A-Rod: I want to play with Pedro

SANTO DOMINGO -- Alex Rodriguez dreams of playing on the same team as Pedro Martinez, a possibility that took shape this week when the free-agent pitcher met with New York Yankees executives.

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“I've been in the major leagues for 10 years, and for me the best pitcher I've seen is Pedro Martinez. He is a genius with the ball, has incredible discipline and knowledge of baseball. I love him and respect him a lot," said Rodriguez during a television interview with channel CDN-37 in the Dominican Republic.

“To play with Pedro is one of the dreams I still have yet to accomplish, but we'll see," added Rodriguez, who was born in New York to Dominican parents.

The interview with Rodriguez will be broadcast in the next few days, but the newspaper El Caribe, owned by the same company that owns CDN-37, published a part of the interview on Friday.

Martinez, who became a free agent after helping the Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees in the ALCS and later winning their first World Series in 86 years, met Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

On Wednesday, Martinez and his agent, Fernando Cuza, also met with Red Sox executives in Fort Myers, Fla.

In recent years, Martinez was one of the most key players in the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox.

“I know that the Yankees have a great rivalry with Boston and Pedro Martinez, but also I can say that on that team there is great respect for who Pedro is, and if he is signed by the Yankees, they will accept him with open arms," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is not the first Yankee to react positively about the possibility that Martinez will be wearing pinstripes of the Bronx Bombers.

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and manager Joe Torre also said publicly their interest in having Martinez on the team.

Martinez was 117-37 with Boston and won the American League Cy Young award in 1999 and 2000.