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November 23, 2008

On the Beat

Short People Got Reason

by John Perrotto

When Randy Newman sang "short people have no reason to live" in his campy 1977 pop hit "Short People," he had it all wrong. Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia offered proof this past week that short people have a place in the major leagues, just as Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum had the week before. Pedroia, who is 5'9" tall, won the American League Most Valuable Player award just one year after being named the AL Rookie of the Year, becoming only the third player to win the ROY and MVP awards in consecutive seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (1982-83 with the Orioles) and Ryan Howard (2005-06 with the Phillies).

Like the 5'11" Lincecum, Pedroia has spent most of his 25 years trying to prove the naysayers wrong. "I've heard all my life that I'm not big enough, I'm not strong enough, I'm not fast enough," Pedroia said matter-of-factly. "I hear it all the time now. I heard it when I was in high school. I know when I walk down the street, people probably don't think I'm a baseball player and I understand that. I've always been in a position to prove people wrong. I might be forever, who knows?"

After just two full major league seasons, Pedroia already has a roomful of awards; he also added his first AL Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger this year. There may be many more laurels for Pedroia to look forward to; from his rookie to sophomore seasons he has raised his WARP3 (7.1 to 9.8), his EqA (.285 to .299), and his VORP (35.9 to 59.8). "I don't think there is any question that Dustin has established himself as one of the premier players in the league now, and there is no reason to believe he won't continue to be for a long time," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Don't expect Pedroia to lose the little-man complex though, as he will continue to play with a chip on his shoulder, believing that the rest of the world doubts him. "That's the only way I can play," Pedroia said. "That's who I am. I have to find a way to have an edge. I always have to find something to motivate me. This year, when I went to spring training, everybody asked me about the sophomore slump, and if I was going to have a bad year because of it. In 2009, when I get to spring training, I'm sure everyone is going to ask me if this season was a fluke. I always have something to prove to someone, and that's fine. It just makes me want to work that much harder this winter to get ready for next season."

The Red Sox took their share of criticism for selecting Pedroia in the second round of the 2004 first-year draft, but he made his major league debut just two years later before replacing Mark Loretta as the Red Sox' second baseman at the start of the 2007 season. While many scouts were turned off by Pedroia and his swing-from-the-heels style, the statistical analysts loved him because of his gap power and plate discipline, both as a college player at Arizona State and as a minor leaguer. PECOTA projected Pedroia to have a .274 EqA and 21.7 VORP as a rookie. "I always felt I could play at this level," Pedroia said. "When I received a scholarship to Arizona State and played well, I really believed I could go on to the major leagues. I'm not surprised that I'm in the major leagues, but I don't think anyone expects to come to the major leagues and win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in back-to-back seasons. It's more than I could have ever imagined or dreamed about."