Meet Pedro Martinez's 'White Daddy', Guy Conti, the Mets coach who guided him ... - NJ.com
For the last nine years, Guy Conti has driven the same car. This GMC Envoy Denali is not for sale or for disposal. His wife, Jan, will not let him sell it. He won't trade it in. . Conti can still remember the day he received it, clear as the windshield. It was the spring of 2006 and Conti was coordinating the Mets ' spring training at the time, when Pedro Martinez walked into his office and handed him a green bag. It sat there all day, until Carolina, Martinez's wife, prodded him to check its contents. Finally, Conti opened the box and saw a watch box. It is a gift Conti, now a senior adviser for the Mets, still treasures, a tangible reminder of the relationship he shares with Martinez. Martinez is the generational talent with a claim to being the best pitcher alive , born in the Dominican Republic and formed into a star across the United States. This weekend, Martinez will enter the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, a no-doubt, first-ballot selection after starring in Montreal, Boston and for the Mets. Conti will be there too, watching proudly as one of the people the pitcher can thank for his place in history. And Martinez has pushed credit towards him already. "Guy Conti was a guy responsible for changing the grip on my changeup," Martinez said. Source: www.nj.com
