The Boston Red Sox have had several impactful players in the last 25 years.
Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, Mookie Betts, and Rafael Devers are some of them, from the early 2000s to our days.
He may not be the greatest of them all, but it’s hard to think about a player in franchise history with more grit, passion, and rapport with fans than Dustin Pedroia.
Pedroia is a three-time World Series winner in Boston, a player who had it all: contact, some power, speed, defense, and charisma.
He won an MVP award in 2008, had Silver Sluggers, All-Star berths, Gold Gloves…in other words, he achieved everything there is to achieve on a baseball field.
The 2023 Red Sox, therefore, thought his presence could be greatly beneficial for young players in training camp.
As a result, he was invited as a guest instructor by the Red Sox for spring training.
Gotta love having Pedey in camp. pic.twitter.com/WnIjlwTqX2
—Red Sox (@RedSox) February 20, 2023
Injuries took the chance from him to reach 2,000 hits and other personal marks later in his career.
For him, being around a baseball field must be an incredibly satisfying feeling.
According to Ian Browne, the Red Sox beat writer for MLB.com, Pedroia was full of energy and enthusiasm on Saturday morning, when his three-day period as a guest instructor started.
“The energy Pedroia still has, it’s unreal,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, per Browne.
“I’ve never seen anything like that. We’re going to make a conscious effort to have him around as much as possible [in the future].”
That was Pedroia’s career as a player: there were better, more powerful hitters than him.
But whatever he lacked he made up for it with passion, determination, and full effort every time.
That’s a good example for the youth.
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Photo Shows Two Teammates Reunited On The Red Sox
