Rays manager Joe Maddon likens scrappy Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia to old-time ballplayers.
“He played in 1920, 1920, 1930, all the way up to the present day,” Maddon said. “He’s not the tallest, biggest guy in the world, but he plays baseball big. So that’s why I think he plays in every generation, because he’s got the right perspective.”
Terry Francona whole-heartedly agrees, and not just because he and Pedroia engage in a daily game of cribbage.
“There’s probably a scout in our organization who deserves a medal, because I’m sure when they put (Pedroia) up on video, there are probably still some scouts around baseball that are scratching their heads.
“He’s one of the very best players in the game. As people that are around him will tell you, he has to play with a chip on his shoulder. That’s part of what gets his motor running, because I’m sure he was told at a very early age he couldn’t do things, and he continues to prove that he can.”
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