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Former Sun Devil Pedroia takes home MVP award

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Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia takes a swing at the ball at a game during Pedroia's days as a member of the ASU Baseball team. Pedroia was named the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player.(Photo Courtesy of ASU Media Relations)

Growing up, Dustin Pedroia heard it all. He was too small. Too weak. Too slow.

Now he has it all.

A World Series ring, a gold glove, a silver slugger, a Rookie of the Year award and as of Tuesday, a Most Valuable Player award. Not bad for a two-year career, huh?

The current Boston Red Sox second baseman played three seasons at ASU (2002-2004) under coach Pat Murphy.

“There’s a lot of people that I owe [credit to], “ Pedroia said. “But [Murphy]’s definitely at the top of the list.”

The 5-foot-9-inch Pedroia enjoyed a prolific career while in maroon and gold, being named to All-Pac-10 Conference team three times. He sported a .384 career average and is fourth in school history with 298 career hits.

Even though his college days are long gone, Pedroia still remembers what it was like coming to play for Murphy.

“I really didn’t know what to expect being from a small town outside of Sacramento,” Pedroia said. “I started to grow up here and become a man.”

His collegiate success didn’t translate directly at the next level, though. He hit better than .300 during his three minor league seasons, but Pedroia hit just .191 in his first 31 MLB games in 2006.

Pedroia said it wasn’t easy during that first month in the big leagues and he often talked to Murphy for advice.

“I carried him through it,” Murphy joked.

With his rookie status still intact, Pedroia made Boston’s opening-day roster in 2007 and hasn’t looked back. He’s ascended into Boston sports lore as well. He joins baseball legends like Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams and Roger Clemens as Red Sox to win the MVP award.

“To say that I play for the Boston Red Sox is an accomplishment in itself,” Pedroia said. “It’s just an honor to put on that uniform. Just to be mentioned with those guys’ names… I honestly never thought in a million years that I would win the MVP.”

Pedroia hit .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI, while leading the American League in hits, runs and doubles. He became the first second baseman to win the award since Nellie fox did it in 1959.

Pedroia said he was honored to win the award considering the other contenders: Minnesota Twins’ Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer and even his own teammate, Kevin Youkilis. Pedroia said he and Youkilis, who was in Mexico on his honeymoon, talked on Tuesday for a couple of minutes.

Youkilis finished third in the voting, behind Morneau and Pedroia, who garnered 16 of a possible 28 first-place votes.

Reach the reporter at alex.espinoza@asu.edu.


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