For the Love of the Game

I recently did a little research on a player that has come to be one of my favorites in the game of baseball. Dustin Pedroia. He is not an outstanding stud of an athlete like many others in the MLB but he could play on my team any day of the week. Dustin Pedroia is a small guy (generously listed as 5'9" 180 pounds by the Boston Red Sox website). He is not overpowering at the plate and, while he isn't slow, he doesn't just have pure break away speed. But, Dustin Pedroia is a ballplayer. He is scrappy. He swings the stick with all the strength he's got in him then busts his butt down the line. In a world where a player jogs (practically walks) down the line if he thinks he is out, Pedroia never gives in. When he hits the ball he is going to make you work to get him out.

The other thing I love about Pedroia is that he plays for the love of the game. He played his college ball at Arizona State University, where he relinquished the last two years of his athletic scholarship so that ASU could recruit better pitchers. He was playing baseball at a top collegiate school and that was enough. Also, the reigning AL MVP recently signed a contract extension of 6 years worth $40.5 million, in addition to a team option for 2015 worth $11 million. Now to us everyday folks that is a lot of money. But in a league where people like Alex Rodriguez have a contract of 10 years worth $275 million, Pedroia (again the reigning AL MVP) could of milked Boston for more. Pedroia simply isn't that kind of player. He got offered a extension, he took it, and got back to playing baseball. So far he has won the Rookie of the Year award in 2007 and the AL MVP award in 2008 (he becomes only the third player to do this in consecutive years joining Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard). What is his goal for this year you ask? In a recent article in the Boston Globe Pedroia stated that he wanted to try to play all 162 games this year. He just has a never say die attitude that I think a lot of players in the pros today are missing. He plays for the love of the game. It's players like that, that should be the role models for our kids. The guys who play because they love what they do. Not the guys who use enhancers to get better. Dustin Pedroia-the way baseball should be played-for the love of the game.

"He just believes in himself. He's outgoing, self-effacing. He puts the team first. He's the ultimate grinder. He'll run through a wall for you. He's hilarious. He's totally fearless. He's what you want in a baseball player." -Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on Dustin Pedroia.