Red Sox Nation, Meet Dustin Pedroia

Pay close attention to the game tonight, Red Sox Nation. We just may be witnessing the ushering in of a new era in Boston Baseball.

Tonight for their series-opening game against the Angels in Anaheim, the Red Sox will be joined by AAA-callup Dustin Pedroia. This 24-year old infielder has been tearing up Boston’s minor league system since being drafted out of Arizona State in 2004, and his arrival in the bigs rivals that of Hanley Ramirez before he was shipped off to Florida.

I’m well aware that the casual fan has probably never heard of Pedroia, as following the minor leagues isn’t always easy to do. Players get shifted from A to AA to AAA so often, its amazing these teams even have time to sew player names on the backs of the jerseys. I myself only know of Pedroia thanks to my time spent lurking on the Sons of Sam Horn website (www.sonsofsamhorn.com), a virtual playground for fan geeks and aspiring GM wannabes.

But let me assure you, the word on this guy is a good one. Though not much of a physical presence on the field, standing only 5’8” and 180 lbs, Pedroia has impressed scouts and fans alike with his keen baseball instincts that eliminate an otherwise average range. Skilled at both shortstop and second base, Pedroia uses athletic footwork and a strong arm to make plays that might otherwise sneak by your average major league infielder.

Think David Eckstein, only better. Hopefully less annoying, too.

Pedroia’s lack of power at the plate is fully compensated by his high on base percentage, a statistic that most GMs drool over in this day and age. Speculation abounds, but rumors are flying that Pedroia might replace Coco Crisp and Kevin Youkilis atop the Sox order if all work out according to plan.

There’s good reason to get excited to watch this guy play besides his obvious talent. Pedroia is a product of the Red Sox Farm System, a mechanism Theo Epstein has pushed to build up since the lean years of Dan Duquette diminished the prospect ranks. 2006 has seen many of these types of players make debuts in the bigs, including Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, and Kevin Youkilis, to name a few. All have made an impact on the team at some point or another, and there’s little doubt that Pedroia will do the same.

This just may be what the Sox need to kick-start the final two-month sprint to the playoffs. After a rough month of ballgames that saw them get swept by New York and Kansas City, Boston needs an injection of something to get them going. This young talent may provide just that.

Some might view it as the front office giving up on the season, giving playing time to a rookie since the season is lost. But with Gonzalez more than likely landing on the DL with a back strain, and Loretta being shopped around as trade bait, it’s the perfect time to bring up yet another future star and let him get a feel for the bigs.

Papelbon got his taste at the end of last season, and came into this year roaring like a thousand lions. The guy was simply unhittable for the majority of the season. Who’s to say the same formula won’t work for Pedroia? Who wouldn’t want a young, cheap slick-fielding on base machine up the middle next season?

A new era of Red Sox baseball. Young, home grown talent.

So sit back and enjoy the show, Sox fans. We’re about to get treated to the next chapter in Theo’s grand plan.