Pedro Martínez married Carolina Cruz on November 9, 2005, and fifteen years later, on November 21, 2020, they renewed their vows in front of family and friends. She is a communicator and Boston College graduate who studied Journalism and played volleyball, and today she leads one of the Dominican Republic’s most important social initiatives.
From the Field to Journalism
Carolina Cruz didn’t enter marriage as a spectator. Her career in communications took her to ESPN Deportes as a field reporter, where she covered baseball stories from the inside. That hands-on experience in the sport gave her a unique perspective on baseball and its players. Today, she writes the column Women of the Major Leagues for the newspaper Listín Diario, a space where she brings visibility to the stories of baseball couples and families at the highest level. Her role extends far beyond journalism: she serves as president of the Pedro Martínez Foundation, the organization that channels the couple’s social commitment.
Hay Poder en Aprender: A School Born from Vision
In 2009, Pedro Martínez and Carolina Cruz created the program Hay Poder en Aprender (There Is Power in Learning), an educational initiative designed to transform lives in the Dominican Republic. From that program, the Pedro Martínez Foundation built a school that by 2024 served approximately 1,700 children. This is no small undertaking: it represents a couple’s commitment to giving back to their community what baseball and education gave them. The school functions as a complete ecosystem, where academic education is paired with opportunities that many Dominican children would not otherwise have.
Pedro Martínez’s Career: The Context of a Legend
While Carolina Cruz was building her journalism career, Pedro Martínez was writing one of the most brilliant stories in modern baseball. The Dominican pitcher won three Cy Young Awards (1997, 1999, 2000) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves, and the Boston Red Sox. His 2.07 ERA in 2000 remains one of the lowest in the modern era. With the Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Mets, Martínez accumulated 219 wins in the Major Leagues and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015. His legacy is not just about numbers: it’s about a Dominican who carried his country’s pride to the world’s greatest stadiums.
Fifteen Years, Four Children, and a Renewal of Promises
By 2020, when Pedro Martínez and Carolina Cruz renewed their wedding vows, they had already built a family of four children and a foundation touching thousands of lives. The vow renewal was not an act of vanity: it was a public reaffirmation of a project that transcends the personal. Together, they have shown that marriage in baseball can be an instrument of social change when both partners are clear about their values.
| How They Met | Not public |
| Wedding Date | November 9, 2005 |
| Vow Renewal | November 21, 2020 (15 years of marriage) |
| Years Together (by 2020) | 15 years |
| Number of Children | Four |
| Carolina Cruz’s Occupation | Journalist, columnist for Listín Diario, president of the Pedro Martínez Foundation |
| Her Education | Boston College (Journalism and Volleyball) |
| Joint Initiative | Hay Poder en Aprender program (2009); school serving ~1,700 children |
FAQ
What is Carolina Cruz’s role in the Pedro Martínez Foundation?
Carolina Cruz is the foundation’s president. Beyond managing the organization, she writes the column Women of the Major Leagues for Listín Diario, where she tells stories about baseball couples and families in professional baseball.
What is the Hay Poder en Aprender program?
It’s an educational initiative created by Pedro Martínez and Carolina Cruz in 2009 that led to the founding of a school in the Dominican Republic. The school serves approximately 1,700 children and offers academic education alongside comprehensive opportunities.
When did they renew their vows?
On November 21, 2020, fifteen years after their original wedding on November 9, 2005.
