thing that has undergone changes; so, too, has his psyche.

For the first time since becoming a full-time starting pitcher, Martinez enters a season with some doubt. He may be bigger, but he's not bolder. And not even the three-time Cy Young Award winner is sure what 2002 will be like.

"I would say (to fans), 'Be patient,' " Martinez said after his final spring training tuneup. "Be patient with the way I'm coming along because I was in a very difficult situation last year and I don't want to go through that again. I don't think I want to see myself in that situation again and neither does the team. The team needs me to be there."

Indeed, Martinez is more critical to the Red Sox pennant hopes than ever before. When Martinez went down last summer, so did the team. His absence created a domino-like affect for the rest of the staff as others struggled to shoulder the load.

Surely, it was no coincidence that, without Martinez, the Sox were out of contention in September for the first time since Martinez joined them before the 1998 season.

Starters On The Spot

ESPN analysts tell us who's on the hot seat: Dave Campbell Chan Ho Park, Rangers. The Rangers have paid Park a considerable amount of money to lead a rotation that needs to be vastly improved if the Rangers are to make any noise in the West. Tom Candiotti Chan Ho Park, Rangers. Park jumps to the AL from pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. Now he's the ace of the staff with a huge contract and huge expectations. Look for Park to struggle before he pays dividends for the Rangers. Rob Dibble Al Leiter, Mets. Al, I hope your back is strong, you'll be carrying the staff again this year.

As Pedro goes, so go the Red Sox. And without him, they went nowhere fast.

New manager Grady Little doesn't try to hide Martinez's importance. More than once this spring, he cut off questions about who would be his No. 2 starter, his No. 3 starter, etc.

"We have Pedro," said Little, "and four other guys."

Naturally, the Red Sox have brought Martinez along slowly this spring. At times, his command was almost non-existent, as when he was rocked for three homers and six runs against the Yankees two weeks ago. He maintained all along his shoulder was pain-free, but there were signs that it wasn't as strong as he would like.

In his final spring tuneup last week, Martinez showed occasional flashes of brilliance, once striking out the side to work out of a bases-loaded jam. But he remains a work in progress.

"I thought I made some improvement, but I'm still not sharp enough," Martinez said. "But it's good enough to start the season and get by. I feel pretty good right now. My health is OK. I'm still missing a little bit, but it will come along if we keep working."

Still, it's evident that Martinez's chief problem is one of confidence. Unsure of himself, or more accurately, his shoulder, he's yet to feel fully comfortable this spring, wary that he might encounter another physical setback.

Only time will return his trademark mound bravado.

"He needs to get to a point where he knows he's not going to hurt his shoulder again," Little said. "Once he gets past that, he'll be fine."

"If you walk by a corner and get (mugged) by a thief, proably the next time you pass by, you're going to be looking around, aren't you?" asked Martinez. "I got hurt and I'm a little concerned and I want to just make sure I don't make a mistake. That's what my concern is. It's not that I'm afraid of anything. I just want to make sure I don't do anything wrong. I have to be careful how I deal with myself.

"But I'm feeling better and I'm just praying to God I continue to feel that way."

In most springs, Martinez uses his five or six outings to refine his control and build stamina. But this spring, Martinez has almost had to begin from scratch, relearning his job while getting accustomed to a different physique.

	“	I would say (to fans), 'Be patient.' Be patient with the way I'm coming along because I was in a very difficult situation last year and I don't want to go through that again. I don't think I want to see myself in that situation again and neither does the team. The team needs me to be there. ”
		— Pedro Martinez

The physics are all new.

"First of all, you want your mechanics the proper way so you don't hurt your arm again," he said. "And then, once you feel comfortable, you start to let go a little bit. It's going to take a little longer than normal.

"Right now, I think it's more command (that's lacking) than anything. I'm missing with the command because I'm adjusting to new weight and new strength, something that's not normal to me. I'm just trying to put everything together, but it's not there yet, even though it's looking better every outing."

Free of pain and more comfortable each time on the mound, Martinez must rediscover his once near-perfect command. Without it, he struggles.

"Spotting my pitches -- that's my living," he said. "If I spot well, I can mix. I can get by. If I spot, elevate, (throw) in and out, even with (just) the fastball, I'll give you a hard time."

Forecasts for Monday call for temperatures in the low 50s, but Martinez said he won't be affected by the weather even if turns far colder.

"If I'm healthy, then I'm going to go," he vowed. "If it's 40 (degress), 30, below zero -- I'm going. I don't really care."

Just don't expect vintage Pedro right out of the gate. View the first few starts as an extension of spring training and then judge his progress.

"It's the only time in my career where I spent all that period of time without throwing a ball from a mound," he said. "I never experienced that, so it was weird. Plus, I put on 14 pounds. It's so much strength that I never experienced. I'm feeling all kinds of things. It's something I'm going to have to experience and overcome."

Until then, the Red Sox watch, wait and hold their collective breath.

Five other starting pitchers to watch
1. Mike Mussina, Yankees. Was very good last year (17-11, 3.15). Expect him to be even better in his second year in New York.
2. Matt Morris, Cardinals. Coming off a tremendous 22-win season. But may have showed his true value in two great battles with Curt Schilling during last year's Division Series.
3. Tim Hudson, A's. Has won 38 games over the past two seasons, including 18 last year. Will need to be just as effective if not more so this season.
4. Russ Ortiz, Giants. The forgotten one. Turned into an ace last year for San Francisco, finishing with the seventh-best ERA (3.29) in the NL along with winning 17 games.
5. Roy Oswalt, Astros. Was a remarkable 12-2 as a starter last season ... as a rookie. And don't forget, he didn't make his first start until early June. Could win in the neighborhood of 20 given a full season.

Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com.