Dustin Pedroia: A "Gritty" Play by Baseball's No. 1 "Gamer"
By Mike Cardillo
Dustin Pedroia made this impressive play ranging to his left, taking away a single from Austin Jackson in the third inning of Sunday night’s ALCS Game 2 at Fenway Park.
It was a very nice play for any second baseman to make. Pedroia showed range and made an accurate, off-balance throw all in one motion to get Jackson by a hair at first.
On cue, FOX’s Joe Buck and Tim McCarver went on for (approximately) 45 uninterrupted minutes applauding Pedroia’s “grit,” “leadership” and “gamer” status. Crazy, right? That was the first time we’ve ever heard any of those terms associated with Pedroia, a former American League MVP.
If we break it down on GIF replay, probably the only reason Pedroia made the play was his unparalleled “approach to the game.”
It’s a good bet, no matter what Pedroia does the rest of his career, the media narrative around him will never change.