NEW YORK -- Fans in Philadelphia won't be the only ones pulling for Pedro Martinez when he takes the mound at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Martinez is keen enough to know that a certain other species of fan will be behind him for Game 6 of the World Series.

``I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try to beat the Yankees,'' Martinez said. ``I know they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games. And I'm going to give them [the] same effort that I always gave for them.''

The Phillies are in dire straits, pinned against the ropes, down three games to two. But Martinez has experienced a much greater predicament and prevailed. He was a member of the Boston Red Sox when they trailed the Yankees three games to none in the American League Championship Series.

That Red Sox team staged an epic comeback, winning four in a row to topple the Yankees en route to the franchise's first World Series title in 86 years.

And so a ghost from that Yankees collapse returns Wednesday bidding to pull off another Houdini act with a new team.

Martinez is not the pitcher he was then, or afraid to admit it.

``I'm not as powerful as I used to be,'' he confessed. ``I have a hard time clicking 94 [mph]. But I don't believe I need 94, to be honest. I believe that if I can just confuse them enough to get a fastball by them, or a breaking ball or whatever.''

Martinez's career went downhill fast when he left the Red Sox after that magical '04 run. He hooked on with the New York Mets, getting $53 million for four years.

In return for that investment, the Mets got all of 32 wins from Martinez, who was riddled with injuries. It's why Martinez, 38, didn't even have a team until the Phillies signed him in mid-July for $2 million.

SEASONED VETS

But managers find a certain attraction in seasoned vets like Martinez. When Phillies manager Charlie Manuel mapped out his rotation for the Series, he made sure to have Martinez positioned for one start -- and possibly two -- at Yankee Stadium.

Manuel surmised that Martinez would not crack on that hostile stage, knew that the taunts from Yankees fans would bounce off him like drops of rain on a slicker.

``Sometimes they might be giving you the middle finger, or cursing you and telling you what color underwear you're wearing,'' Martinez said of Yankees fans. ``But at the end of the day, they're just great fans.''

Martinez has started 32 times against the Yankees over his career, winning 11 and losing 11. He took the Game 2 loss, but not because he pitched poorly. Martinez went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out eight.

``Pedro is his own man,'' said Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon, who was Martinez's teammate on that '04 Red Sox club.

``He was a great teammate and a great competitor. Nothing surprises me with Pedro.''

Damon was referring to not only what Pedro does on the field, but also what he says off it.

Before his first Series start, Martinez looked at a room of sportswriters and told them they were responsible for turning him into a New York legend.

`MOST INFLUENTIAL'

``I don't know if you guys realize this,'' Martinez said. ``But because of you guys, in some ways, I might be at times the most influential player that ever stepped in Yankee Stadium. I can honestly say that.''

And not because Martinez was placed on a pedestal, he said. But because he was vilified and made out to be an ``ogre.''

But Martinez said that's fine with him. He is out simply to win, not to make friends. He is in it for the competition and looks forward to his Game 6 showdown with a familiar rival, the Yankees' Andy Pettitte.

``Just two old goats, out there doing their best,'' Martinez said.

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