Pedro Martinez has never been shy when it came to offering his opinions. You also won't find too many people who are more passionate about the game of baseball.
So when Martinez made his feelings clear regarding the importance of getting the Major League Baseball players back on the field when appearing on NBC Sports Network's "Lunch Talk Live" with Mike Tirico it shouldn't have come as a surprise.
Martinez's message to the owners and the players: Figure it out.
"I'm hoping that both sides actually stop thinking about their own good and start thinking about the fans," Martinez said. "I think this is a perfect time to have their baseball teams out there and try to have the people forget a little bit about what's going on. It's not only the pandemic, it's everything that's going on. People need something to actually do and find a way to relax. I hope that the Players' Association and MLB realize how important it is to bring some sort of relief to people."
While there was seemingly some movement toward a compromise between the two sides Monday, there remains the pessimism that comes with back-and-forth haggling over finances.
Martinez has lived in that world. But he also sees the big picture damage that prolonged bickering will do to his sport.
"The economics is the dark part of baseball. The business part of baseball is dirty. It's dark," Martinez said. "And I hope that they take into consideration who pays our salaries, what the people do for us, how important the people are, and forget about or at least bend your arm a little bit to find a middle ground for the negotiations."