Career in the 4 slot:
156 PA, .369 BA, .419 OBP, .617 SLG, 1.036 OPS, 10 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI... project to a full season and that's like 40+ 2B, 30 HR, 120+ RBI.. maybe Tito should have done it more.
Thank you, Petey: Dustin Pedroia announces his retirement
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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156 PA, .369 BA, .419 OBP, .617 SLG, 1.036 OPS, 10 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI... project to a full season and that's like 40+ 2B, 30 HR, 120+ RBI.. maybe Tito should have done it more.
Tims, thanks for looking that up. I was posting on the fly from memory and thinking maybe I'm just remembering 2 or 3 games and somebody is going to look it up and he was actually .250/.320/.360 or something!
Through the years this ownership has shown once and again that they respect and value the valid players who have been part of the team. They have included Varitek, Pedro Martínez, Ortiz, etc. in spring training activities and had them help the top team and/or player development one way or another. Additionally, they have allowed these former players to do so on their own terms and timelines.
I hope, and expect, this will be the case with Dustin Pedroia. Whenever he is willing and able, he should be invited to help the organisation in whatever role he chooses. I would love to have him as a roaming infield instructor helping all minor leaguers to make the most of their talent. But who is to say he wouldn't be able to help players on the MLB roster as well? Does anyone doubt he could help Xander, Dalbec or Devers improve their fielding? Or any other position player with base running or hitting?
I will never forget that he was the first person, not the manager or the pitching coach, to realise that Eduardo Rodríguez was tipping his pitches. That simply tells us how observant and savvy he is. And how much he could help this organisation.
This would also be a way of having more Dustin Pedroia stories readily feeding our conversations!
I hope, and expect, this will be the case with Dustin Pedroia. Whenever he is willing and able, he should be invited to help the organisation in whatever role he chooses. I would love to have him as a roaming infield instructor helping all minor leaguers to make the most of their talent. But who is to say he wouldn't be able to help players on the MLB roster as well? Does anyone doubt he could help Xander, Dalbec or Devers improve their fielding? Or any other position player with base running or hitting?
I will never forget that he was the first person, not the manager or the pitching coach, to realise that Eduardo Rodríguez was tipping his pitches. That simply tells us how observant and savvy he is. And how much he could help this organisation.
This would also be a way of having more Dustin Pedroia stories readily feeding our conversations!
Whoever mentioned that Big Papi Roast, thank you. That was laugh-til-you-cry funny.
And if anyone finds the video of Pedey explaining his pre-pitch thought process to Remy, I'd love to see it.
One aspect of Dustin's game I haven't seen mentioned, he appeared to me to not only have a super quick release on throws to 1B, anywhere from the 2B hole to shallow CF, he also threw hard and was extremely accurate. Better than any second sacker I've ever seen. Anybody else notice this over the years?
And if anyone finds the video of Pedey explaining his pre-pitch thought process to Remy, I'd love to see it.
One aspect of Dustin's game I haven't seen mentioned, he appeared to me to not only have a super quick release on throws to 1B, anywhere from the 2B hole to shallow CF, he also threw hard and was extremely accurate. Better than any second sacker I've ever seen. Anybody else notice this over the years?
And I remember his quote the first time he was put into the #4 spot: “It’s about time!”
There is some pro- and anti- chatter for Dustin making the HOF (maybe worthy of a new thread if there isn't one), and at first I thought there's no way, but looking at the 2B in the Hall as of today, he's really not out of place. He'd be in the lower middle of the pack, not nearly one of the worst.
As far as I can recall, there were never any complaints about him...on the field...in the clubhouse....off the field...by teammates, managers, anonymous sources or reporters. Even the usual suspects who can find fault with anybody stayed away from Pedroia.
There's not much more to say here that hasn't been said, but to summarize my thoughts:
1. One of my favorite Red Sox players, not just of his era but over the 54 years I've been rooting for the team. And probably my kids' favorite player of their lifetimes.
2. His energy, drive and dedication to the game, and to winning, made him a role model for other players and kids everywhere. He was a "real ballplayer," as folks used to say.
3. And fuck Manny Machado. He may not have been solely responsible for the early end of Pedey's career, but he certainly hastened it, and probably cost him a shot at the HOF. Whether it was intentional or not, it was a dirty and illegal slide, especially after the Utley rule was instituted.
1. One of my favorite Red Sox players, not just of his era but over the 54 years I've been rooting for the team. And probably my kids' favorite player of their lifetimes.
2. His energy, drive and dedication to the game, and to winning, made him a role model for other players and kids everywhere. He was a "real ballplayer," as folks used to say.
3. And fuck Manny Machado. He may not have been solely responsible for the early end of Pedey's career, but he certainly hastened it, and probably cost him a shot at the HOF. Whether it was intentional or not, it was a dirty and illegal slide, especially after the Utley rule was instituted.
Tomase with Pedroia's 10 greatest quotes today... day after MLB.com posted Pedroia's 13 greatest quotes. He's such a hack.
I really wish there was a like button as I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread, and many of you have already stated how great Pedey was much better than I could have.
Dustin Pedrioa was an awesome baseball player and a joy to watch.
Dustin Pedrioa was an awesome baseball player and a joy to watch.
What if Pedey had been a Yankee and Cano a Red Sox?
View: https://twitter.com/talkinyanks/status/1356302293621219331?s=21
View: https://twitter.com/talkinyanks/status/1356302293621219331?s=21
It’s a play on the old Williams-DiMaggio switch where Ted gets a short right field to aim at and Joe D gets the Wall.
I liked having Cano in pinstripes because of his pure hitting skills but Pedey would have won more games with his all-out effort and underrated talent.
One of my favorite quotes about Dustin was from Ozzie Guillen, after Pedroia went 8 for 8 and was eventually intentionally walked- "I never thought I was going to walk a goddam jockey!"
It’s not some MLBPA conspiracy. Pedroia’s contract worked out well for the Red Sox even though he suffered a career-ending injury halfway through. Obviously, the parties’ respective risks were not fairly balanced ex ante. The market has adjusted in the years since.
Bill Mazeroski is in the Hall of Fame because he had one of the five biggest hits in the history of the sport and was the best defensive second basemen the game had ever known. Pedroia never had that kind of transcendent moment, but he was the best defensive second baseman since Maz and a much better hitter. Pedroia seems like an unlikely Hall of Famer now, but certainly no more so than Maz seemed circa 1975. We’ll see what happens.
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Neutral observer’s opinion: He’s in within his first five years on ballot. His prime was 10 years. That’s enough. No counting stats for Pedey. He came in with a bang. ROY and then MVP. Three rings. Four Gold Gloves. Great character, no nonsense.
Dustin's probably my favorite non-Dominican Red Sox ever. Bellhorn is close, but that's just me being anti-Pokey guy.
Pedroia's peak is so goddamn high and he was so goddamn good. I love the guy, and as much as I love Mookie (I mean, I LOVE Mookie), he didn't have Pedroia's highs in 07 and 13 with the club.
I dunno. Pedroia only has two seasons over 120 OPS+. That seems like a recipe for a no-way ticket to the HOF, but he might sneak in. He was a legit elite defender and had his career cut short by injury.
I remember his Baseball Prospectus Annual projection way back, and I believe one of his comps was Gary Sheffield, which, let's be honest -- made no sense except that their stats were similar despite their bodies being remarkably different. And the blurb (which I can't find since I've long given away my BP annuals) basically said "yeah, PECOTA has them as comparables but we don't believe it, except...maybe?". I think that's a pretty awesome way to describe Pedey's career: "that doesn't make sense until... oh shit, it happened."
Pedroia's peak is so goddamn high and he was so goddamn good. I love the guy, and as much as I love Mookie (I mean, I LOVE Mookie), he didn't have Pedroia's highs in 07 and 13 with the club.
I dunno. Pedroia only has two seasons over 120 OPS+. That seems like a recipe for a no-way ticket to the HOF, but he might sneak in. He was a legit elite defender and had his career cut short by injury.
I remember his Baseball Prospectus Annual projection way back, and I believe one of his comps was Gary Sheffield, which, let's be honest -- made no sense except that their stats were similar despite their bodies being remarkably different. And the blurb (which I can't find since I've long given away my BP annuals) basically said "yeah, PECOTA has them as comparables but we don't believe it, except...maybe?". I think that's a pretty awesome way to describe Pedey's career: "that doesn't make sense until... oh shit, it happened."
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I think between being a second baseman and being a major contributor to teams that won two World Series titles is going to help Pedroia's case. Without either of them, he's in the Hall of Very Good. I doubt that he would be a first ballot HOF'er, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of those whose case gets better with each passing year on the ballot.
I'm going to miss watching Pedroia play tremendously, but I am absolutely loving all of the career retrospective stuff I've seen. It was an absolute privilege to watch him play.
Yes, his throwing was all of those on the tough plays. Accuracy was incredible.
I remember Dustin having a big game at the plate the first time Tito put him in the cleanup spot, and Tito said something like "Now, we'll never hear the end of it."
Earlier in the thread, someone quoted Pedroia's reaction to that. They left out a word between "Its about" and "time". This thread must be family-friendly.
A friend of mine from school operates a small Sox blog as a passion project. I don't post about it because it's annoying to cheaply promote something, but some of the stats in this are pretty interesting wrt where Pedroia ranks among some of the best second basemen all time. I was actually surprised to see how well he measures up:
https://www.soxsavant.com/post/the-dustin-pedroia-hall-of-fame-case
https://www.soxsavant.com/post/the-dustin-pedroia-hall-of-fame-case
Thank you Dustin Pedroia for an incredible career. Probably Hall of Very Good on the field, but surefire first ballot Hall of Fame humor, attitude, and team presence.
In case anyone is wondering about my username, my wife noticed this thing that Pedroia did during his pre-pitch preparation. As he is twirling his bat he repeatedly kinda stretches out his upper lip like he's trying to suppress a sneeze or nasal itch. He does this every single time, and my wife just started calling him Itchy. He quickly became my wife's favorite player and she calls him Itchy to this day. Having been through 2003 and 2004 I couldn't give up on Papi, but "Itchy" earned a solid #2 on my all time roster. He will be sorely missed, but the thought of him staying in the game either in the dugout or in the booth (PLEASE IN THE BOOTH) makes me giddy.
Also, FUCK Manny Machado.
In case anyone is wondering about my username, my wife noticed this thing that Pedroia did during his pre-pitch preparation. As he is twirling his bat he repeatedly kinda stretches out his upper lip like he's trying to suppress a sneeze or nasal itch. He does this every single time, and my wife just started calling him Itchy. He quickly became my wife's favorite player and she calls him Itchy to this day. Having been through 2003 and 2004 I couldn't give up on Papi, but "Itchy" earned a solid #2 on my all time roster. He will be sorely missed, but the thought of him staying in the game either in the dugout or in the booth (PLEASE IN THE BOOTH) makes me giddy.
Also, FUCK Manny Machado.
So many wonderful sentiments in this thread. Thank you, in particular, to those who shared your personal anecdotes, both of meeting the man and of rooting for him.
I loved that Pedey had such determination and grit that we all picked up on it. We'd points our kids to it, our siblings, and say - THAT is how you play. But we weren't talking about how he *actually* played! It is not common practice to take Pedey's giant hops. It's not a swing path you'll see someone espousing in the cages. And that side-arm throw? Yeesh! But it didn't matter! He showed that anyone can do it their way - as long as you've got the drive, determination, and mental stamina. He had it in spades.
____
3 generations of Red Sox managers?
I loved that Pedey had such determination and grit that we all picked up on it. We'd points our kids to it, our siblings, and say - THAT is how you play. But we weren't talking about how he *actually* played! It is not common practice to take Pedey's giant hops. It's not a swing path you'll see someone espousing in the cages. And that side-arm throw? Yeesh! But it didn't matter! He showed that anyone can do it their way - as long as you've got the drive, determination, and mental stamina. He had it in spades.
____
3 generations of Red Sox managers?
Anyone ever see Tanner Boyle and Dustin Pedroia in the same room at the same time?
The biggest regret that I have is that his career already seems like a slowly dissipating memory, given that he's been injured/inactive the past three seasons. Having this finality set in is like suddenly trying to grieve a death that's long since passed.
I'm glad he can maintain a normal quality of life with his knee, especially when it comes to playing with his kids.
Thanks for everything, Laser Show.
The biggest regret that I have is that his career already seems like a slowly dissipating memory, given that he's been injured/inactive the past three seasons. Having this finality set in is like suddenly trying to grieve a death that's long since passed.
I'm glad he can maintain a normal quality of life with his knee, especially when it comes to playing with his kids.
Thanks for everything, Laser Show.
Alex Speier on Pedey's last game which came with the Sea Dogs in 2019:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/02/sports/recalling-dustin-pedroias-final-game-humble-exit-double-diamond-portland/?event=event25
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/02/sports/recalling-dustin-pedroias-final-game-humble-exit-double-diamond-portland/?event=event25
I have a recollection of Pedey on this incredible August hitting streak. And then hits a ball off his foot. And that was the peak of his carerr.
But when I look it up... there are several cases of him hitting a ball off of his foot! So which one? And was it really his peak??
2010: https://tv5.espn.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5330265 (SF)
2013: https://tv5.espn.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5330265 (NYY)
2014: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2014/08/dustin_pedroia_leaves_game_ear.html (Houston)
Were those worse than his zillion other injuries?
But when I look it up... there are several cases of him hitting a ball off of his foot! So which one? And was it really his peak??
2010: https://tv5.espn.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5330265 (SF)
2013: https://tv5.espn.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5330265 (NYY)
2014: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2014/08/dustin_pedroia_leaves_game_ear.html (Houston)
Were those worse than his zillion other injuries?
He did an hour on Section 10 a couple of days ago, and I think he said that it was 2010. In true Pedey fashion, he said that he was going to easily hit .400 the rest of the way and that injury was the one that really stung him the most. The whole listen was eye opening to learn about all the shit injury luck he dealt with over his career.
IIRC, the 2010 injury came the day after his 3 HR performance in Colorado, and the next day Buchholz pulled a hammy running the bases. It wasn't a good trip to San Francisco. Pretty sure it was Pedroia's first significant injury and he tried to rush back, infamously taking groundballs on his knees to protect his foot.
That's exactly right. He was red hot at that point, and that just was such a buzz kill. Cost him a good 50 games that year.
Probably cost him more games than that. He played 75 total that year, and only two after the injury in an ill-fated attempt to come back. He'd been consistently at 150+ to that point in his career.
Maz might be the worst qualified Hall of Famer... not sure that’s exactly a good bar to set.
Harold Baines was worse, surely? 38.7 WAR in 11092 PA vs 36.5 in 8379 for Maz.
from peter king's column this morning
Pedroia retired last week. One tribute stood out. It was from a utility infielder, Garin Cecchini, who had cups of coffee with the Red Sox in 2014 and 2015. Cecchini publicly thanked Pedroia, telling a story about seeing Pedroia in the lobby of the team hotel on the rookie’s first road trip with the team at 9 a.m., commandeering him and taking him to the ballpark for a game that was 10 hours away.
So I found Cecchini, out of baseball, married and living in Lake Charles, La.. I asked him to tell me the story of that day. First, I told him it must be pretty cool to be able to look back and see that in his major-league debut, June 1, 2014, the box score shows him nestled between Pedroia 2B and Ortiz DH.
“That’s actually part of the story,” Cecchini said. “I got called up by the Red Sox. They needed a backup infielder for a day or two, and I knew I was going to get sent down right away. But it was so cool to be in Boston, suiting up. The game was at Fenway, against Tampa. My mom and dad came to the game from Louisiana. Before the game, my dad actually said to me, ‘Garin, I tell you, you’re gonna hit a ball off the Monster tonight.’ I told him, ‘Dad, I’m not playing. No chance.’
“So Pedey gets thrown out of the game, and I go in. We got no one off the bench but me in the infield, so I’m in. My first at-bat, I get called out on strikes—a pitch about 10 inches outside. Okay, that’s how you deal with the rookie—I get it. Second time up, you know Fenway, short left-field wall. The night before, in [minor-league] Pawtucket, a fly ball to left’s a routine fly ball. But this one is halfway up the wall. Double. I knock in a run.
“There’s a family room right outside the locker room. After the game, my mom and dad are in there, and my dad’s excited about my first big-league hit, obviously. Pedroia’s there with his kids. He sees me and comes over. Says to my dad, ‘Are you Cheech’s dad? Just want you to know I got thrown out on purpose! I wanted Cheech to play because I knew he was gonna get sent down!’ I mean, not true of course, but my dad still tells that story today.
“I get called back up a couple weeks later, and we got a day game and then we’re flying to the West Coast to start a series in Oakland. Our flight was delayed, and we don’t get in till after midnight. We’re in the Westin or the W, I forget which, in downtown San Francisco. The next morning I get up and eat breakfast downstairs, and I’m going up to my room, and I hear from across the lobby, ‘CHEECH! CHEECH! LET’S GO!’ It’s Pedey. Wants me to go somewhere with him. Sometimes you hear stories of the vets taking rookies out to buy them a suit. Was that what this was? I didn’t know. So I go out there in and get in a cab with him, and Pedey says to the driver, ‘Oakland Coliseum.’
“I’m wondering what’s going on. It’s like, 9 in the morning. Game’s at 7. He says, ‘Cheech, this is the big leagues. We’re going there to get ready to win.’ He starts talking about Oakland’s pitcher that night, Scott Kazmir. ‘Facin’ Kazmir today. I’ve already taken him deep, and I’m taking him deep tonight.’ We get to the ballpark, probably around 10. Clubhouse guy sees Pedey and says, ‘Of course it’s you.’ We played casino, hit in the cage, walked around the field for a while. By noon, he’s in full uni, pine tar on his right hip, ready to go, seven hours before the game. He orders Chipotle for everyone. I learned a lot from that day. I just figured, This is how it’s gonna be. I started following his lead.”
(P.S. Top of the sixth: Pedroia laces a Kazmir changeup to left. Home run.)
Cecchini: “In late September, I had a check-swing against some left-hander. I get back to the bench, and he’s all over me. ‘What the hell was that!’ I told him what I was thinking op there, and he said, ‘You think too much! There’s no check-swinging in the big leagues, Cheech!
“The Red Sox are gonna miss him. Baseball’s gonna miss him.”
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/02/08/super-bowl-lv-tom-brady-bucs-chiefs-nfl-fmia-peter-king/?cid=nbcsports
Pedroia retired last week. One tribute stood out. It was from a utility infielder, Garin Cecchini, who had cups of coffee with the Red Sox in 2014 and 2015. Cecchini publicly thanked Pedroia, telling a story about seeing Pedroia in the lobby of the team hotel on the rookie’s first road trip with the team at 9 a.m., commandeering him and taking him to the ballpark for a game that was 10 hours away.
So I found Cecchini, out of baseball, married and living in Lake Charles, La.. I asked him to tell me the story of that day. First, I told him it must be pretty cool to be able to look back and see that in his major-league debut, June 1, 2014, the box score shows him nestled between Pedroia 2B and Ortiz DH.
“That’s actually part of the story,” Cecchini said. “I got called up by the Red Sox. They needed a backup infielder for a day or two, and I knew I was going to get sent down right away. But it was so cool to be in Boston, suiting up. The game was at Fenway, against Tampa. My mom and dad came to the game from Louisiana. Before the game, my dad actually said to me, ‘Garin, I tell you, you’re gonna hit a ball off the Monster tonight.’ I told him, ‘Dad, I’m not playing. No chance.’
“So Pedey gets thrown out of the game, and I go in. We got no one off the bench but me in the infield, so I’m in. My first at-bat, I get called out on strikes—a pitch about 10 inches outside. Okay, that’s how you deal with the rookie—I get it. Second time up, you know Fenway, short left-field wall. The night before, in [minor-league] Pawtucket, a fly ball to left’s a routine fly ball. But this one is halfway up the wall. Double. I knock in a run.
“There’s a family room right outside the locker room. After the game, my mom and dad are in there, and my dad’s excited about my first big-league hit, obviously. Pedroia’s there with his kids. He sees me and comes over. Says to my dad, ‘Are you Cheech’s dad? Just want you to know I got thrown out on purpose! I wanted Cheech to play because I knew he was gonna get sent down!’ I mean, not true of course, but my dad still tells that story today.
“I get called back up a couple weeks later, and we got a day game and then we’re flying to the West Coast to start a series in Oakland. Our flight was delayed, and we don’t get in till after midnight. We’re in the Westin or the W, I forget which, in downtown San Francisco. The next morning I get up and eat breakfast downstairs, and I’m going up to my room, and I hear from across the lobby, ‘CHEECH! CHEECH! LET’S GO!’ It’s Pedey. Wants me to go somewhere with him. Sometimes you hear stories of the vets taking rookies out to buy them a suit. Was that what this was? I didn’t know. So I go out there in and get in a cab with him, and Pedey says to the driver, ‘Oakland Coliseum.’
“I’m wondering what’s going on. It’s like, 9 in the morning. Game’s at 7. He says, ‘Cheech, this is the big leagues. We’re going there to get ready to win.’ He starts talking about Oakland’s pitcher that night, Scott Kazmir. ‘Facin’ Kazmir today. I’ve already taken him deep, and I’m taking him deep tonight.’ We get to the ballpark, probably around 10. Clubhouse guy sees Pedey and says, ‘Of course it’s you.’ We played casino, hit in the cage, walked around the field for a while. By noon, he’s in full uni, pine tar on his right hip, ready to go, seven hours before the game. He orders Chipotle for everyone. I learned a lot from that day. I just figured, This is how it’s gonna be. I started following his lead.”
(P.S. Top of the sixth: Pedroia laces a Kazmir changeup to left. Home run.)
Cecchini: “In late September, I had a check-swing against some left-hander. I get back to the bench, and he’s all over me. ‘What the hell was that!’ I told him what I was thinking op there, and he said, ‘You think too much! There’s no check-swinging in the big leagues, Cheech!
“The Red Sox are gonna miss him. Baseball’s gonna miss him.”
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/02/08/super-bowl-lv-tom-brady-bucs-chiefs-nfl-fmia-peter-king/?cid=nbcsports
That's such a great story. I love picking up these little stories from people, here and there, that show the true character of a guy
And Pedey's as we know, was a truly great character guy and a character as well
Nice look by 538 on Pedey's status in the Hall of Pretty Damn Good - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dustin-pedroia-led-some-damn-good-red-sox-teams/
No, I posted it earlier in the thread. Frankly I'd rather see that than him going into coaching.