Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia
Boston Red Sox – No. 15
Second baseman
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
August 22, 2006, for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics (through August 31, 2008)
Batting average	.327
Home runs	15
Runs batted in	68
Teams
Boston Red Sox (2006-present)
Career highlights and awards
World Series Champion (2007) Rookie of the Year Award winner (2007) 2008 All-Star Selection

Dustin Luis Pedroia (born August 17, 1983 in Woodland, California) is a Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, who also played college baseball at Arizona State University. He is listed by Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox at 5'9" (175 cm) and 180 pounds, although a 2003 USA Today article gives his height as 5'7" (170 cm). He was the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year.

Early Baseball Career

High School

Attended Woodland High School in Woodland, California, where he graduated with honors.

College

In college he played at Arizona State University, with fellow middle infielder Ian Kinsler. In three years, he never hit below .347. Kinsler took Pedroia's shortstop position moving Pedroia to second, and then Pedroia took it back as Kinsler moved to second. In the end, Kinsler transferred to University of Missouri.

Minors

In two years in the minors (2004-06), he batted .308 while playing second base and shortstop.

Major Leagues

Pedroia made his major league debut and collected his first major league hit on August 22, 2006 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Pedroia collected his first major league home run on September 9, 2006 against Kansas City Royals' pitcher Luke Hudson. Pedroia hit his first career Grand Slam on August 27, 2008, in the 8th Inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, during the Yankee's last regular season homestand against the Red Sox at the old stadium. He wore number 64 until the beginning of the 2007 season, when he switched to 15. He is also the emergency catcher along with Mike Lowell and Alex Cora if Jason Varitek and Kevin Cash cannot play.

2007 Season

Pedroia became the regular second baseman for the Boston Red Sox in 2007. He has been known to be solid defensively (six errors and .990 fielding percentage in 2007). Pedroia's track record throughout his college and minor league career suggests continued success in the major leagues. However, early in the season, his batting average had fallen as low as .172. Such an average along with the great hitting of fellow teammate Alex Cora (who even batted above .400 at a point), had left Pedroia in a platoon role early in this season.

However, Pedroia picked up his batting average later in the season. On May 1st, his average was at a season-low .172, but Pedroia had raised his average to .322 by June 18th, aided by a 13-game hitting streak and a five-hit game against the San Francisco Giants on June 15, 2007.

Due to his production, he was named American League Player of the Week for May 28-June 3, and American League Rookie of the Month for May. His most notable play of the season, though, may be his diving stop in the seventh inning to preserve fellow rookie Clay Buchholz's September 1, 2007 no-hitter.

Pedroia was selected to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of Major League managers.

He also led the Red Sox to the American League pennant in 2007 with a 5 RBI performance in Game 7 versus the Cleveland Indians, delivering the Sox to their second World Series appearance in four years. On Wednesday, October 24, 2007, Dustin Pedroia made history in game one of the 2007 World Series championship against the Colorado Rockies by becoming only the second player (and the first rookie) to lead off the Series with a home run, sending Jeff Francis' second offering over the Green Monster in left. The only other player to lead off a World Series with a home run was Baltimore's Don Buford against Tom Seaver and the 1969 New York Mets.

2007 Playoffs

Dustin Pedroia entered the 2007 American League Divisional Series batting .317 with 8 home runs and 50 RBI in 139 regular season games with the Red Sox. In the ALDS, Pedroia struggled, getting only 2 hits in 3 games against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Though Pedroia struggled in the lead-off spot for the Red Sox, Boston cruised past the Angels 3 games to 0 to advance to the American League Championship Series, where they met the Cleveland Indians.

In the ALCS, Pedroia heated up, batting .345. In the 7th game, Pedroia hit a 2-run homer into the Green Monster seats in the 7th inning and had 5 RBI. He then hit a 3-run double in the bottom of the 8th to help the Red Sox secure the series and a spot in the World Series.

Entering the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies, Dustin Pedroia was one of two rookies starting (with center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury) for the American League champion Red Sox. These two rookies jump started the Red Sox offense. Pedroia only saw one pitch in his first World Series at-bat before he took Rockie ace Jeff Francis' pitch over the Green Monster. After winning the first two games of the World Series, the Red Sox entered Game 3 making history by having two rookies bat first and second in the line-up. Ellsbury and Pedroia combined for 7 hits, 3 runs, and drove in 4 more to help the Sox take the first 3 games of the Series. The Red Sox won Game 4 and swept the Colorado Rockies to win their seventh World Series title. Dustin Pedroia hit .278 with 5 hits, 1 home run with 4 runs batted in in the series.

On November 12, 2007 Dustin Pedroia was named the AL Rookie of the Year.

Injuries

Pedroia played the final two months of the 2007 season with a cracked hamate bone in his left hand, the Boston Herald reported on Nov. 10. Pedroia told the newspaper that he didn't know when the injury occurred, only that an MRI and bone scan on Sept. 10 revealed the break. He had surgery on the hand on Nov. 6 and virtually no one outside the Red Sox organization had prior knowledge of the injury.

Statistics

Through August 23, 2008

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
2006	BOS	31	89	5	17	4	0	2	7	0	7	7	.191	.258	.303
2007	BOS	139	520	86	165	39	1	8	50	7	47	42	.317	.380	.442
2008	BOS	135	568	108	186	42	2	17	76	17	41	47	.327	.374	.493
Total	3 years	290	1,115	181	345	82	2	24	115	24	86	90	.309	.364	.443

Awards and Distinctions

• 2004 Golden Spikes Award Finalist
• 2004 First-Team Baseball America and USA Today All-American
• 2003 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year
• 2003 Pac-10 Player of Forever
• 2003 NCAA Defensive Player of the Year
• Red Sox ML Base Runner of the Month (April 2005)
• Red Sox Minor League "Quality Plate Appearances" Award (June 2005)
• 2005 Post-Season Eastern League All-Star
• 2005 Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year
• 2005 Minor League News MLN FAB50 Baseball 2005 - No. 45
• 2006 Minor League News MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 - No. 23
• 2007 American League Rookie of the Month-May
• 2007 American League Player of the Week (May 28-June 3)
• 2007 Players Choice American League Outstanding Rookie
• 2007 World Series Champion (Boston Red Sox)
• 2007 American League Rookie of the Year
• 2008 Voted into his first All-Star game

Personal life

Pedroia married Kelli Hatley on November 11, 2006. Hatley is a 2005 Arizona State University graduate. She is also a melanoma survivor, and advocates for safe sun care with the awareness program "Play Smart When It Comes To The Sun." Pedroia has recently endorsed a brand of salsa under the name of "Pedroia's" including: Black bean, mild, spicy, and 'muy caliente'.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Baseball Reference minor league statistics
• Minor League Splits and Situational Stats
• No. 45 - MLN FAB50 Baseball 2005 - Minor League News - Situational Stats
• No. 23 - MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 - Minor League News

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Justin Verlander	American League Rookie of the Year 2007	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Justin Verlander	Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year 2007	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Justin Verlander	Players Choice AL Most Outstanding Rookie 2007	Succeeded by Incumbent