Fuck all the haters. Yesterday, Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia won the American League MVP in only his second full season in the big leagues.
After winning the AL rookie of the year last season, Pedroia has outdone himself the last few weeks with a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and now the biggest individual award of them all.
It's heady stuff for a guy that all lazy sportswriters and announcers will tell you (100 times each broadcast or column) is maybe 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds.
You know what, who cares how big Pedroia is? This award has already showed that he never has to prove himself again to anybody.
The ninth Red Sox player to be named AL MVP and first since Mo Vaughn in 1995, Pedroia captured 16 of 28 first-place votes, six second-place votes, four third-place votes and a fourth place vote for 317 total points.
2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau of the Twins came in second with 257 points. Sox first baseman/third baseman Kevin Youkilis finished a solid third with 201 points, including two first-place votes (did Joba have a say in this?).
In 157 games, Pedroia's 2008 season was straight up dirty: he batted .326 (second in the AL), ripped 213 hits (tied for first), 54 doubles (led the majors), led the AL in runs (118) and multi-hit games (61). He was fourth in total bases (322) and seventh in extra-base hits (73). He also had 17 home runs, 83 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. His OBP was .376 and slugging percentage was .493
Tip of the glass to the Sox scouting system, player development staff and minor league teams. Having two homegrown guys finish first and third in the MVP voting in the same season is incredible.
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