The right-hander is hoping to avoid distraction as he enters the final year of his contract.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Pedro Martinez wants to forget his contract flap, his Game 7 flop and his Don Zimmer flip.

He’s preparing for another shot at helping the Boston Red Sox win their first championship since 1918.

Last year, they lost to the New York Yankees 6-5 in 11 innings in the seventh game of the AL championship series.

“I hope it is that we are the team to beat,” Martinez said Tuesday, “but I don’t want to say it. I want to do it.”

For now, he considers the Yankees the favorite because they went to the World Series, losing to Florida, after a memorable ALCS. In Game 3, Martinez pushed New York bench coach Zimmer to the ground during a melee, and in Game 7 he gave up three runs in the eighth when the Yankees tied the game at five.

Now he enters his seventh season with the Red Sox knowing he could leave as a free agent after it ends. He said no contract talks have been held.

Martinez said he wants to end his career in Boston and would give the team a chance to sign him even if it occurs after the season. But if that doesn’t happen, he should have several suitors.

“Forget about what’s going to happen to me. I don’t have anything to prove,” he said on his first day of spring training workouts. “If they don’t want to sign me, that’s fine. I’m pretty sure I’ll probably get a job with somebody else but if they do, I’ll be more than happy to stay here.”

Martinez probably won’t throw off a mound for about a week after reporting three days after the other pitchers. The team gave him permission to spend time in Boston because of a family medical issue.

Martinez won his fourth ERA title in six seasons with Boston last year and finished at 14-4. In those six years, he is 101-28 with a 2.26 ERA and two Cy Young awards.

When he does fail this season, he’ll have one of baseball’s best pitchers, Curt Schilling, to start the next day. Boston obtained him in a trade with Arizona, a move that drops Derek Lowe, 38-15 the past three seasons, into the No. 3 starting spot, and Tim Wakefield to No. 4.

“Anybody can carry the load that I might not on a certain day,” Martinez said.

Wakefield had an outstanding ALCS until allowing Aaron Boone’s series-ending solo homer in the 11th. The game wouldn’t have reached extra innings if Boston had held its 5-2 lead in the eighth.

Martinez retired the first batter before Derek Jeter doubled and scored on Bernie Williams’ single. Manager Grady Little went to the mound and left Martinez in to pitch to lefty Hideki Matsui with lefty Alan Embree warming up for Boston.

Matsui doubled Williams to third before Posada blooped a double that tied the game. Martinez left, Embree entered and Little was criticized during the offseason for not making the move sooner.

“I was asked a question (by Little) whether I wanted to pitch to Matsui,” Martinez said Tuesday. “If you ask me if I could pitch to Matsui again I would say, “yes.’

“I would never say “no’ because I’m paid to do that for nine innings and there’s no one to blame,” he said, “but that was the question. I wasn’t really insisting on staying in the game. I was a little bit scared to leave the game but it really wasn’t my decision.”

Less than two weeks later, Little wasn’t given a new contract after two years managing the Red Sox.

Another central figure in that series also has moved on. Zimmer is senior baseball adviser for Tampa Bay after eight years as New York’s bench coach.

He got on the field in Game 3 when the benches cleared after Manny Ramirez stepped toward the mound when he took offense at a high pitch from Roger Clemens in the fourth.

Zimmer charged Martinez, who had thrown behind Karim Garcia’s head in the top of the fourth. Martinez ended up pushing the 72-year-old coach to the ground.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. I was trying to protect the man and he kind of tried to punch me so I had to let him go,” Martinez said Tuesday. “I was aware, totally aware that I did not want to hurt the man.”

Zimmer apologized, but Martinez said he saw no need to do the same.

“I would do it again and this time I hope I don’t find somebody like Zimmer,” he said. “I will do whatever to protect my teammates.”

During the melee, Martinez pointed to his head while jawing with Posada. He said it meant he would remember Posada’s remarks, not that he would hit someone with a pitch.

“He mentioned my mama’s name,” Martinez said, “in a bad way.”

But that was four months ago. Martinez said he’s not worried about the 2003 season or where he might be in 2005.

“Game 7 is over,” he said. “We just competed with a good team. They won. We lost. We’ll just try again this year.”

AP-ES-02-24-04 1852EST