The Red Sox are headed to the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2013, after winning the American League East. As this will be the first time that many fans across the Majors will be focusing on their roster, here's our attempt to learn the origins of second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Born: Woodland, Calif.
DOB: 8/17/83
HS: Woodland High School (Calif.)
College: Arizona State
Minors: Augusta (A), Sarasota (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA)
:: Before they were postseason-bound: Select a player ::
Path to Boston: Was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2004 Draft.
Trophy case: 2007 American League Rookie of the Year, 2008 American League MVP
You might not know: While playing at Arizona State, Pedroia played with current/former Major Leaguers Andre Ethier, Travis Buck, Tuffy Gosewisch, Colin Curtis and Mike Esposito.
Break a Leg: With the exception of playing football during his freshman year in high school, Pedroia only played baseball. When he was playing football, he was a quarterback and broke his leg. After he broke it, he remained in the game to snap the ball for the very next play and then came out of the game.
Giants in the House: Growing up, the San Francisco Giants were Pedroia's favorite team and Barry Bonds was his favorite player. After his father would get home from work, he and Dustin would play out in the yard or go to the batting cages before sitting down together to watch the Giants games on TV.
Tennis Star?: Pedroia would play tennis if he couldn't play baseball. He played that competitively all the way until he was 15 years old. His mother played tennis when she was younger and she taught Dustin how to play.
"I'd serve and go to the net. I'm a serve and volley guy. Don't let the size fool you," Pedroia said. "I would play in tournaments in the Sacramento and Davis, Calif., areas. But that had to stop because I was playing baseball all year round."