Dustin Pedroia garnered a handful of nicknames during his playing days including “Pedey” and the “Muddy Chicken.” But nothing summarized his career better than the “Laser Show.”
“I call every one of my hits lasers, because that’s just how I feel,” Pedroia said once in a New Balance commercial.
Known for his hard-nosed style of play, the 5-foot-9 Pedroia, a four-time All-Star and Gold Glove second baseman carved out what could be a Baseball Hall of Fame career.
It didn’t take long for him to become a household name.
The Boston Red Sox drafted him in the second round in 2004.
In 2007, he won the American League Rookie of the Year and helped the Red Sox to a World Series championship.
In 2008, he won the AL MVP award.
In 2013, he helped the Red Sox to a another World Series title.
Pedroia is a legend in Boston, with few Red Sox players in history more beloved than him.
Unfortunately, in 2017, then-Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado slid into Pedroia at second base injuring his knee, with multiple surgeries over the next few years leading to his retirement.
“Unfortunately, I just got caught in the wrong position and that was it,” Pedrioa said. “But I think I’m at peace with everything knowing that I did my best and the training staff and the doctors did everything we possibly could’ve to try to continue to play baseball.
“And we made it back. I played nine games (in 2018-19) when 90% of the doctors said there’s zero chance you could play. I’m proud of that. The way it ended, it ended that way, and that’s OK. I just hope I did enough during the time I had to play to impact everyone. That’s the only thing I care about.”
Pedrioa definitely made a lasting impact, especially in Boston.
Pedroia played the second-most games at second base in franchise history, behind only Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr. Pedroia’s 11 consecutive Opening Day starts at second from 2007-17 marks the second-longest streak in Red Sox history at any position, behind only Carl Yastrzemski’s 12 straight in left field from 1961-72.
He also ranks in the top 10 in Red Sox franchise history in hits (eighth), doubles (sixth), runs scored (10th), stolen bases (sixth), extra-base hits (eighth), total bases (eighth) and at-bats (ninth). Pedroia finished with a .299 career batting average, second among second baseman in Boston history.
Was it good enough for Cooperstown? Here’s a closer look at Pedroia’s Hall of Fame candidacy:
The case for Dustin Pedroia
Pedroia’s career started off fast, but ended too soon.
He is the only player ever to win Rookie of the Year, MVP and a Gold Glove, along with a World Series championship in his first two full seasons. Only nine other players have accomplished those feats in their entire career. He is one of three to win RoY and MVP in back-to-back seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr., Ryan Howard and Kris Bryant (Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki are the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season).
And from 2007-17, spanning his first full season to his last, only one second baseman produced a higher bWAR than his 53.3 − Robinson Canó, 60.5. He led all second basemen with 102 defensive runs saved. Only five players in all of baseball had more DRS over that span, regardless of position.
Pedroia also was big in October. He helped lead the Red Sox to two World Series titles. One of his best performances came in Game 7 of the 2007 AL Championship Series against Cleveland , going 3-for-5 with five RBI and a home run to lead the Red Sox to the Fall Classic in his rookie season.
The case against Dustin Pedroia
Because Pedroia’s career was cut short by injury and he only had 6,777 career plate appearances, he falls short of what most voters consider to be a slam-dunk Hall of Fame case. He never reached landmark career numbers like most Hall of Famers − 1,805 hits and 140 home runs don’t rank well among those in Cooperstown.
And with a 51.9 career Wins Above Replacement (WAR), he ranks 22nd among all second baseman.
Voting trends
Pedroia is one of 14 players making their ballot debut − a group headlined by pitcher CC Sabathia and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Through 142 public ballots in Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame voting tracker, Pedroia has received 19 votes, totaling 12.5% support.
Bottom line
Pedroia’s a long shot, but he should stay on the ballot for many years. Despite a injury-shortened career, his credentials during his 14-year span should be deeply considered.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dustin Pedroia deserves a closer look for Baseball Hall of Fame
