Good Luck, Pedey!

 

 

It's a sad day for us Red Sox fans, although one we've had three years to prepare for. Dustin Pedroia officially announced his retirement yesterday. Like many others, he was a favorite of mine. He didn't let his size or ability keep him from playing his very best, and he took all of it and willed his way to a near Hall of Fame career. He was always fun to watch, able to make you jump out of your seat with a key laser past the infield or an amazing defensive play. He's also easily one of the most quotable players around.

Those last few years were hard to watch. He only made it into 9 games in the past 3 years, which is nothing short of amazing when you consider the doctors told him he'd never play again. Deep down, we all hoped he'd at least give the Fenway Faithful one game to give him a proper farewell. 

I'm obviously biased, but I think he has a strong case for the Hall. Yeah, the stats don't paint the picture, he didn't hit any milestones or pass that all to easy to accept JAWS line. But when you factor in all the hardware he's won, throw in 3 World Series rings, and think about how he carried himself on the field every day - I think it might be enough to put him over the top. 

Thanks for an amazing career, Dustin. There will never be a Laser Show as spectacular as yours!