Boston Red Sox second baseman and ASU alumnus Dustin Pedroia poses with his plaque and Steve Cobb, Director of the Arizona Fall League (far right.) Pedroia was inducted in the AFL Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Nov.5 at Scottsdale Stadium. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)It's been quite an offseason for Dustin Pedroia.
The former Sun Devil second baseman, who was in town in October attending former teammate Andre Ethier's induction to the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame, received his fourth Rawlings Gold Glove Award last night, and was inducted into the Arizona Fall League at Scottsdale Stadium tonight, before a game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and Salt River Rafters.
His No. 77 Scorpions jersey was retired in a pregame ceremony, and a banner was hung in in the wall in right field near the bullpen.
"It's a great honor," Pedroia said. "I'm excited to be here. It was a great opportunity for me to be invited here after playing A-ball."
Pedroia broke into the Fall League on the "taxi squad," only playing twice a week.
"I only played Wednesdays and Saturdays, so it was my first time not playing every day," Pedroia said. " I took (batting practice) and ground balls, but I didn't play. That was the first time I got to watch the other guys, and learn from them. I hadn't been to the higher levels yet, so to be around guys from Double-A, Triple-A, and even the big leagues, that helped me out."
Despite a down year for his Boston Red Sox last season, and a wrist injury suffered in September that kept him out for the remainder of the season, Pedroia still was one of the top defensive infielders in baseball, recording just two errors all year.
Fans wait for pre-game autographs along the first base dugout. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)He posted a 4.8 WAR rating, good for No. 11 among second basemen in Major League Baseball, according to ESPN Stats & Info. His .992 fielding percentage ranks third all time among second basemen, per Baseball Reference.
"We all take pride in playing defense," Pedroia said. " All the work that you put in with your infield coach, and the video that you watch, we're just trying to put each other in position to make plays."
He hit .278 in 135 games, with 53 RBIs, bringing his lifetime average to .299, accrued through nine seasons with the Red Sox.
Though he has two World Series rings, was Rookie of the Year in 2007, and voted American League MVP the following year, the four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger said that the AFL honor is something special on its own. He's still trying to take it all in, though.
"It's crazy, time flies," Pedroia said. "I'm sure eventually I'll sit back and look back at it and how special it is, but you're always worried about what you're doing next."
Reach the assistant sports editor at smodrich@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @StefanJModrich
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