Did size matter for Pedroia?
What we will never know for certain is the impact of the Dustin Pedroia story, of the baseball equivalent of "The Little Engine That Could." What we do know is that Pedroia is a positively brilliant baseball player who was deserving of this year’s American League Most Valuable Player Award, an honor bestowed upon him today and one that is cause for celebration.
Now comes the question that nobody in these parts really wants to touch:
What was it, exactly, that made Pedroia such a landslide winner over his teammate, the equally deserving Kevin Youkilis?
Could it be that Pedroia had the advantage of sentiment because his perseverance resonated with all of us?
Here in Boston, we all know that Youkilis vs. Pedroia was a dead heat this season, right down to every last detail. Youkilis knocked in 115 runs. Pedroia scored 118. Generally speaking, both were extremely consistent. Both played excellent defense – regardless of the Gold Glove balloting – and Youkilis did so at two positions, only fortifying his case for being at least the most versatile MVP candidate in baseball.
Yet when it came to the MVP voting, Pedroia got 16 first-place votes. Youkilis got two. Both voters from Boston (Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald and Jeff Goldberg of the Hartford Courant) had Pedroia first, all of which suggests that Pedroia was somehow an obvious choice.
He wasn’t.
By definition, any election is a flawed process because there is simply no way to account for the human element. In 1999, when Rafael Palmeiro won a third consecutive Gold Glove at first base, managers and coaches gave him the honor despite the fact that Palmeiro played a mere 28 games at the position. ("We’re guilty," Sox manager Jimy Williams said of his voting brethren at the time.) Anyone who believes that he or she is more qualified to cast a ballot in any election misses the point that there always will be something to scream about.
With Youkilis, we cannot help but wonder: Was he hurt by the fact that Pedroia is 5 foot 8, that Pedroia had 18 productive at-bats in the cleanup position when Youkilis had 48 productive games there? Would Pedroia have had the same overwhelming support if he were 6 foot 1? On some level, we all know what Pedroia meant to the Red Sox, how gifted a player he is, how much of a leader he has become. We also know that Youkilis had a better batting average with runners in scoring position (.374 to .307) and a more productive September, despite the fact that Pedroia batted .326 during the final month while Youkilis hit .275.
The details? In September, Youkilis led in OPS, .992 to .914. In September, Youkilis led in RBI, 21 (in 21 games) to 15 (in 24 games). Youkilis led in homers, too, 5-2.
Pedroia’s margin in runs scored during the final month? It was 12-9.
Yet come voting time, Pedroia got 16 first-place votes to Youkilis’ two, which again introduces factors that are, in a word, immeasurable.
For a moment here, let’s turn back the clock to 2001, when Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki doubled as the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP during what was a truly historic season. Taking the major leagues by storm, Suzuki batted .350 with eight home runs, 69 RBI and 127 runs scored while winning a Gold Glove Award. Many in Seattle (and across the country) wondered whether Ichiro was even the MVP on his own team during a season in which second baseman Bret Boone batted .331 with 37 home runs, 141 RBI and 118 runs scored while similarly playing excellent defense. (Boone won four Gold Gloves during his career.) Yet when it came election time, Suzuki ended up with 11 first-place votes while Boone ended up with seven, finishing third in an election that was somewhat similar to this one.
But at least that one was closer.
In retrospect, even those of us who argued for Suzuki at the time (guesses, anyone?) now wonder whether we made the right decision. Could it be that we all just caught up in the wonder of Ichiro, who hit the major leagues like a tsunami? Could be it that Suzuki surprised us because he was the first Japanese positional player to have a substantive impact on our national pastime? Could it be that Suzuki was the better story and not necessarily the better player or the more valuable one?
Seriously, go back and look. In the season immediately following the departure of Alex Rodriguez, Boone did far more to replace the void in Seattle’s lineup than Suzuki did. In OPS, Boone bettered Suzuki, .950 to .838. That discrepancy is somewhat similar to that between Youkilis (.958) and Pedroia (.869) this season, and yet the man with lower number was a virtual landslide winner in the election, even with one respected voter (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) leaving Pedroia off his ballot entirely.
Fine, so Grant should have had Pedroia in the top 10.
But for what it’s worth, he also had Youkilis first.
Please, do not misunderstand here. WE ALL KNOW THAT DUSTIN PEDROIA IS A WORTHY MVP. That is not the issue. The issue is whether there were elements involved that made Pedroia a sentimental favorite to the point where he got eight times as many first-place votes as a teammate who was equally worthy of the award. Entering this season, none of us ever could have envisioned a scenario where Youkilis could substitute for Manny Ramirez (as Boone did for Rodriguez) in the middle of the Boston batting order. Yet somehow, Pedroia’s 18 at-bats seemed to carry far more weight than Youkilis’ 48 games, all because Pedroia doesn’t fit the profile – or is it the stereotype? – of what a cleanup hitter should be.
You say Dustin Pedroia, I say Doug Flutie.
In both cases, the story of a man overcoming physical limitations – perceived or real - is indisputably part of the package.
Of course, Pedroia has heard all of this nonsense before, and his size unfairly has been held against him for the large majority of his career. Two years ago at this time, we all wondered whether Pedroia could be an everyday player in the big leagues, let alone the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year. Now he is the reigning MVP. The Red Sox now look like geniuses for making Pedroia a controversial first-round selection and Pedroia looks like a true giant among his peers, someone who deserves far more credit than for being a small man excelling in a world dominated by big men.
For sure, Pedroia deserved this MVP award.
The size of the man should never again be a question.
But shouldn’t we at least wonder about the size of the victory?
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The right man won. Youk had arguably the better statistical year, but Pedroia had more clutch hits and is a better leader.
He didn't deserve win because of his story; there deserves to be a story because he won.
I first saw Pedroia at a spring training game in 05 against the Rays. The only big leaguers there for Boston were Ortiz and Varitek on that day. Pedroia was at second and absolutely caught everything hit to him. Deep in back of the bag at second...deep into the hole in right. A great double play I still see in my mind's eye. He only got one hit as I recall but stung the ball every single time at bat. I thought then and I think now that he is a total player and a total winner.
Of course size mattered! Just ask your wife when you get home.....
The right man did win, with no doubt in my mind. Yes youk did drive in more runs and had soild batting AVG. Yet he would not of had those RBI's if pedroia would not of gotten on base as much as he did. 83 RBI's for a guy that bats second most of the time is rather unbelieveable. Yes he did bat 4th for some of the season but most of the time that was Youks spot in the lineup. Finally for once this year the right person won the award given considering how Youk was jipped of the AL first base golden glove, and Fat Albert won MVP for being on a third place team. When it should of been Braun or Howard. Pedroia has given hope to us guys who are not that tall and want to play sports. No i'm not trying to go into a sob story, i'm just saying that he deserved to win it hands down. He was the best in the AL all year never cooled off nor was hurt. He carried them when Papi was hurt and no one else was stepping up. With out him he would of gone no where. When we played the white sox ozzie said he was more worried about faceing the jokcey then Big Papi. So congrats Dustin you deserved this award all year
I'm not sure that size mattered in this case but I do believe his overall "story" as you put it helped put him over the top. This was Pedroia's coming out party and whenever that happens with a player, his status is instantly elevated until the next season when there is a market correction. You give him the same numbers next year and he won't finish any higher than 4th. I don't want to take anything away from him, but the type of impact he has, while very valuable to the Red Sox, won't be looked on by sports writers as valuable in future years.
If you think height mattered here, you're crazy. A much bigger factor, and what really proves that Youk (much as I love the guy) shouldn't have been even close to Pedroia in MVP balloting is positional value. it's MUCH harder to find a second baseman who can produce at the level that Pedroia did than to find a 1b who produced at the level Youkilis did. Pedroia had as complete a season as you could hope for from a 2b, great defense at a middle infield position, great k/bb ratio, he hit for average, he hit for power, he cranked doubles all over the place and he stole bases at a rate that nobody in baseball would have predicted he could do.
Forget the story, forget his height, Dustin Pedroia was the single most complete baseball player in the majors this year
The story matters yes, but it shouldn't.
Pedroia was likely the third or fourth best player in the AL this season (A-Rod, Sizemore, and maybe Mauer). However, since most voters tend to ignore players on non-contenders Sizemore was out, as was A-Rod (how sweet is it to type that btw). Mauer is almost always underrated so he was never really a factor.
So of the players left behind, Pedroia was the only one who was actually a good fielder at a difficult position. While Youks is no doubt a great fielder at first, he slipped a bit from 07. The others were also bad fielders (Quentin) or unqualified (Mournua).
Pedey wasn't the best player in the American League, but he was excellent and he was excellent for team that made the post season and excellent at all facets of the game.
Pedroia's story didn't propel him to the top of the league in doubles, hits, runs, errors etc. He played great baseball, has all the intangibles and put up great numbers. That doesn't take anything away from the other two guys in the running, but Pedroia won on merit...what a novel concept.
Now the Red Sox need to cough up a bonus not mentioned in Pedroia's contract! He deserves a healthy bonus that recognizes his contribution. This is one time the Red Sox can show they reward excellence without an agent holding a gun to their back.
dumbest analysis i've ever read
Agree 100% with Tony that Pedroia's size made the difference. Youkilis was a more productive hitter and is as good if not better defensively in 2 positions. I would have voted for Youk.
I love the guy and he surely deserved the MVP, but D-Ped is 5'8" standing on Youk's shoulders.
C'mon Mazz...he's 5'7"
I use to like you Mazz. Now, I think you're a jerk.
Mazz has been a jerk ever since he agreed with Grady that Pedro should have stayed in the game. . .
I think Pedroia received the nod over Youkilis not because of his size, but because he's a middle infielder. Youkilis' stats, while outstanding, are not all that unusual for a corner infielder, or at least not as unusual as they are for a middle infielder. So it seems that the writers recognized that the Red Sox got more bang for their buck from Pedroia and voted accordingly. I'm glad that they're both on our team, though.
Typical Red Sox writer, always has to find something negative in the most postive of moments. What's the matter, did you lose a bet?
That was a lot of words to ask a simple question Mazz... and the answer is yes.
I thought that was obvious. No need to tip toe round the tulips on that one.
Pedroia and Youk both had great seasons, either one of them winning would have been a fine choice, but yes, Pedroia gets a little extra edge because he's not a hulking Jose Canseco type. No shame or harm in that. They were neck and neck (or neck and shoulders I guess you could say... ba dum dum!).
Now let's see Youk go get one next year!
Forget about the comparisons. Let's just enjoy the fact that we got to watch TWO guys on the Red Sox with MVP caliber years. How many fans can say they had that privilege? Here's to hoping Youk and Pedroia battle it out for AL MVP for the next 10 years.
Nice job Mazz....I think Pedroia deff. deserved this award good for him!!
PEDROIA ROCKS!!
1) That might be # 1, sure. And the Man is 5'5', maybe. 5'3" more likely. Time to have an honest broker measure the left field line and Pedroia.
2) Youk whines, and that cannot be underestimated. Plus he is so not pretty.
3) The moment that Pedroia went over the top was in hitting behind Ortiz. Forget Youk. Seeing Pedroia hit behind Ortiz was too much for the voters. They are weak.
I like sexy stories.
No doubt his size mattered. Why? First of all, you say he is 5'8". Is that in elevator shoes or standing on a 2 X 4? While Kevin Youkilis was every bit as deserving and should have finished second, not third, Dustin Pedroia was a symbol for all of us who may be vertically challenged and were often told they weren't big enough. Heck, I wondered why the Red Sox "wasted" a second round draft pick on a Lilli- putian? Was I ever wrong. The littlest guy overcame great odds just to make it to the "Show!" Once there the littlest man had the biggest heart and never backed down. He is most deserving! In case of a tie, the winner goes to the underdog!
Yes, Mazz, because he's your size he won. What a dumb column.
What Brendan said. Not only that, what Sean said. YOU EXPECT MORE PRODUCTION OUT OF FIRST BASE THAN SECOND. When did a 2B last win this typically meaningful award?
I know this and I'm not a baseball writer.
Actually he's 5'6". As a 5'5" Sox fan, I am especially proud of Dustin Pedroia. It's a sign that height has no bearing on what you can do!
Here's how I see it - Youk's case is in the numbers, but numbers can't quantify Pedroia's infectious attitude.
Would you rather have a whole team made up of Pedroia's 100% of the time assertive, confident, lighthearted, punchy mindset or Youk's it-always-looks-like-I'm-unhappy reactions? (Come on, even Manny agrees with me!)
Even when Pedroia strikes out, his reaction and demeanor must relax the troops' spirit...that's pretty valuable and should factor into the decision, no?
tony macaroni is a donkey, period!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pedroia was a 2nd round pick, albeit Boston's first selection
Leave it to a Boston sportswriter to throw cold water on a great moment for one of our fantastic ballplayers and teams. Shame on you Tony Mazz; take a few laps around the field.
sorry mazz, but dustin was a SECOND round pick, not first. he was the sox first selection in 04, though. i agree with your analysis that dustin benefitted from being a little guy and kinda cute. but he had a great year, youk had a great year. and we as boston fans can celebrate an mvp when no player really stood out as an obvious pick.
I think Pedroia's attitude as a selfless team player reveals some of the whining of Youk. Votes gave him the votes because, while their stats are equal, Pedroia's attitude makes him move valuable.
Let's face it. no one had eye-popping stats - 45 HRs, 150 RBI, .350 BA, 25 wins. Jeter, ARod, Suzuki, Ortiz, Vlady all had off years. Yankees stank; there was no NY bias in the voting for a change. So it came down to a player that had a good year and helped their club. Hamilton was a great story, but he faded and his club went nowhere. If you take the 4 teams that made the playoffs, Youk and Perdroia were great choices. The average sportswriter is probably 5' 10" , whereas major league stars are usually 6'2", 6'3". So writers identify more with Pedroia. All the New York writers used to identify with Sandy Koufax because he was a Jewish kid from Brooklyn. There's nothing wrong with that, it just happens.
..."one respected voter (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) leaving Pedroia off his ballot entirely."
Ahmm, our Texan buddy thinks the Pedey isn't one of the top 10 players in the AL. I think we can remove the word 'respected' from the above phrase ...
Pedroia was a second round pick. not a first.
What a bunch of idiotic posters on this article.
Mazz never said that Pedroia didn't deserve the MVP. He even wrote it in "ALL CAPS" for you brainless idiots. Unfortunately, many of you are brainless and blind. Stating that Pedroia "did" deserve to win and how stupid Mazz was for even writing this. Mazz has no problem with him winning !!!!!!!
His point was "why by such a landslide". And it is a good point. 16 first place votes to Youks 2. Was Pedroia better and more deserving? Probably. Was he
8 times as better than Youk? No way. If Pedroia would have won 9 votes to 5, there probably wouldn't even be an article written. But, 16 - 2 ? Good point, at least for discussion.
So, when you learn how to read, and not try and find fault with everything (as you are accusing Mazz of), maybe you will understand the writing a bit more.
Until then, you are going to miss your school bus.
I read somewhere last offseason that Pedroia "thinks he's Babe ruth,always has".He simply never got that he's not supposed to be this good.When the Manny situation culminated last season ,it was Pedroia who challenged the front office to"take care of this and soon"Really ticked and disgusted at the situation.Always a take charge guy,Pedroia has established himself beyond any doubt.Pedroia and Youk are ballplayers.They live the game and are a joy to watch.No overpaid(or not)premadonnas,they play ball.How refreshing.Eat your words(send him back to the minors) Jack Welch
You got it right. No matter what anyone says -Youk was not going to win this award because Pedroia was everybody's hero.
Really getting FED UP with all of the media continually talking about Dustin's SIZE!
ENOUGH ALREADY ! LET IT GO!..I am sure that Dustin is MORE sick of it,then me!......Give the guy credit thats it!.......Those idiots at eei have the gaul to play"MY LITTLE PONY" and make fun of him!.....what can you expect from eei!
Mazz - . Most of your columns are written for one of two reasons...you want to be controversial OR you are simply incompetent. I lean to the former but I cannot eliminate the latter as a real possibility.
Try writing a positive column every once in awhile. It mighjt soothe your (alleged) conscience.
At what point do you bowl-huggers stop bickering over voting done by sportswriters across the country for a subjective honor? This type of inanity is now more annoying than watching you nerds conduct Hall of Fame debates. Each writer placed their vote based on who they thought was the most valuable. No one is right or wrong. Stop arguing in a futile attempt at establishing some sense of self-worth.
It was a hair issue in the last analysis, and Dustin has more than Youk.
Come one Mazz... who were you pulling for in '03 when Mueller and Manny were in the mix for the AL Batting Champ? And didn't the Sox sit Manny in the last game and let Mueller play? We're a country (NATION) who loves feel-good stories. I think Pedroia deserved the nod but I can also tell you I was pulling for him, just like I was pulling for Mueller in '03. Btw, I'm 5'6".
Teammates want to get on Dustin's back and ride him to a win.
Youk throws temper tantrums; caught up in his own world of success and defeat during the game.
Dustin's a better leader. The right man won.
And of course Mazz takes the "skeptic" angle... of course. And no, he didn't say that Pedroia didn't deserve it, he questioned why Youk might not have won it on a day that should have been all about Pedroia. It's the Mazz way. In a word Mazz is a "doubter". That's the angle you'll get from him every time.
Tony "I don't think so, but we'll see" Massarotti.
Tony,
I thought the MVP had more to do with just using #s (try throwing some qualitative metrics into your article next time). Its much easier for Youk to drive in runs when Pedroia is on base! Pedroia set the table a lot for his teammates.
how's about pedroia played more games and filled in at cleanup when youk went down. he is also the first ever MVP, gold glove, and silvier slugger in the same year winner. pretty good start to pedoria's career.
A quick observation: could Pedroia and former Bruins tough guy 9and therefore fan favorite) PJ Stock pass for each other? Check out the pictures, the resemblaance is uncanny.
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