Washington Acquires Pedro Martinez

Remember the buzz last year about the Nationals possibly wooing pitching great Pedro Martinez to Washington?

Well, it's finally happened -- in art form, at least.

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery recently acquired a painting of the right-handed hurler and will install it on March 25.

Who do we thank for Flat Pedro?  None other than Peter Gammons and his wife, Gloria, who gave it as a gift to honor Martinez for his pitching prowess and his work off the field, where he has promoted education for less fortunate children in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic.  Gammons, a longtime baseball writer and ESPN analyst, currently works for the MLB Network.  He bought the painting a few years ago for $35,000, according to Boston.com.

The painting was created by Susan Miller-Havens in 2000 with oil and beeswax on Baltic birch.  It measures 57 inches by 21 inches.  The real Pedro stands 5'11" and is currently a free agent after not being picked up by a team last year or this year.

You will be able to find the Pedro painting in the NPG's "Recent Acquisitions" gallery.

(Image courtesy National Portrait Gallery)

No word on if the New York Post will donate it's own Pedro Martinez artwork to the cause:

(Image courtesy Getty Images)

Contact Us