SI

Pedro Martinez Told Corbin Burnes He’s AL All-Star Starter in Special Phone Call

Burnes ranks second in the American League in ERA.

Tim Capurso

Baseball Hall of Fame Pedro Martínez speaking on the phone with Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes
Baseball Hall of Fame Pedro Martínez speaking on the phone with Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes / Screengrab Twitter @Orioles
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From one ace to another.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes on Monday was named the starter for the American League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, which will begin on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Burnes received the news in a special manner, as Baseball Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez called him on the phone to share the news.

Here's the cool moment with Burnes and Martinez, as captured in a video and posted by the Orioles on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Hey listen," Martinez said. "[Bruce] Bochy wanted me to call you and let you know that you have been assigned to start the All-Star Game."

"Oh, that's awesome," Burnes replied.

"Yeah, I hope you can do what I did 25 years ago," Martinez said with a smile.

"Well, I'll do my best, that's a lot to keep up with," Burnes said.

Martinez is referring to the 1999 All-Star Game, where he was handed the ball to start and proceeded to strike out five batters in the first two innings, a fearsome group that included Baseball Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Jeff Bagwell and sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Burnes, the 2021 Cy Young Award winner, won't have to face quite the same gauntlet that Martinez did, though the National League still boasts a formidable batting order.

Burnes, 9-3 with a 2.43 ERA, will still have to navigate a pair of two-time MVPs in Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper.

He's the fifth Orioles pitcher to start the All-Star Game and the first since Steve Stone in 1980.

Burnes will be opposing Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, the starter for the National League.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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