297 replies to this topic

[cwright]

I love the little guy, so I enjoyed this article about Pedroia's antics (even though it's by Tomase):

Brian Roberts was getting ready to take batting practice in Baltimore last month when a voice rang out of the Red Sox dugout. “Strongest 160-pounder in the big leagues!” Dustin Pedroia shouted while pointing at his flexed right biceps. “Strongest 160-pounder in the big leagues!” [...]“He’s nuts, man,” Roberts said yesterday. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”

Between his quick bat and rangy defense, he's been a pleasure to wach again this season.

[Foulkey Reese]

Pedroia's OPS by month:

April - .775
May - .669
June - .952
July - 1.052

It's been amazing to see him catch fire and make up for that slow start.

Edit: Although I do have to say that I'm getting pretty bored with the "omg he's so good for a small guy!" type stories.

Edited by Foulkey Reese, 12 July 2008 - 12:07 PM.

[biollante]

He only weights 160 pounds ? I haven't weighed that little - even when I was little - since sophmore in High School.

[sodenj5]

This ranks right up there with when he was telling everybody to wear glasses for the "laser show" he was about to put on during batting practice. It seems like DP is just a slow starter, except this year he wasn't batting .180 at the end of April, and he's gotten just as red hot as he was last year. This year should officially get him off the hook if/when he gets off to a slow start next year.

[Sooner Steve]

this guy has quickly supplanted the rem-dawg as my all time favourite sox second sacker

HANTA YO

[86spike]

Pedroia was the first Sox player in the Red Carpet Allstar parade today. I was watching near the start and there was a roudy crew of construction workers on a scaffold who gave all the Sox guys a hard time. So Dustin's the first one up and they start booing and yelling 'Boston Sucks'... Pedroia smiles, waves, and flashes them his enormous 2007 WS ring.

it was great.

[SaveBooFerriss]

this guy has quickly supplanted the rem-dawg as my all time favourite sox second sacker

HANTA YO

It frightens and confuses me that Remy was ever anyone's all time favorite Sox 2b.

[Bernie Carbohydrate]

Why not? You have to be 100 years old to recall Joe Cronin. Marty Barrett was reportedly kind of a jerk. "Bill Wambsganss" is impossible to spell correctly.

Me, I'm a Terry Shumpert man, but I can see liking Remy.

[Manny's Hammies]

Have we forgotten Mark Bellhorn's one, magical year so quickly? Guy could turn a pretty good double-play as well.

Me, I'm a Petey fan myself.

[URI]

Jody Reed...mini-Remy.

[Oil Can's Liver]

Along with being an excellent player, he seems like a good guy. I remember last year, during a rain delay in Chitown, asking him about his elbow. He was over with Manny and Lugo and he motioned for me to speak up..then he came over and I asked him how his wing was..he rotated it around and said "it is fine..real good, no worries" and he gave me a high five and said "thanks for asking bro".

I really hope he and Youks stick around for a long time.

[Tudor Fever]

I'm partial to the 1967 opening day second baseman, Reggie Smith.

[Pumpsie]

Why not? You have to be 100 years old to recall Joe Cronin. Marty Barrett was reportedly kind of a jerk. "Bill Wambsganss" is impossible to spell correctly.

Me, I'm a Terry Shumpert man, but I can see liking Remy.

Yeah, I agree. We haven't exactly been brimming over with HOF second basemen over the years. Remy was probably the best all-round second sacker we've had since Cronin, and up to Pedroia. Barrett and Reed were solid, but Remy was just a tick better, especially in the field and on the bases. But the pickin's is slim. Pedroia might well end up being our best second sacker since Joe Cronin. How about that?

[biollante]

No love for Billy Goodman ?

[alannathan]

Yeah, I agree. We haven't exactly been brimming over with HOF second basemen over the years. Remy was probably the best all-round second sacker we've had since Cronin, and up to Pedroia. Barrett and Reed were solid, but Remy was just a tick better, especially in the field and on the bases. But the pickin's is slim. Pedroia might well end up being our best second sacker since Joe Cronin. How about that?

Hm....no Bobby Doerr fans out there?

[URI]

Yeah, I agree. We haven't exactly been brimming over with HOF second basemen over the years. Remy was probably the best all-round second sacker we've had since Cronin, and up to Pedroia. Barrett and Reed were solid, but Remy was just a tick better, especially in the field and on the bases. But the pickin's is slim. Pedroia might well end up being our best second sacker since Joe Cronin. How about that?

Hm....no Bobby Doerr fans out there?

Also, no mention that Cronin was a shortstop and not a 2b?

[Dick Pole Upside]

Dude Griffin, Denny Doyle, even Bellhorn or Todd Walker (!)... I'd take any of them over Barrett... I hated that little punk.

Pedroia rocks.

[Bernie Carbohydrate]

Ooops--I get Cronin and Doerr mixed up, and thus I set off a series of other mixups. For the record, Cronin played 35 career games at 2B for the Sox, which puts him just behind Chris Stynes on my made-up All-Time Top 150 Red Stockings Second Sacker list.

[jodyreeddudley78]

Jody Reed...mini-Remy.

Wha-wha-what? If we are talking about their Red Sox years, Jody "doubles machine" Reed has chunks of Remy in his stool. Frankly, vintage Reed (1988-91) is almost Pedroia's equal. Watch your mouth. Remy goes to bed at night and wakes up in a cold sweat saying "jody...jody....JODY MUTHAFUCKINREED!". Then his wife consoles him, and lines up his itinerary of shit to sell during his NESN broadcast, and Remy goes back to sleep realizing that the better 2Bman played after he retired. Jody is expecting your formal apology in the mail.

[jacklamabe65]

No love for Jerry Adair?

[TheBoomah]

No love for Mike Andrews? I know Charlie Finley didn't care for him, but still...

[satyadaimoku]

Wha-wha-what? If we are talking about their Red Sox years, Jody "doubles machine" Reed has chunks of Remy in his stool. Frankly, vintage Reed (1988-91) is almost Pedroia's equal. Watch your mouth. Remy goes to bed at night and wakes up in a cold sweat saying "jody...jody....JODY MUTHAFUCKINREED!". Then his wife consoles him, and lines up his itinerary of shit to sell during his NESN broadcast, and Remy goes back to sleep realizing that the better 2Bman played after he retired. Jody is expecting your formal apology in the mail.

Seriously. Remy's career best OPS+ was 100, and that was in strike shortened 1981. His best OPS+ in a full season was 87 and his best OPS+ for the Red Sox in a full season was 78. Not only was he not the best Red Sox second baseman, he wasn't good, period.

[E5 Yaz]

He's no Dan Uggla

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

Seriously. Remy's career best OPS+ was 100, and that was in strike shortened 1981. His best OPS+ in a full season was 87 and his best OPS+ for the Red Sox in a full season was 78. Not only was he not the best Red Sox second baseman, he wasn't good, period.

I have to give credit where it's due. Jerry Remy was the best bunter I ever saw on the Red Sox (except for Wade Boggs, who didn't do it that much but who I remember being able to bunt with absolute surgical precision on those rare occasions).

[Pandemonium67]

Hmm, all the Pokey people must be away for the ASB.

[Sooner Steve]

It frightens and confuses me that Remy was ever anyone's all time favorite Sox 2b.

dude - that was my era...the poly-sox...i didn't say he was the greatest sox second baseman of all-time - just my own personal fave...that honour would have to go to mr. doerr - but alas he was well before my time

that being said i can certainly appreciate andrews, doyle & reed even though

at least i didn't say wilfredo 'where's my phone & where's my wife' cordero!


HANTA YO

Edited by Sooner Steve, 16 July 2008 - 09:19 AM.

[URI]

Wha-wha-what? If we are talking about their Red Sox years, Jody "doubles machine" Reed has chunks of Remy in his stool. Frankly, vintage Reed (1988-91) is almost Pedroia's equal. Watch your mouth. Remy goes to bed at night and wakes up in a cold sweat saying "jody...jody....JODY MUTHAFUCKINREED!". Then his wife consoles him, and lines up his itinerary of shit to sell during his NESN broadcast, and Remy goes back to sleep realizing that the better 2Bman played after he retired. Jody is expecting your formal apology in the mail.

I'm talking about a really small, quick, mustacheod second baseman, not an in depth analysis of their skills.

[jodyreeddudley78]

I'm talking about a really small, quick, mustacheod second baseman, not an in depth analysis of their skills.

Honestly, I kind of thought that was what you were doing. That is why I didn't do anything in depth. I just wanted to take advantage of my one chance to simultaneously defend the honor of my boyhood hero and look like I might actually know more about one thing in baseball than you. A filure on both counts, I guess. Curse you URI, curse you!

[URI]

Honestly, I kind of thought that was what you were doing. That is why I didn't do anything in depth. I just wanted to take advantage of my one chance to simultaneously defend the honor of my boyhood hero and look like I might actually know more about one thing in baseball than you. A filure on both counts, I guess. Curse you URI, curse you!

Me: Jody Reed
You: Marty Barrett

Anyway, the comparison between Reed and Pedroia is kind of a neat one, because they are both diminuative, quirky 2nd baseman. Reed had better control of the strike zone, and Pedroia has more power.

Reed made his debut when he was 24, won the SS job at 25, and moved to second when he was 27...and was effectively done as a useful baseball player when he was 29.

Pedroia, at 24, has 306 hits in his career. Reed was 27 when he was that point (I know hits are a lousy way to judge ballplayers from an evaluation standpoint, but I've found them to be quite interesting when looking at career path...especially when the players are young).

I think it's fair to say that Pedroia will have a much better career than Reed had. But yeah, Reed was better than Remy by a good sight.

[E5 Yaz]

the thing that got me about Pedroia at the all-star game was how he followed Jeter around. Every time they showed one of them in the dugout, the other was there. Smart move by a kid building a career.

[jodyreeddudley78]

Me: Jody Reed
You: Marty Barrett

Anyway, the comparison between Reed and Pedroia is kind of a neat one, because they are both diminuative, quirky 2nd baseman. Reed had better control of the strike zone, and Pedroia has more power.

Reed made his debut when he was 24, won the SS job at 25, and moved to second when he was 27...and was effectively done as a useful baseball player when he was 29.

Pedroia, at 24, has 306 hits in his career. Reed was 27 when he was that point (I know hits are a lousy way to judge ballplayers from an evaluation standpoint, but I've found them to be quite interesting when looking at career path...especially when the players are young).

I think it's fair to say that Pedroia will have a much better career than Reed had. But yeah, Reed was better than Remy by a good sight.

They were/are both the same height, with Pedroia having the edge in weight. Despite being an inch shorter than their listed heights, I'm fairly certain that I could see eye to eye with either one of them.

Jody's Sox (1987-92) line is .280/.358/.372 for an OPS of 730. Clearly he couldn't hit for the kind of power that Pedroia can (Jody ISO .092 vs. Dusty ISO .131) as the SLG and OPS attest. OPS+ is a little kinder and allows Reed to make up some of the ground, but really it is no contest, especially when you factor in the ages of acomplishments. Dustin, at a younger age, is already a better slugger and is better in RC/27. Really, the only thing that you wrote that I disagree with is the strike zone comment. Reed's Sox career (not whole career) K% (8.5%) is virtually identical to Pedroia's thus far (8.4%). Sure, Reed was more likely to take a walk than Pedroia, but he wasn't any less likely to strike out. Pedroia, despite his swing, is a high contact guy. But I agree, my hero will likely be passed by Pedroia for title of best Sox second baseman of the modern era.

BTW, a better comp:
me: Dirk Diggler
you: Papa Smurf

[Spacemans Bong]

Jody Reed was 33% better at taking walks with the Red Sox (10.4% v 7%). That's a lot, and means he had better strike zone judgment than Pedroia, since their K levels are pretty much the same.

Pedroia's probably going to end up a better player, but still.

[The Belly Itcher]

I liked Reed and in particular, his 1990 season. He was a solid player and played some fine defense. I liked him as a #2--he could get on base and provided a little pop despite his era-deflated slugging %. What else to like about Jody Reed? How about his relationship to our acquisition of Pedro Martinez, once removed. If Jody Reed hadn't have held out to test the market after a fine season in 1994, the Dodgers never would have traded Pedro to the Expos, the team that Dan Duquette GM'd for several years up until that same point, and also the team that played a role of farm team to the large-market franchises in those days.

For that alone, he ranks high as the best Sox second-basemen of all time.

[jodyreeddudley78]

Jody Reed was 33% better at taking walks with the Red Sox (10.4% v 7%). That's a lot, and means he had better strike zone judgment than Pedroia, since their K levels are pretty much the same.

Pedroia's probably going to end up a better player, but still.

I think it means that Reed was more likely to take a walk, while Pedroia is more likely to swing and make contact as Pedroia's 07 OBP matched Reeds best OBP (full) season. The goal is to get on base, and not make an out. They both do/did it at about the same rates (the K% and OBP) it is just a matter of how they get there.

[DJnVa]

Jody Reed was 33% better at taking walks with the Red Sox (10.4% v 7%). That's a lot, and means he had better strike zone judgment than Pedroia, since their K levels are pretty much the same.

10.4% is more like 50% better than 7% ain't it? Of course, that just proves your point a bit better.

I was told there'd be no math.

[CanuckSoxGirl]

Bump ... pretty funny article on Pedroia in ESPN magazine:

170 pounds of mouth

Across the field, former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar steps out of the Orioles' dugout. "There he is," Pedroia says, "the only opposing player who gets his own song played for him when he comes to the plate at Fenway." It's a country hit, "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry, and it was Millar's intro during much of his time in Boston, from 2003 to '05. (The Sox finally stopped playing it for Millar after last season.) "I'm telling you, if they play that song tonight, I'm stopping the game. I'm going up to the booth and fighting the guy at the controls. Enough already."

Now Pedroia hops up the dugout steps and shouts in Millar's direction: "Hey, 2004 was like 20 years ago! And all you did was walk! Mariano let four fly! It was not, like, some 12-pitch at-bat!" Pedroia imitates Millar's stance in that critical Game 4 moment against the Yankees, with the Red Sox three outs away from elimination. He mimics the way Millar steps in the bucket. He does it four times. "Ball 1, Ball 2, Ball 3, Ball 4," he says. "That's all you did." Millar isn't even paying attention. "I've been hearing that for over a year," the veteran says when the story is relayed. "He says, 'You were Manny and Papi's teammate, and all you did was walk.' "

[JimBoSox9]

Have we forgotten Mark Bellhorn's one, magical year so quickly? Guy could turn a pretty good double-play as well.

Me, I'm a Petey fan myself.

Bellhorn struck out 87 more times that year than Pedroia has so far in his major league career. Just sayin'

[Rocco Graziosa]

I remember shortly after they drafted Pedroia, some random Sunday host on WEEI had his Arizona State coach on the radio. So he's going on and on and on about how the Sox are gonna love Pedroia and blah blah blah. Then he says something along the lines of "if Dustin Pedrioa doesn't make it to the major leagues and be successful, then I've learned nothing in my 30 years of coaching baseball." That kind of struck me as odd and really high praise for the kid, and well beyond the usual lip service a coach would . As I look back to that interview, everything that coach gushed about Pedroia turned out to be true.

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

That coach was our very own AZBlue.

[jacklamabe65]

I LOVED Mike Andrews. Hell, I loved Jerry Adair, but this little pain-in-the-ass fart second baseman we cureently have is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite Sox players. He IS Saturn Balls.

Edited by jacklamabe65, 12 August 2008 - 11:05 AM.

[TomRicardo]

I LOVED Mike Andrews. Hell, I loved Jerry Adair, but this little pain-in-the-ass fart second baseman we cureently have is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite Sox players. He IS Saturn Balls.

Why the hell would anyone love Jerry Adair? He played all of 35 games at 2B for the Red Sox, was a subpar fielder there, and was an offensive blackhole. Alex Cora is more lovable.

Mike Andrews had two good season for the Sox then was traded for the rotting corpse of Luis Aparcio. Andrews was washed out by 29. If Pedroia's Red Sox career is anything like either fo these two players I would be depressed. The only thing those to had going for them was that they were on 67 team.

Edited by TomRicardo, 12 August 2008 - 12:24 PM.

[templeUsox]

Why the hell would anyone love Jerry Adair?
....

The only thing those to had goign for them was that they were on 67 team.

Looks like you answered your own question.

[jacklamabe65]

Why the hell would anyone love Jerry Adair? He played all of 35 games at 2B for the Red Sox, was a subpar fielder there, and was an offensive blackhole. Alex Cora is more lovable.

Mike Andrews had two good season for the Sox then was traded for the rotting corpse of Luis Aparcio. Andrews was washed out by 29. If Pedroia's Red Sox career is anything like either fo these two players I would be depressed. The only thing those to had going for them was that they were on 67 team.

Statistics are not everything; Adair and Andrews brought a certian gutsiness and grit to a team that was previously filled with Country Club types who were as useful as rotting fish. Even though I played Division 1 baseball for four years, played semi-pro for a decade and lived through the 1967 season, I well recognize that you know so much more about the game than do I. Frankly, I am sick of you posting negative after negative response concerning my musings. Yes, I am a blowhard as you are an ass. Let's call it a draw.

Edited by jacklamabe65, 12 August 2008 - 12:34 PM.

[URI]

Statistics are not everything; Adair and Andrews brought a certian gutsiness and grit to a team that was previously filled with Country Club types who were as useful as rotting fish. Even though I played Division 1 baseball for four years, played semi-pro for a decade and lived through the 1967 season, I well recognize that you know so much more about the game than do I. Frankly, I am sick of you posting negative after negative response concerning my musings. Yes, I am a blowhard as you are an ass. Let's call it a draw.

Out of curiousity, who on the 67 Red Sox were country club types? I'm really curious because I can't really figure out what Adair brought to the team other than a guy that reminded Dick Williams of himself.

[E5 Yaz]

Out of curiousity, who on the 67 Red Sox were country club types? I'm really curious because I can't really figure out what Adair brought to the team other than a guy that reminded Dick Williams of himself.

It was always my impression that the Yawkeys would bring in vets who would earn paychecks but have the run of the place before 67, when Williams came aboard and the rookies and second-year players changed the culture of the team. It wasn't that the 67 team itself was the country club. Funny thing is that, after Williams left, that atmosphere returned until the 75 magic appeared and then the 25 guys, 25 cabs stuff started.

But in the years prior to free agency, the Red Sox were thought of as one of the teams in baseball that paid well but didn't push their players too hard.

[Chuck Schilling]

With so few innings played for the Sox, Adair's big game here might explain the fond memories. If there's anything at all to the idea of a team gathering momentum from stealing a game, coming back from 8 runs down to pull within 1 1/2 games of the league lead should do the trick.

[smastroyin]

I've got to say, I think that the idea that one could like an entire team instead of only liking the guys who were "good" is one worth highlighting instead of ridiculing. Love for Jerry Adair could be because he was part of that team alone and that's not a crime in any sense. In baseball, the team is really a sum of its individuals much more than any other sport. I get that completely. However, it is still a team sport, and when teams capture your heart or your imagination or whatever, there is no shame in not picking apart every last detail.

[Carroll Hardy]

Jerry Adair hit .318 from 1 August on. During the last 8 games of the pennant race, he hit in every game, going 13-37 (.351) as we went 6-2. He finished 15th in the 1967 AL MVP voting, which was 4th on the club behind Yaz, Lonborg, and the Boomer.

[Larry Gardner]

Bump ... pretty funny article on Pedroia in ESPN magazine:

170 pounds of mouth

Thanks for the link, Canuck....did anyone catch the postgame locker room interview after Saturday night's game in Chicago?
To summarize, when Pedro was asked about Papi's bases-loaded double, he said something to the effect of that it was great, but "I thought it was hillarious that he thought it was a HR, and it didn't go out. It takes a real man to hit one out to LF in this ball park"...and of course Pedro did hit his out on Friday night......it was just hillarious to see him throw Papi, subtlely under the bus......

Pedro for President!!

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

There is only one Pedro. Dustin ain't it.