Dustin Pedroia

 

            He’s the current Boston Red Sox second baseman.  He helped lead the Sox through the American League Championship Series last season.  He has some of the most dynamic plays of the Sox infielders. 

            Ladies and gentlemen, he is Dustin Pedroia.  The short Arizona State graduate has done a lot in his two years of Major League Baseball.  Pedroia is a consistent, skilled player who has been a valuable asset to the Red Sox team.

He has his roots in California, where he played for the Woodland High School.  At ASU, Dustin played three years of baseball, during which time he never batted below .347, an impressive stat.  After being drafted by the Red Sox in 2004, Dustin played two years in the minor leagues with a batting average of .308.  He got his first Major League appearance and hit on August 22^nd of 2006.  His first MLB home run was hit September 9^th.  Pedroia played 39 games during the ’06-’07 season as a backup 2^nd baseman, and occasionally shortstop.

His college and minor league stats led many to believe that the prospect player’s Major League career would be just as good.  However, when he began his career as a starting 2^nd baseman in 2007, his hitting was shaky.  His average often dropped below .200, at its lowest .172.  He disappointed much of the fan base, and Alex Cora often got the start in place of the struggling star.  Although many fans were disappointed and disheartened by Pedroia’s playing, I had always thought he looked promising, even during his poor early season performance.

Fortunately, my faith paid off.  A little bit later in the season, Pedroia found his stride.  At the start of May, his batting average was the low, low .172.  However, by mid-May he had turned it on and raised his average up to .322.  Highlights from his improvement time include a 13-game hitting streak and a five hit game against the San Francisco Giants.  His bat was not the only outstanding part of his game last season.  The reason I remained so faithful to Pedroia was that, even while he struggled at the plate, his fielding stayed strong.  He is one of the best consistent fielders I have seen in a while, with many sliding catches, diving plays for ground balls, and dramatic mid-air throws for the double play.  Dustin’s skill during his big turnaround was enough to get him the American League Player of the Week for May 28-June 3, and the May AL Rookie of the Month.  Pedroia was not only the Rookie of the Month, however….

Pedroia did pretty well in the playoffs, but he got better as time went on.  During the best-of-five ALDS, he only got 2 hits in the Sox three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  (An unnecessarily complex name, if you ask me.)  In the 7^th and final game of the ALCS, Pedroia helped the Sox secure the W with 5 RBIs coming from a 2-run homer and a bases clearing double.  Pedroia helped the Sox start off the World Series with a bang, becoming the first rookie and only the second player ever to hit a home run on the first pitch of the Championship.  He ended up batting .278 for the series, with 5 hits and 4 RBIs.  After the playoffs, it was revealed that Pedroia had been playing through the playoffs with a broken bone in his left hand.  His performance even with the fracture shows his determinacy and ability for the Red Sox.

Pedroia has been a valuable part of the Sox organization since joining the team.  He has been consistent in making plays, a good aspect of a player every manager should look for.  He has been doing well, not outstanding, but well in the ’08 season, and we can all look forward to many more years to come.