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MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v RED SOXOctober 24, 2013Dustin PedroiaBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Two Q.  Can you explain your gritty style. And how much do you want to succeed because people all through your career have said you were too darned small? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  Yeah, that's the thing. I better play hard because I'm not very big. I've just got to try to find other ways to help us win. That's what I do. I try to show up and do all I can to help the team win that day and hopefully it turns out well. Q.  Napoli was saying yesterday that he really likes this time of the year. He thinks that's why he's played so well. Is there anything you see in him differently in the postseason or what do you think makes him so effective now? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  No, his approach doesn't look any different from now and in the regular season. It seems like when guys are on base or we need a big hit, he's right there and he's putting a great swing, getting a pitch to hit and not missing it. And he's been a huge force. Last night that first inning that was a great swing, driving in three runs, and kind of let everybody take a deep breath and go play. He's been huge for us. Q. Xander Bogaerts talked after the game yesterday about being in awe of the fact that he was playing at the World Series at the age of 21. He showed incredible patience at the plate so much. How impressed are you with what he's been able to do? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  Yeah, he's been unbelievable. Not only on the field but the way he acts in the clubhouse, the respect he gives everybody. He works his tail off, too. The sky is the limit for him. And him getting this experience and playing on this stage, it's only going to help him down the road. He's going to take over a leadership role, too, soon. This guy has it all and we're happy to have him here. Q. In the 2004 World Series in Boston, as you know, it's treated as practically mythology. Are there times you think the 2007 World Series championship is not overlooked, but taken for granted? And what experiences do you take from that that you might be applying to this World Series? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  I don't know if the 2007 was overlooked. Anytime you win a championship, it's extremely hard to do. So I hope it's not overlooked. I know what the guys did in 2004; they had to deal with a lot. There was a long time before they won one. But it's a different team this year, to answer the second part, different guys. But the same philosophy. We're trying to show up and play the game the right way, win, play with each other and it's been a blast. Q. I wanted to ask you about the so‑called controversy: Lester last night, there are pictures that some suggest might show him doing something to the ball. What's your reaction to it? Does it bother you that these suggestions are being raised? Do you think they have any validity to them? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  No, it doesn't bother me. I played with Jon basically my whole professional career. He kind of sweats a lot, man. I know he loads up with resin all over the place. I don't even like going out there and telling him "good job", and patting him on the back because you get all wet and stuff. But I don't know, pitching and stuff, that's not my area, man. Q. Do you think it has any validity, any of these suggestions or not at all? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  I don't know what that word is, man. Arizona State education, bro (laughter). You'll have to break that one down to me. Q. Do you think there's any possible truth to the allegations? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  I don't think so, no. He's thrown great all year. It was not like he was up there throwing balls that were moving 20 feet. He's on his game, and that's the way I saw it from second base. Q. During the game tonight they're going to pay tribute to the marathon victims. What was it like being a professional athlete like this year? And what do you view sports' role in kind of helping the city heal from something like that, if it is possible? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  Yeah, I mean, when that happened, everybody was hit by it. Playing baseball here in Boston, there's a responsibility to play the game the right way and represent the city right. When that happened, it meant more to us to try to make sure that we did all we can to hopefully cheer people up the best we can in the toughest of times. And we've been trying our best to do that because when that happened, not only the city, but everybody around the country and everywhere, it affected everybody. Q. You've hit in the No. 2 hole a lot of your career before this year, moving down to No. 3. How much has your mentality changed moving down a spot even, though you have Napoli and Ortiz hitting behind you? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  It hasn't changed in my offensive approach. I still try to do the same things. Sometimes on the bases with David hitting behind me, if they're not shifting him as much and he can hit with that hole, I won't run as much. But I still try to take it the way like I did hitting second. I'm a run scorer, get on base and try to make something happen, hit the ball in the gaps, make the big hits, move runners, do everything. I don't look like at it like I'm Miguel Cabrera and hit 40 home runs or things like that. I just try to play the game and do all I can. Q. I was just wondering how healthy your wrist or hand or whatever it is? What was it like playing with that injury all season? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  It was a little difficult. Actually in the end, I'm going to look back and it helped me because I kind of take huge swings in the past trying to hit home runs, and sometimes I get a longer swing than what I normally have, when I just use my hands and stuff like that. So that kind of helped me being short to the ball, making sure I go the other way, not try and pull everything. But it's one of those things, I did it to myself, I slid headfirst into first. I don't think I'll ever do that again. Q. Is there any continuity factor between Tito as a manager and John, considering that John was his pitching coach for a while? How much has that contributed to as well as you played this year? DUSTIN PEDROIA:  The thing with John is he's so smart, I think it seems like he learns from every single person he's around in baseball. And you can tell he picked some things off Tito. And there's certain times in the game where like if it's a tough spot and John's kind of relaxed and Tito was always like that, too. He would joke around with you in the biggest spot of the game. And I could see similarities all over the place, things that he does. So obviously both are great managers. John this year has been unbelievable with all of us, just the communication, the things that ‑‑ it's tough to be a manager. There's a lot of things going on and John has been unbelievable, just like Tito was here. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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