Pedro Martinez is like an elephant: he never forgets. All of his greatest achievements and every one of his subtlest mistakes from his illustrious career are etched in the back of his mind clearer than the morning sky. In the days leading up to last night’s 3-1 Game 2 defeat to the Yankees, there is no question that Pedro distinctly remembered all of his triumphs and failures pitching at Yankee Stadium in the past. Although he was tagged with the loss, Pedro showed flashes of his glory days, striking out eight batters in six-plus innings of work allowing six hits and three earned runs.

Many say a pitcher naturally functions with a short-term memory, erasing any negativity lingering from a dismal outing. An ace is groomed to always look on the bright side, set his sights on the start ahead, and carry an optimistic outlook for the future. There is no dwelling on the past, no need to rekindle the discontent.

Yet, Pedro is an exception to that generalization. When Martinez took the podium before Game 1 of the World Series in front of a crowded room of reporters and media personnel, Pedro did not hesitate to refresh everyone’s memory of how the media battered and beleaguered his character, painting him as “the man New York loves to hate.” He showed no reluctance addressing the infamous Don Zimmer incident, nor did he stutter in the least when he denoted himself “the most influential player that ever stepped in Yankee Stadium.”

Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and even Derek Jeter may have a degree of difficulty agreeing with that. But, hey, as Pedro says, “Go wake up the damn Bambino, maybe I’ll drill him in the [behind]. 

Still, Pedro has certainly left a sizable portion of his legacy permantly embedded in the old Yankee Stadium. His name will forever be engraved in the century-long history of the revered franchise. His memory will be passed along from generation to generation of Yankee fans. And some of his most controversial moments involving the fans, the players, and the coaches of New York will never be forgotten (and maybe never forgiven).

To the gratifying recollection of Boston fans, Pedro’s one-hit, 17-strikeout brilliance on Sept. 10, 1999, against the rivaled Yankees remains one of his finest moments as a member of the Red Sox. Allowing only a solo home run to Chili Davis, Pedro shrugged off the long ball and went on to turn in one of the best starts of his career. That year, Pedro was honored with the second of his three Cy Young Awards, winning the AL Triple Crown in pitching and finishing second in the AL MVP voting. Pedro was at the top of his game. He was arguably the most dominant pitcher of the era and continued to be a menace to the Yankees causing fans to despise his ability to so effortlessly silence the most lethal offense in all of baseball.

Then, in 2003, the tides began to shift. In the 2003 ALCS between the Red Sox and the Yankees, Pedro would be at the epicenter of brawls and the target of criticism. During Game 3, Pedro launched a fastball behind the head of Karim Garcia. From there, Pedro was Public Enemy No. 1. Among the shouts of dissatisfaction from the Yankee bench, Jorge Posada was one of the most vehement protesters, causing Pedro to single out the catcher by pointing to his temple with his right index finger. The Yankees interpreted this gesture as a foreshadowing of a future beaning, but Pedro meant that he would remember Posada’s objections, not necessarily fire a 95-MPH heater at his helmet.

Later in the game, Roger Clemens threw a ball high to Manny Ramirez, who overreacted to a ball that was over the plate and started approaching the mound accusing Clemens of intending to hit him. Benches cleared and the sight that would remain fixed in everyone’s mind was the image of Pedro tossing the 72-year-old Zimmer to the field.

New York would have its revenge. Taking the mound for Game 7, Pedro entered the 8th inning only six outs from securing a trip to the World Series for the Red Sox. Everyone knows the story. On fumes, Pedro was unable to hold a 5-2 lead, sending the game into extra innings, which would eventually end on an Aaron Boone walk-off in the bottom of the eleventh off of Tim Wakefield. Manager Grady Little would lose his job and some wondered if Pedro lost his confidence.

The next year, Pedro finally let out his built-up frustration with the Yankees by calling them his “Daddy” late in the season after back-to-back disappointing outings. Since then, a tirade of banners, shirts, and teases have flooded the stands of Yankee Stadium ridiculing the pitcher that once owned their team for years.

Last night, Pedro made his first appearance at the new Yankee Stadium. In the first six frames, the right-hander held the Yankees to two solo home runs courtesy of Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui before Charlie Manuel pulled a Grady Little and sent out Pedro one inning too long.

Still, upon his departure, Pedro left in high spirits, warmly smiling as he made his way back to the visitor’s dugout in the midst of a few “daddy” chants from the crowd at Yankee Stadium. He made sure to take in all the jeers and the cheers echoing throughout unwelcoming atmosphere. It was a start Pedro will never forget.

So the Red Sox got manhandled by the Yankees Thursday night – big whoop.

Boston may have lost that minor battle, but ultimately the city has won, and will continue to win, the greater war. When it really boils down to it, this rivalry isn’t about baseball but rather about pride. It’s about which city is the superior metropolis.

Forget about New York, we've got Boston

So without further adieu, I present to you a head-to-head match-up of Boston vs. New York:

History and Politics:

This category undoubtedly goes to Boston for one simple reason: without us there would be no United States of America. That means no baseball, no apple pie, and no New York for that matter. Hell, if it weren’t for Boston, we’d all still be British subjects paying too many taxes without due representation.

But Boston didn’t stand for that. When the Brits tried to exert more control over their American colonies in the early 1770s through greater taxation, it was the Bostonians who told them they could take their taxation and shove it up their knickerbockers.

The Beantown colonists started their uprising by throwing snowballs at British soldiers with loaded guns in March 1770, sparking the infamous Boston Massacre on State Street.

Three years later, they were dressed as Native Americans on British merchant ships as they dumped hundreds of pounds of tea in Boston Harbor to protest the newly instated Tea Act.

The train had left the station (or, given the time period, perhaps it would be more appropriate to suggest that the carriage had left the barn?). Bostonians had ignited the American Revolution and done the country yet another useful service: producing Paul Revere, without whom we would have never known that the British were coming.

So in short, you’re welcome for establishing this country, New York – you ungrateful schmucks.

Not to mention, Boston has produced some of the country’s finest politicians and leaders including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, JFK, and George H.W. Bush.

Nickname:

This is what New York is working with:

· The Big Apple (lame)

· The City That Never Sleeps (exaggerated)

· The Capital of the World (so cocky it’s unbelievable)

Boston, on the other hand, has been called “The Cradle of Modern America” (true), “The Hub” (a historical reference), and most notably “Beantown,” due in large part to the colonial obsession with Boston Baked Beans.

Advantage Boston.

Accent:

Both accents epitomize the characteristics of their respective cities. Both are also non-rhotic, meaning people drop the “r” sound at the end of a syllable or immediately before a consonant.

But Bostonians have a far more prominent dialect made famous by JFK, the Simpsons’ Mayor Quimby, and of course, Martin Scorsese’s “The Depahted”. They not only drop their r’s but also broaden their a’s.

So Bostonians don’t take baths, they take baaths. They don’t park their cars in Harvard Yard, they pahk their cahs in Hahvahd Yahd. Drunken Fenway fans didn’t root for Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, they rooted for Nomaaaah!

New Yorkers, in contrast, reverse their er and oy sounds, making for a truly terrible noise reminiscent of Archie Bunker or Vinnie Barbarino.

Simply put, if you were stuck on a bus for an extended period of time, whom would you rather be with?

The guys from Good Will Hunting?

Or her?

I thought so.

Music:

New York has plenty of songs written about it. I’m still sticking with “Dirty Water” and “Shipping Up to Boston.”

Sports:

Alas, we’ve arrived at the final and perhaps most epic of all the battles between these two powerhouse cities.

In typical arrogant New York fashion, New Yorkers are quick to point out the 28 combined World Series Championships won by the Mets and Yankees, the five Superbowls won between the Jets and Giants, the eight Stanley Cups between the Rangers and Islanders, and the two NBA Championships that belong to the Knicks.

I’ll concede that my dear city can’t compete with all those rings.

With the exception of the 17-time champion Celtics, Boston hasn’t racked up all too many championships in its long sports history. In fact, most of them have been recent acquisitions (Patriots in 2001, 2003, and 2004; Red Sox in 2004 and 2007; Celtics in 2008).

But I will tell you one thing, and I can say this with the utmost sincerity: Boston cares more.

We live and die with every pitch, every free throw, every extra point kick, and every faceoff. We see sports as a reflection of our city and, in turn, we expect only the best from our teams. It’s a unified effort in which we have one team for each respective sport – one choice, like it or not. Yes, for some time our teams were garbage. For years the Patriots couldn’t buy a Superbowl, and the formerly glorious Celtics forgot what it meant to win. And there’s the Red Sox, who every time came so utterly close to changing history, only to fall short in excruciating fashion.

But our teams persevered, our fans stayed true to their loyalty, and it’s for these reasons that winning these past few years has felt so good, so significant.

So New York can have all their World Series, their Superbowls, their NBA Championships, and Stanley Cups.

I’m fine being a Bostonian.