Red Sox Digging The Short Ball And Short Players
Who says size means everything? Height cannot measure many Boston Red Sox hearts. Players like Dustin Pedroia continue to impress, despite their heights.
Who hit the ground-ruled double yesterday to take the lead and the victory away from the Toronto Blue Jays? The former American League MVP, that’s who. Pedroia has been leading by example for years, but he’s not the only one doing it at a less-than-average height for Major League Baseball players.
Christian Vazquez is only 5’9″, but he is the absolute rock as the starting catcher. Mookie Betts, the starting right fielder, matches both Vazquez and Pedroia in terms of both height and heart. Even Jackie Bradley Jr., the man who recently had a hit streak that was creeping up on the best in club history, is only 5’10”.
Many people have said for decades that baseball players need to be built tough with a big frame to be able to drive the ball deep. Well, deep is one thing, but the home run isn’t everything. The Boston Red Sox have the most runs scored (295), the best batting average (.295), the best slugging percentage (.483), and the most runs batted in (283), this season. A statistic that gets overlooked is the fact that they also lead the majors in doubles (131), with the closest team being the St. Louis Cardinals (102). Another statistic overlooked is the stolen base total (35) which puts them seventh in the majors, just one below the only other A.L. team in the top seven, the Kansas City Royals. In fact, the Red Sox have the best stolen base percentage in both majors, coming in at 92%.
The short-ball strategy is working for the Red Sox, as they lead the A.L. East division after being in the basement the last two seasons. Too many players were swinging for the fences, regardless of the men on base. Now, the stolen base and the double have replaced the long ball as Boston’s most deadliest weapons.
Betts’ .444 SLG is not the best in the majors, but considering that he’s only 180 lbs he’s hitting the ball incredibly hard. His bat speed is much faster than many hitters, and if he were ever to bulk up a bit more the ball will be leaving the park at an alarming rate for opposing pitchers. Not that Betts needs to do that; he just needs to get on base. So far, he has stolen eight bases in eight attempts.
Bradley Jr. is just 200 lbs, yet he has eight home runs and 36 RBIs. His .387 batting average and lightning-fast speed on the basepaths and in center field have not needed any bulking up for him to accomplish.
Vazquez may not have the greatest bat, but it’s not because of his size. At least, it’s never been a problem for his arm, throwing out basestealers left and right. Even with the Tommy John surgery, Vazquez has been dominant over opposing men on the bases.
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And Pedroia? Well, at 175 lbs, the 32-year-old veteran is still an unstoppable force. Hitting .308, Pedroia’s 14 doubles have helped contribute to 24 RBIs and 37 runs scored in just 48 games. More often than not, Pedroia’s tiny bat and tiny fists of fury have helped the Red Sox put up big numbers on the scoreboard, this season and for his entire career.
Never judge anyone by the size of their body frames. Instead, judge them by the size of their hearts. In Boston, the Red Sox players have hearts three-times the size of other men.