Former ASU star Pedroia named AL MVP

Though small in stature, AL MVP Pedroia proves no ceiling is too high
by Jeff Metcalfe - Nov. 19, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Dustin Pedroia couldn't help but peek beyond the camera to the field below, where he starred for Arizona State and where the Sun Devils were practicing. He saw hustle guys such as the Torrez brothers, Raoul and Riccio; and Zack MacPhee, who remind ASU coach Pat Murphy of Pedroia.

"Baseball is fun for me," said Pedroia, who was introduced Tuesday as the Red Sox's 10th MVP, one year after he was named the AL Rookie of the Year and won a World Series ring. "I love doing it. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing than playing baseball."
The 25-year-old second baseman received 16 of 28 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America to win by a comfortable 60 points over Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau and by 116 over infield teammate Kevin Youkilis.

Pedroia is the eighth AL player to earn MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in the same season. He and the Chicago Cubs' Ryne Sandberg are the only major-league second basemen to accomplish that.

Other MVP players from ASU are seven-time winner Barry Bonds and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

"I just marvel at what he's been able to accomplish," Murphy said of Pedroia, who played at ASU from 2002-04. "This game is hard to play, period. If you're not gifted with unbelievable physical skills, it's even harder. He's been able to overcome all odds. Every young kid in America should go, 'Wow, that's a sport I can play if I have my insides churning the way a kid like he does.' "

At 5 feet 9 and 180 pounds, not much bigger than he was in college, Pedroia is unimposing. Yet he tied for the major-league lead in hits (213) and led in doubles (54). He led the AL in runs (118) and multihit games (61) and was second in batting average (.326), two points behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer.

"I remember when I was growing up and I wasn't the biggest guy in the world, all the guys I looked up to were big," Pedroia said. "I looked up to Barry Bonds and (former San Francisco Giants first baseman) Will Clark. There was never that smaller guy I could compare myself to or try to be. If I'm doing that for one kid, that's amazing."

Pedroia lives in Chandler with his wife, Kelli, who also attended ASU. They were among a large group that vacationed in Kona, Hawaii, last Christmas as guests of Murphy. Others on the trip included former Sun Devils players Andre Ethier and Willie Bloomquist.

All had good major-league seasons. Ethier hit .305 with 20 home runs and 77 RBIs for the Dodgers. Bloomquist hit a career-best .279 with the Mariners. Pedroia, in addition to his other statistics, had 17 homers and 83 RBIs.

"(Former ASU standout and current Athletics outfielder) Travis Buck saw me and said, 'When is Hawaii? I need to get on that trip,' " Murphy said. "Craig Counsell (who played for Murphy at Notre Dame) wants to play some more and said he needs to be coming to Hawaii. Willie is taking 30 people over next weekend to the same place. It's a good-luck thing."

Pedroia, leaving today for a vacation in Mexico, fondly remembers the Hawaii trip that launched a year in which he would join the ranks of Red Sox immortals Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski as the AL MVP.

"We relaxed and hung out and talked," Pedroia said. "I never really get a chance to sit back and enjoy anything in the off-season. Once I get home, I usually start working out and focusing on the next season. That's how I am. That helped me take some time off and realize it's pretty special what's going on."