More than once, as the Red Sox's season wound down, well short of its intended goal, manager Grady Little sat in his office, a look of exasperation on his face.

The second-place finish and a third consecutive season without a spot in the postseason were disappointing to be sure. But Little knew it could have been worse.

	Pedro Martinez Starting Pitcher Boston Red Sox Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM W-L IP H K ERA 30 20-4 199.1 144 239 2.26

"Sometimes," Little would say, "I ask myself where we'd be without those two guys."

"Those two guys" were Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, who combined to win 41 games. No other Red Sox starter topped 13 victories.

Only three pitchers in the American League got to the 20-win plateau; the other, Oakland's Barry Zito, led the league with 23 wins and is considered the front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, to be announced Thursday.

	Derek Lowe Starting Pitcher Boston Red Sox Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM W-L IP H K ERA 32 21-8 219.2 166 127 2.58

But Martinez and Lowe are deserving candidates as well. Just ask the Red Sox.

In a season that was earmarked by transition -- new ownership, new (if interim) general manager, new manager, new coaching staff -- to say the Red Sox were unsettled in spring training was a fair bit of understatement.

Over the winter, the Sox had signed John Burkett as a free agent, obtained lefty Darren Oliver in a trade and returned journeyman Frank Castillo. Joining that trio would be Lowe, converted back to starter after four seasons in the bullpen, and Martinez, whose health was delicate.

There were question marks surrounding nearly every one of them, but Lowe and Martinez faced particularly uncertain seasons.

Martinez had missed a large chunk of the 2001 season when he was found to have a slight fraying of his right rotator cuff. The diagnosis naturally frightened Martinez, especially since his older brother, Ramon, saw his career cut short by just such a problem.

Wanting to avoid surgery if at all possible, the Red Sox prescribed a winter strength and conditioning program for Martinez, designed to add bulk to his upper frame and durability to his shoulder joint. Martinez, fully cognizant of the stakes, worked in the off-season as he had never before. But as he arrived in Fort Myers, his season and his future had to be classified as unclear.

Eyebrows were raised when Martinez struggled with his command -- especially his curveball -- and his velocity throughout the Grapefruit League season. When he was shelled Opening Day against Toronto, the doubts seemed realized.

But throughout April and May, Martinez slowly regained his stuff and confidence. Barely two months into the season, it was clear that Martinez was again a dominant pitcher. Still, questions lingered.

Martinez wasn't one to take his performance for granted.

"There are times I'm still in Wonderland," said Martinez.

His fastball, once able to touch 98 mph when the circumstances warranted, now topped out at 94 mph. Pitch counts, once incidental, became important signposts.

But even with some limitations, Martinez again proved himself to be supreme. He finished with the league's lowest ERA (2.26), the most strikeouts (239), and had the lowest batting average-against (.198) and highest winning percentage (.833).

"To me," Little said, "he was the same old Pedro."

If Martinez enjoyed a career renaissance, then Lowe experienced a turnaround. After forfeiting his closer's role to Ugueth Urbina, obtained at the trading deadline the previous summer, Lowe began transitioning back to the rotation in September of 2001, making three starts in the final two weeks.

There, Lowe began regaining the confidence that had begun to ebb when he struggled in the late innings. This time, Lowe was better prepared for the demands of pitching 200-plus innings in a season: to his standard repertoire of sinking fastball and curveball, he had added a changeup and a cutter.

Almost from the beginning, Lowe enjoyed success. Just three weeks into the season, he pitched a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It marked the unofficial end of one part of his career and the start of another.

As the season progressed, so did Lowe. Like Martinez, he had spent his winter preparing -- not to overcome injury, but to adjust to the demands of his new role. He strengthened his legs and added about 20 pounds of muscle, the better to withstand the rigors of pitching every five days.

The transformation was striking: from unsure closer to confident starter, in the span of a few months. Booed for warming up in the bullpen in 2001, he was now welcomed to the mound by the same fans.

"It's like getting fired from one job," Lowe said, "and being given a better one."

Lowe finished second to Martinez in ERA (2.58), second to Zito in wins and third to Martinez and teammate Tim Wakefield in opponents batting average-allowed (.211).

Moreover, he gave the Red Sox the dependable No. 2 starter behind Martinez they had searched for since Martinez arrived after the 1997 season. Where David Cone, Bret Saberhagen and Ramon Martinez had failed, mostly due to age and injury, Lowe succeeded. Long losing streaks were unimaginable with two of the top starters in the league making 40 percent of the team's starts.

Their personal success took some of the sting out of the Sox's inability to reach the postseason. Lowe and Martinez could hardly be held responsble for the team's second-place finish.

This week, they may again fall short. Zito led the league in wins and is considered the favorite to win the Cy Young Award. As teammates, Lowe and Martinez may cannibalize each other's vote totals.

"If I don't win, I hope it's D-Lowe," said Martinez, with the pride of an older brother.

"Pedro definitely deserves it," said Lowe. "But I was proud of what I did. ... I thought 10 (wins) would be good and 15 would be great. But then the wins keep adding up and you don't want to put a limit on yourself."

Together, they became the first pair of Red Sox 20-game winners in more than a half-century. Where they finish in the balloting is almost incidental -- Martinez has won three Cy Youngs already; Lowe could contend again -- since, at this point, the award is almost an afterthought.

With their standout seasons, Martinez and Lowe have already answered bigger questions about themselves.

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