Dustin Pedroia: How a Short Second Baseman Won MVP

In recent memory, the players who have been able to call themselves MVPs have been power hitters, who probably didn't hit lead-off.  Well, that can't be said anymore, as Dustin Pedroia, the Boston Red Sox 25-year-old second baseman, has now proved this theory wrong.  Pedroia is playing in only his second season as a starter in the MLB.  On Nov. 18, Pedroia was able to add new hardware to his trophy case, being named the MVP of the American League. In two seasons, the 5'9", 180-pound second baseman has become a World Series champ, the Rookie of the Year, and now MVP. It's very rare to be able to accomplish all three of these achievements in an entire career, yet the undersized second baseman did it in only two seasons.  Pedoria became the first MLB player to do so since Mo Vaughn in 1995. Even more amazing, he is the first second baseman in the AL to win since 1959, when Nellie Fox won the prestigious award. The AL MVP hit .326, with 17 homers, 54 doubles, 83 RBI, and even ... (link)