Dustin Pedroia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dustin Pedroia |
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Pedroia with the Boston Red Sox in 2016
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| Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: August 17, 1983 Woodland, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 22, 2006, for the Boston Red Sox | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| April 17, 2019, for the Boston Red Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .299 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 140 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 725 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Dustin Luis Pedroia (born August 17, 1983) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played his entire career as a second baseman for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2006 to 2019.
Pedroia was a four-time All-Star. He won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award in 2007. In 2008, he was named the AL Most Valuable Player and also won the Silver Slugger Award. He also earned four Gold Glove Awards for his excellent defense.
The Red Sox chose Pedroia in the 2004 MLB draft. He joined the major leagues in 2006 and became a full-time player in 2007. He helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and 2013. Pedroia was the last player from the 2007 World Series team to stay with the club. A knee injury in 2017 greatly affected his playing time. He officially retired from baseball on February 1, 2021.
Pedroia was known for being a great hitter who rarely struck out. He also had surprising power for his size. His defense at second base was considered much better than average. He was the first Red Sox infielder to win four Gold Gloves.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Dustin Pedroia was born and grew up in Woodland, California. His parents ran a tire shop and worked very long hours. His mother, Debbie Pedroia, played tennis in college. His older brother, Brett, played baseball as a catcher.
Pedroia went to Woodland High School. He played both football and baseball. His football career ended when he was a freshman quarterback. A hit from a future NFL player, Lance Briggs, seriously injured his ankle. As a senior in baseball, Pedroia did not strike out all season. He had a great batting average of .445 and was named his league's most valuable player.
College Baseball Career
Pedroia played college baseball at Arizona State University (ASU). He was teammates with future MLB players Ian Kinsler and Andre Ethier. Pedroia and Kinsler both wanted to play shortstop at ASU. Pedroia ended up staying at shortstop, while Kinsler moved to second base.
During his three years at ASU, Pedroia always hit above .347. His career batting average was .384. He started every one of the 185 games he played. He even gave up his athletic scholarship for his last two years to help ASU get better pitchers. He was named ASU's On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player.
Professional Baseball Journey
Getting Drafted and Playing in the Minor Leagues
The Red Sox picked Pedroia in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft. He was the 65th player chosen overall. He was the eighth shortstop drafted that year. Pedroia received a $575,000 bonus when he signed with the team.
Pedroia played in the Minor League Baseball system for three seasons. During this time, he had a .308 batting average. He played both second base and shortstop. He played for teams like the Augusta GreenJackets, Sarasota Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, and Pawtucket Red Sox.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox
First Seasons: 2006–2007
Pedroia had a short time in the major leagues in 2006, where he struggled to hit well. But in 2007, he became the main second baseman for the Red Sox. He took over from Mark Loretta. Pedroia had a tough start to the season with his hitting. However, he improved and later had a 13-game hitting streak. He also had a game where he got five hits against the Giants.
On September 1, he made an amazing diving play to help his teammate, Clay Buchholz, complete a no-hitter game. Pedroia won the AL Rookie of the Year award for his great performance.
In the 2007 playoffs, the Red Sox played the Cleveland Indians. In the final game of that series, Pedroia hit a home run and a double. He brought in five runs to help the Red Sox win and reach the World Series. In the first at-bat of the World Series, Pedroia hit a home run. This made him only the second player, and the first rookie, to start the World Series with a home run. The Red Sox went on to win their second World Series title in four seasons. This was Pedroia's first World Series championship.
MVP Season: 2008
Pedroia had an amazing year in 2008. He won the AL MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger awards. He was the first Red Sox second baseman to win a Silver Slugger Award. He was also the first Red Sox second baseman to win a Gold Glove since 1972. He was the first second baseman to win an American League MVP Award since 1959.
He hit for a .326 batting average with 17 home runs. Pedroia was also excellent defensively, making only six errors in 157 games. He also stole 20 bases out of 21 tries. His overall performance was considered "superstar" level. He became only the third player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in back-to-back seasons.
In the 2008 playoffs, Pedroia struggled at first but then hit well against the Tampa Bay Rays. He had nine hits, including three home runs. However, the Red Sox lost the series.
2009 Season
On December 3, 2008, Pedroia signed a new contract with the Red Sox for six years, worth $40.5 million. He also announced he would play for the United States team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Pedroia got the first major league hit at Citi Field during a practice game in April 2009. He hit a home run in his first at-bat of the 2009 season. Pedroia was chosen to start for the 2009 AL All-Star Team. However, he had to miss the game to be with his wife, Kelli, who was having pregnancy difficulties. On September 8, 2009, he hit two home runs in one game for the first time in his career.
2010 Season
In 2010, Pedroia had a disagreement with MLB umpire Joe West about how fast games were being played. Pedroia said that if West didn't want to umpire Red Sox and Yankees games, he should say so.
On June 24, 2010, Pedroia had an amazing game against the Colorado Rockies. He got 5 hits, brought in 5 runs, and hit three home runs. The Red Sox won the game 13–11 in extra innings. The next day, Pedroia fouled a ball off his foot. Tests showed he had a broken bone in his foot. He was put on the disabled list. Even though he was told not to put weight on his foot, he kept practicing fielding grounders while on his knees.
Pedroia was chosen as a reserve player for the 2010 AL All-Star team. But he could not play because of his injury. He returned to play in August but was soon put back on the disabled list. He only played in 75 games in 2010.
2011 Season
In 2011, Pedroia bounced back strongly. He hit for a .307 batting average and had 21 home runs in 159 games. He won a Fielding Bible Award for being the best fielding second baseman in MLB. His defense was excellent, saving many runs for his team. In June and July, Pedroia had a 25-game hitting streak, which was the longest for a Red Sox second baseman. On August 16, Pedroia was part of a rare triple play. His 2011 season was considered "MVP-caliber" because of how valuable he was to the team.
2012 Season
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On September 30, 2012, Pedroia broke his left ring finger. However, he decided to keep playing through the pain in the last series of the season.
2013 Season
On July 23, 2013, Pedroia and the Red Sox agreed to a new contract for eight years, worth $110 million. Pedroia recovered well from his injury-affected 2012 season. He was the only Red Sox player to play in more than 150 games in 2013, playing in 160 games.
Pedroia had a strong season and won his third Gold Glove award. He also won his second Fielding Bible Award and the Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award for the American League. The Red Sox won their division and went on to win the World Series. In November 2013, Pedroia had surgery on his thumb to fix an injury he got on opening day.
2014 Season
In May 2014, Pedroia hit his 100th career home run and his 300th career double. His hitting numbers dropped a bit that season, but his fielding remained strong. He won his fourth American League Gold Glove award at second base. This made him the first Red Sox infielder to win four Gold Gloves. He also won his third Fielding Bible Award.
2015 Season
Pedroia started the 2015 MLB season with two home runs in the Red Sox's first game. On June 25, 2015, he was placed on the disabled list because of a right hamstring injury.
2016 Season
Pedroia had a great hitting month in August. From August 25 to 27, he got a hit in 11 straight at-bats. He was only one hit away from tying the major league record of 12 straight hits. During this time, he had 10 singles and one double. In 154 games played, Pedroia had a .318 batting average with 201 hits, 36 doubles, 105 runs scored, 15 home runs, and 74 runs batted in.
The Red Sox won their division in 2016 but lost in the playoffs. On October 13, Pedroia had surgery on his left knee. He won a 2016 Fielding Bible award and the 2016 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for second base in all of MLB.
2017 Season
On May 30, Pedroia was placed on the disabled list due to a left wrist injury. On August 1, he was again placed on the disabled list because of left knee soreness. This happened after an Orioles player, Manny Machado, accidentally spiked him in the knee. On August 12, Pedroia was placed on the disabled list for the third time that season due to the same knee soreness. He played in only 105 games in 2017. He finished the season with a .293 batting average, 7 home runs, and 62 runs batted in. On October 25, it was announced that Pedroia had knee surgery. This meant he would miss the start of the 2018 season.
2018 Season
Because of his knee surgery in late 2017, Pedroia started the 2018 Red Sox season on the disabled list. He tried to come back in May but only played three games before his knee became inflamed again. On August 4, Pedroia was moved to the 60-day disabled list. On September 7, the Red Sox announced that Pedroia would not play for the rest of 2018. The Red Sox had a great year, winning 108 games and then the World Series. Even though Pedroia did not play in the playoffs, he received a 2018 World Series ring.
2019 Season
On March 7, 2019, Pedroia played in a spring training game. It was his first game since May 2018. He started the season on the injured list. He tried to come back several times, playing in minor league rehabilitation games. However, his left knee continued to bother him.
After being evaluated, he announced on May 27 that he needed to think about his future in baseball. He was not sure if he would ever play again. On August 6, Pedroia had another surgery on his left knee. In 2019, he had the slowest sprint speed among all American League second basemen.
2020 Season
On January 21, 2020, it was reported that Pedroia had a "significant setback" with his left knee. On February 23, the team placed Pedroia on the 60-day injured list. Because of his injury, Pedroia missed the entire 2020 season, which was shorter due to the pandemic.
Career Statistics
In 1,512 games over 14 seasons, Pedroia had a career batting average of .299. He had 1,805 hits, 922 runs, 394 doubles, 140 home runs, and 725 runs batted in. He also stole 138 bases. Defensively, he had a .991 fielding percentage as a second baseman. In 51 playoff games, he had a .233 batting average with 5 home runs and 25 runs batted in.
Retirement
On February 1, 2021, Pedroia announced he was retiring from Major League Baseball after 14 seasons. On June 25, 2021, the Red Sox honored Pedroia at Fenway Park. They also announced that he would be inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2022.
Honors and Awards
Amateur and Minor League Awards
- 2003 First Team All-American
- 2003 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year
- 2003 NCAA Defensive Player of the Year
- 2004 Golden Spikes Award Finalist
- 2004 First-Team Baseball America and USA Today All-American
- Red Sox Minor League 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
- 2006 International League All-Star
Major League Awards
- 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 American League All-Star Starter
- 2008 American League Gold Glove Winner
- 2008 American League Silver Slugger Award
- 2008 American League Most Valuable Player Award
- 2009 American League All-Star Starter
- 2010 American League All-Star Reserve
- 2011 American League Player of the Month–July
- 2011 Fielding Bible Award (at 2B, in all of MLB)
- 2011 American League Gold Glove Winner
- 2013 American League All-Star Reserve
- 2013 Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award (in entire American League)
- 2013 Fielding Bible Award (at 2B, in all of MLB)
- 2013 American League Gold Glove Winner
- 2013 Heart & Hustle Award Winner
- 2013 World Series Champion (Boston Red Sox)
- 2014 Fielding Bible Award (at 2B, in all of MLB)
- 2014 American League Gold Glove Winner
- 2016 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award (at 2B, in all of MLB)
- 2016 Fielding Bible Award (at 2B, in all of MLB)
Pedroia became eligible to be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Personal Life
Pedroia had several nicknames during his time in Boston, including Pedey, the Laser Show, and the Muddy Chicken. His family has Swiss Italian and Portuguese roots. The Red Sox officially listed Pedroia at 5 feet 9 inches tall, but he said in 2016 that he is 5 feet 7 inches. Pedroia is interested in Bigfoot and enjoys playing the game cribbage. He used to play cribbage with his former manager, Terry Francona. Pedroia is a fan of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.
In January 2009, Pedroia was featured on the cover of the baseball video game MLB 09: The Show. He also appeared in commercials for the game.
Pedroia and his wife, Kelli, have three sons. Their first son was born in August 2009, their second in September 2012, and their third in June 2014. They used to own a home in Massachusetts but sold it in 2020. They now live in Chandler, Arizona. Pedroia is the nephew of Nebraska football coach Phil Snow.
In a 2009 interview, Pedroia made some comments about his hometown of Woodland, California, which caused some upset. He later said he was only joking and his comments were taken out of context.
Pedroia has written an autobiography. He also wrote a children's book about the Red Sox mascot, Wally the Green Monster. This book was part of a series started by former player Jerry Remy.
See also
In Spanish: Dustin Pedroia para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
