When the Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” aired in the spring of 2020, a clip of the NBA legend saying, “It became personal with me” spawned the viral “And I took it personally” meme.

Pedro Martinez had his own such moment during the 2024 MLB season, and he plans to use it to fire up the Red Sox.

“I really need to have the Red Sox represent like we used to,” he said on the red carpet at his 8th annual Pedro Martinez Foundation gala on Friday night. “A Yankee fan told me this year, ‘I used to love going to watch you pitch, because we had someone really good that we needed to beat, and that was you. Now, it doesn’t feel like we have the same push.’”

The Red Sox special advisor spent the last two offseasons training Brayan Bello in their shared home of the Dominican Republic, and he’s a fixture at the organization’s spring training every year.

“I’m going to tell all my pitchers that, because it really hit me to know that the Yankees fans wanted to go see me because I was someone that represented the Red Sox and I represented a challenge,” Martinez said. “I want those guys to do the same thing: go out there, represent the Red Sox, and become a challenge to the Yankees. That fan told me, ‘I’m not as interested to go and see the Yankees and the Red Sox because they don’t have anybody good to beat.’ That is personal. So I’m gonna tell my pitchers that and I’m gonna motivate them to be like Pedro Martinez used to be.”

Close friend and fellow Hall of Famer David Ortiz thinks the Red Sox should go for an ace arm and a right-handed power bat like Teoscar Hernandez.

“A right-handed bat like that hitting behind Raffy (Devers), that’d be amazing,” Ortiz said.

“I think last year was better than what I thought it was gonna be,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think we are too far away from, you know, just getting a few pieces that help, you know what I’m saying? And hopefully they just go ahead and do that and get the fans the opportunities to those happy days, to go back to happy days. … We’ll see. I know they’re gonna try to do something.”

Martinez was overjoyed to be back in Boston, which has become a second home over the last three decades, to champion his cause. He was also thrilled that the Yankees had fallen to the Dodgers in the World Series, especially because his hated rivals failed to do what the Red Sox had done to them in the 2004 ALCS: come back from 0-3 to win a playoff series.

“They had the same opportunity we had 20 years ago, to make a comeback and make history. They didn’t!” he said. “David (Ortiz) said this, I’m taking David’s words: They’re not us. They’re not us! So, as much as we suffered from the Yankees, they’re not us!”

It’s been just over two decades since the ‘04 Red Sox ended an 86-year championship drought, but for the beloved pitcher and slugger, the joy and triumph remains ever-present and fresh.

“It’s incredible,” said Ortiz.

“It will never go away from me, it’s like I’m reliving those moments. I don’t know about you, but I don’t get enough of it!” Martinez said. “Boston is very unique. I feel really extremely, extremely proud to have been part of the 25 players that brought it over to Boston.”

“But more important than anything is seeing the support I got from the first day I landed here in Boston. I pitched, I remember, against the Seattle Mariners. That was the first day I ever stepped foot in Fenway Park to actually pitch a game. I had the same support I’m getting today, and that is very unique, very unique relationship,” he continued. “I’m the most spoiled little brat that you can probably get in baseball, because I never pitched on an empty seat in Boston! And that is support, and that’s what I’m getting today. That’s what I continue to get.”