10. You have to admit, Pedroia is eerily similar to what a love child between Jeff Frye and Jody Reed would grow up to be. For those of you who forget, both Frye and Reed shared Dustin’s lack of stature, all three standing a rather puny 5’9″. Further evidence that good things come in small packages.
9. As a 23 year old male with a receding hairline…how can I not love another 23 year old male with a receding hairline? Gotta keep it in the family.
8. I know every bio of Dustin claims he went to ASU, but if you’re from the Mass area, couldn’t you just swear that he was that one dude at Framingham State that owned you in beer pong? Even if he is a west coaster he feels like he grew up in Natick or something. I don’t know why I feel this way, but it makes me love him that much more.
7. Consistency. Obviously, it took Pedroia the month of April to get on track, but look at these splits: vs. Left: .300. vs. Right: .340. Home: .333. Road: .324. Day: .311. Night: .337.
6. I challenge you to show me one other middle infielder who consistently makes harder contact when he swings the bat. Pedroia has a serious knack for getting the sweet part of the bat on the ball and that is something that just doesn’t come easily. God bless natural instincts and ability.
5. Having the brass tacks to turn around a season that was bordering on lost as a rookie playing for the Boston Red Sox. Can you imagine? You’re an undersized second basemen, taking the place of a solid, respected veteran (Loretta) and you sucked mightily upon being called up last September. You are handed the starting job and have a miserable first month. The criticism in the Boston media is mounting, what do you do? Apparently, if you’re this little fella, you put together a month where you hit .411. Good thinkin’, Dusty.
4. The glove. I will tell you this right now ; I currently place more stock in Pedroia’s glove than anyone else’s in the Red Sox infield. Yes, Lowell is the decorated Gold Glover and will make the occasional jaw-dropping bare hand stab and fire a rocket across the diamond to get a speedy runner. Yes, Youk will pick almost anything you chuck at him and is vastly underrated as a defensive 1B. On the young season, however, Pedroia has been nothing short of magical with the leather. Scouts have long questioned his range, but all we’ve seen is him making exceptional plays look routine, and routine plays look elementary. I love watching him D-Up.
3. Knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is the ultimate team player. You want to hit him 9th? No problem. Oh, Drew’s out of the line-up? Cool, he’ll volunteer to hit in the two-hole. I honestly could see him filling in for one of the bat boys when he has a day off and the bat boy called in sick.
2. His face when he gets fired up. Seriously, it’s priceless. Just picture a miniature-pincher when you steal its chew toy.
1. His name! Can you think of a single person more deserving of the name Dustin? It’s like his parents were shown an adult photograph of what their baby would look like before they picked the name. For that matter, they must have been given advance notice of his entire persona as the name fits the bill.
There you have it, flat out, I love Dustin Pedroia. I’m sick of having friends in Sox Nation dogging him. All through April I was that one guy in the group that pleaded with everyone to hang on from the side of the Titanic as it was sinking (the Titanic being Pedroia’s season). There was so much to love, and he was making good contact, if he could only get some luck, I just KNEW he would turn it around. Well, Dustin, thanks for not making me eat my words.
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