For the better part of a decade, Dustin Pedroia was regarded throughout baseball (not just New England) as one of, if not the best second baseman in the game. At age 33, the Red Sox veteran will miss out on his fourth straight All-Star game, meaning those days are firmly behind him. After 12 years of playing through injury, the wear and tear of the game have caught up.
But that doesn’t mean Pedroia is no longer the lifeblood of the Red Sox. Pedey is now the undeniable veteran presence in a locker room that relied on David Ortiz’s leadership for so long.