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Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia vs Bobby Doerr for best second baseman in franchise history

By Sean Penney

PORTLAND, ME - MAY 04: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox prepares for the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies while on a rehab assignment at Hadlock Field on May 4, 2019 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Zachary Roy/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, ME - MAY 04: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox prepares for the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies while on a rehab assignment at Hadlock Field on May 4, 2019 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Zachary Roy/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 09: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the ninth inning of the Red Sox home opening game at Fenway Park on April 09, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Blue Jays defeat the Red Sox 7-5. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 09: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the ninth inning of the Red Sox home opening game at Fenway Park on April 09, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Blue Jays defeat the Red Sox 7-5. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Awards

Pedroia has made four All-Star appearances and won four Gold Gloves. He has a Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year and MVP trophy on his resume.

Some of those awards didn’t exist when Doerr played but he was a nine-time All-Star who almost certainly would have made it double-digits if he didn’t miss a year of his prime due to military service in 1945.

Doerr never won an MVP but it’s hard to hold that against him. In those days, voters often favored players from teams that won the pennant. The top team in each league went straight to the World Series so Doerr only made the postseason once in his career. He also played most of his career alongside Ted Williams, who was robbed of a few MVP awards due to this favoritism toward team success.

Since winning his MVP in his sophomore campaign of 2008, Pedroia has only appeared on the AL ballot twice and hasn’t finished higher than seventh. Doerr never finished higher than third in his career but he was on the ballot for eight consecutive seasons.

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