FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox are attempting to fortify a center infield that’s with out Xander Bogaerts (without end), Trevor Story (best-case state of affairs is a number of months), newcomer Adalberto Mondesí (no timetable), and strengthen management on a staff that misplaced dozens of gamers and added over a dozen newcomers this winter.
What higher means than to enlist the experience of one of many franchise’s finest infielders?
At Alex Cora’s request, Dustin Pedroia arrived at JetBlue Park early Saturday morning, and spent the morning with gamers. He’ll be on the facility till Monday.
The supervisor is amazed by his good friend and former teammate. “The energy Pedroia still has is unreal,” Cora mentioned after exercises.
A praise, sure, but additionally a bittersweet reminder of what may have been. Pedroia was American League Rookie of the Year in 2007, AL MVP in 2008, a four-time All-Star, and received 4 Gold Gloves (a Red Sox infield file) and two World Series (’07, ’13) with the Red Sox earlier than knee accidents prematurely ended his potential Hall of Fame profession.
After enjoying 105 video games in 2017, Pedroia underwent knee surgical procedure for the second consecutive offseason. He solely performed 9 video games after that — three in 2018, and 6 in April 2019 — earlier than occurring the Injured List and present process one other knee surgical procedure. After lacking your complete 2020 season, he formally introduced his retirement in February 2021.
Coach Pedey?
Even earlier than he retired, Pedroia was seen as somebody with a vibrant future teaching, even managing. The former infielder isn’t prepared for that second act simply but.
His reappearance at spring coaching inevitably brings such hypothesis to the floor once more — the Red Sox Instagram account even known as him “Coach Pedey” in a publish on Saturday — however he and Cora each pumped the brakes.
“(His family) is his team right now,” Cora mentioned, “little by little, he’ll keep showing up and helping us out. … It’s always good for him to be around and we’ll see what happens in the future.”
“He wants me here, I’ll be here,” Pedroia mentioned. “Obviously I’ll do anything for Alex. What he meant to me in my career and the way he helped me, the things he taught me. If he asks, I’m there. But as far as like, a major role with the organization, I’m not there yet. My kids are young. I’m focused on them.”
But Pedroia has been serving to behind the scenes. On Saturday, he mentioned he’d been texting with Justin Turner when the Red Sox had been attempting to signal him. The veteran infielder ended up taking a one-year contract with a participant possibility for a second season.
And this journey to the Fort provides Pedroia an opportunity to get his toes moist main in a non-player capability.
“I know there’s a lot of people out there questioning our leadership in the clubhouse, well, you know, bringing guys like that is gonna help us, right?” Cora continued, “(Pedroia) led in a different way … he led by example. There’s a reason he’s limping around, right? Because he did everything for this franchise.”
The final “dirt dog,” Pedroia famously injured his thumb on Opening Day 2013, and waited to have UCL surgical procedure till after they received the World Series. In addition to getting a second ring, he was an All-Star and received a Gold Glove that yr. But to ensure that the second baseman to play by that harm and ache, a teammate recalled him needing a particular glove insert to stabilize the digit, and that the severity of his harm was known as into query due to how properly he carried out.
And, in fact, there have been numerous knee procedures and surgical procedures, which by no means enabled him to finish his profession on his personal phrases, although he tried valiantly again and again. “Obviously, physically, the game took a lot from him,” Cora mentioned.
One day, a weekend again on the Fort may flip right into a full-time factor, however Cora believes “it’s gonna take a while.” Still, he thinks the Red Sox have to “make a conscious effort to have him around as much as possible.”
In the meantime, slightly Laser Show is best than none in any respect.
“(We) need to “make a conscious effort to have him around as much as possible,” Cora mentioned, “It’s fun to have him here, we’re gonna take advantage of the next three days.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com