The Boston Red Sox watched Pedro Martinez become an icon as one of the best pitchers to ever throw a baseball. His legacy expands past that through his extensive charity work.
Martinez and his wife, Carolina, hosted their eighth annual gala in Boston Friday night to benefit the Pedro Martinez Foundation which reached 75,000 children in 2023 and continues to reach new heights.
“It’s just like always, it’s part of the commitment we have with the community,” Martinez shared with NESN.com. “It’s part of what we do and want to be recognized for. It’s always so special because you’re doing something special. I hope that people can really perceive what we’re really doing.”
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“The fact that we have almost 400 people here says a lot about the Boston community,” Carolina Martinez, the foundation’s president, told NESN.com. “It says a lot about the respect they have, not only for Pedro and what he did for the city, but the institution of the Pedro Martinez Foundation. That means a lot of commitment for us to continue going. We’re very thankful.”
Speaking exclusively with NESN.com, several former Red Sox players and Boston athletes shared why supporting Martinez’s cause remains special for them.
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“It’s always an honor to be here with my compadre and Carolina, supporting them,” David Ortiz said. “They do a wonderful job for these kids. They change a lot of lives, a lot of family directions. It’s amazing, doesn’t get better than that.”
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“It’s great to attend and support Pedro and his foundation,” Orlando Cabrera said. “It’s awesome, the things they do for kids in the Dominican Republic and in the Boston area. Happy to be here.”
“This is my first time coming to this event,” Derek Lowe shared. “My wife and I just moved back to Hingham. This was a no-brainer to come support Pedro. He’s been doing this for a long time to raise money. He’s not just a Hall of Fame pitcher. He’s a Hall of Fame guy. It’s going to be great to support him and have a beautiful night.
“As long as we’ve had the opportunity to come, it’s great to support Pedro, Carolina and the foundation,” Jason Varitek said. “It’s been a lot of years running now. Their ability to give back is phenomenal.”
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Even baseball players who made their ultimate name outside away from Boston found their connections with the Red Sox icon to benefit the cause.
“This is a great cause,” Multiple-time American League Cy Young award-winner Corey Kluber said. “(My wife) and I have been fortunate enough to do this a number of times. To see Pedro and Carolina’s passion for their cause is really inspiring.”
“It’s my pleasure and privilege to be back here tonight,” 2010 MLB home run leader José Bautista offered. “… Any time that I get the call from Pedro, I can’t help but to show up, show the support, spend some time with his patrons, spend some time here, enjoy ourselves and help raise the most amount of funds that we can for all his projects. I’m very close to the project he’s building in the Dominican Republic. Very excited about that, happy to help in many different ways. Really happy to be here and I think it’s going to be a great evening.”
Martinez inspired athletes beyond baseball to show up and support the cause, including three Super Bowl champions from the New England Patriots’ dynasty of the 2000s.
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“It’s always great when you can give back to something that means a lot to you, especially Pedro being the legend that he is,” NFL Hall of Famer Ty Law said. “To be able to support him, be present and really respect what he’s doing with his foundation helping kids. Anytime you can help families and kids, that’s what it’s about.”
“In this community, I think it’s a given that if you’ve been here long enough, you realize the impact of taking time out of your day and what it can do for others,” Super Bowl champion and left tackle Matt Light offered. “There are so many icons who have been a part of the Boston sports scene. Pedro’s obviously one of them for what he did on the field. These are the things that I think solidify you in the history of this area. So many people really care. To be here tonight to support him, his efforts and the work that they do, it means a lot.”
“It’s always a blessing,” Super Bowl XXXVI champion Jermaine Wiggins said. “I’m a huge Red Sox die-hard Pedro fan. Anything to help and support the cause for what he’s doing is obviously tremendous.”
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The Pedro Martinez Foundation continues its 17th year of service to improve the lives of children throughout the Boston area and the Dominican Republic.
The club, in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, said it was “deeply saddened” by Colon’s death and that employees at the nightclub rushed to her aid.
“Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid,” it said. “We are cooperating fully with all inquiries from law enforcement and city officials who are reviewing this medical episode.”
When police arrived at theWarrenton Street venue, they found a personlying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. They began performing chest compressions with the help of a cashier at the club who said she worked as an EMT.
Police said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel. Eventually, officers ordered the club to shut down and told patrons to leave immediately.
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The woman, whose age was not disclosed, was then taken to Tufts Medical Center, police said.
Colon’s sister, Angelica Colon, wrote on social media Sunday that the club failed to immediately call 911 after being told about the medical emergency. She said only a few people at the club showed any “real concern,” while other patrons and staff “acted like nothing was happening.”
“My sister collapsed in the middle of the club,“ she wrote. ”I tried to lift her myself and couldn’t. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and was ignored. The music was only stopped for two minutes, then turned right back on — as if her life didn’t matter.”
Angelica Colon also couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Anastaiya Colon, who was at the club to celebrate her sister Angelica’s birthday, had smoked before arriving and had “a few drinks” at the bar, according to the police report. Drug use was not suspected as a factor in the medical episode, according to the report.
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Angelica Colon said that, while her sister had a medical condition, “that does not excuse what happened.” She said in the post that she was considering legal action against the club’s owners.
“A business that refuses to act during a medical emergency does not deserve to operate,” she wrote. “If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone.”
“She was the greatest mother to our son and her daughter,” Stackhouse wrote. “Wherever I fell, she compensated and gave me so much more grace than I deserve.”
Icon is operated by Pasha Entertainment, which also runs the nightclubs Venu and Hava, as well as prominent restaurants such as Ghost Light Tavern and Kava Neo-Taverna, according to the company’s website.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” the club wrote.
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Last year, the city’ licensing board reviewed a 2023 incident at the club in which a woman was punched and thrown to the ground by another patron. Icon staff did not call police during the altercation, which the club’s director of security admitted was a “lapse in judgment.”
The woman who was punched later sued the club for overserving her attacker; Icon was ordered to pay $30,000 in damages, according to court records.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
BOSTON (WHDH) – Getting around the city was made easier Tuesday after the Green Line reopened after a two-week shutdown affecting all branches.
The MBTA needed the closure to replace underground beams dating back to the 19th century.
Service returned Tuesday on the B branch between North Station and Babcock, on the C and D lines from North Station to Kenmore, and North Station to Heath Street on the E branch.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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After four seasons in which he emerged as a veteran leader and key bench player for the Red Sox, Rob Refsnyder’s time in Boston is over.
Refsnyder has signed a one-year contract with the Mariners, the club announced. According to a major league source, the deal will pay Refsnyder a base salary of $6.25 million in 2026. It also includes $250,000 in incentives.
Refsnyder, who turns 35 in May, was a journeyman utility player when he signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December 2021. Over the last four seasons, he found a home in Boston, where he mashed left-handed pitching and became an important clubhouse voice. Along with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, Refsnyder helped form a core of older position players who helped the Sox navigate treacherous waters in the fallout of the Rafael Devers drama (and subsequent trade) over the summer. On the field, he was plenty productive, too, as he hit .269 with nine homers, 12 doubles and an .838 OPS in 70 games in his limited role in 2025.
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In 309 games over the past four seasons, Refsnyder hit .276 with 27 homers, 119 RBIs, 48 doubles and an .804 OPS while serving as one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he posted a .302 average, .560 slugging percentage and .959 OPS against southpaws, pairing with Romy Gonzalez to form a potent pair of right-handed platoon options for Alex Cora. Refsnyder’s .596 slugging percentage against left-handed starters was the fourth-best mark in baseball. Since the start of 2021, Refsnyder ranks third in the majors in on-base percentage against lefties (.405) among players with 300 plate appearances.
Refsnyder expressed strong interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2026 but in recent weeks, the writing has been on the wall for his departure. There aren’t many at-bats to go around in Boston’s crowded outfield/designated hitter picture and recent comments from manager Alex Cora made it harder to see Refsnyder returning in his role. Specifically, the club wants Wilyer Abreu — a platoon player to this point in his career — to get regular starts against lefties in right field, a position where Refsnyder logged 21 starts in 2025. Cora also praised the athleticism of Nate Eaton, who may take over Refsnyder’s role as a versatile, younger and cheaper version in 2026. Eaton had a .673 OPS against lefties in 49 big league plate appearances last year but the Red Sox think there’s more in his right-handed bat. Kristian Campbell is expected to focus on outfield work in spring training, too, further crowding a group that includes Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran and potentially Eaton and others.
The Mariners will be Refsnyder’s seventh major league team, joining the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Twins. He had previously signed two deals to remain in Boston, agreeing to avoid arbitration at $1.2 million for 2023, then signing a $1.85 million extension for the 2024 season that included a $2 million option for 2025.