Dustin Pedroia

2009 Red Sox Madness Champion: Josh Beckett

If the results of our Red Sox Madness tournament tournament tell us anything, it's that today's start for Josh Beckett could be setting the tone for the season.

After matching up the sixteen most important players on the Red Sox 2009 roster in a head to head, NCAA tournament style bracket, Josh Beckett cruised to a 63-36 win in the finals over Dustin Pedroia.

In resounding support of the notion that top flight pitching wins championships, the Red Sox "Big Three" of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka went 7-2 in this tournament with the two losses being Lester's and Dice-K's to the eventual champion.

April 7, 2009 josh lacey

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox Madness: Championship Monday

The rain may have postponed Opening Day, but I look at it as a blessing in disguise. I mean, how could you really expect to start the season without having properly named the 2009 Red Sox Madness Champion.

Votes will be tabulated tomorrow morning and a winner crowned before first pitch.

Whose success is more important to the overall success of the 2009 Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett or Dustin Pedroia?

Red Sox Madness 2009 Championship Game: #1 Dustin Pedroia vs. #1 Josh Beckett

April 6, 2009 tim daloisio

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox Madness Finals: For all the marbles

It has all come down to this. Sixteen men enter, one man leaves, and that man will be either Josh Beckett or Dustin Pedroia. Who's success will go further in determining the Red Sox fate this season? Who will have their own Red Sox Madness tournament "One Shining Moment"?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

April 5, 2009 tim daloisio

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox Madness Final Four: Beckett vs. Lester

The first half of our ongoing Red Sox Madness tournament is in the books and #1 seed Dustin Pedroia will represent the offense against the winner of today's Josh Beckett/Jon Lester matchup in the final. Pedroia took fellow tablesetter Jacoby Ellsbury down with relative ease in the first Final Four matchup. Ellsbury's cinderella run came to an end after knocking off #2 seed Jason Bay and #1 seed David Ortiz. Today we turn our attention to the starting rotation as we pit #1 seeds Jon Lester and Josh Beckett against each other in a battle that should enlighten Red Sox Nation's perspective on the "true ace". Which starting pitcher is more important to the overall team's success?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

April 3, 2009 josh lacey

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox Madness Final Four: Ellsbury vs. Pedroia

After two grueling rounds of match ups, we now know the Final Four contestants in the first annual Red Sox Madness tournament. In a late run, (primarily thanks to Paul and I's get out the vote campaign for Jon Lester in last night's podcast), Jon Lester eeked out the closest battle of the tourney yet over Kevin Youkilis 45-42. Lester will battle fellow #1 seed and starting pitcher Josh Beckett in the second of our Final Four matchups.

The top half of the draw pits the top two hitters in the Red Sox lineup. Which tablesetter's success means more to the Red Sox chances in 2009? Is it the upstart #3 seed Jacoby Ellsbury or the reigning AL MVP and #1 seed Dustin Pedroia?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

April 1, 2009 tim daloisio

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox Madness Round 2: Pedroia vs. Papelbon

The first #1 seed has fallen in the 2009 Red Sox Madness tournament. Jacoby Ellsbury continued his Cinderella story this tournament as he knocked off the overall #1 seed David Ortiz in a 55-46 shocker and becomes the first entrant to the Final Four.

Today we move on to the next second round matchup featuring the reigning AL MVP, Dustin Pedroia, against one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, Jonathan Papelbon. Think there will be any trash talking between these two?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away!

March 27, 2009 josh lacey

Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia and the Red Sox agree to extension

There's been a common trend throughout Major League Baseball for teams to lock up their young talent early giving them more front loaded money in longer term deals, while effectively buying potential free agent years at a discount. This strategy allows a team to lock in young talent at reasonable annual dollar amounts over the long term. In Boston, you might say "they just "Nomar-ed" him into a long term deal".

While most teams have taken this strategy against players they have a "high degree of confidence" will be above average players over the life of the deal (i.e. Evan Longoria or Troy Tulowitzki), the Red Sox have the luxury of extending such an offer to the reigning American League MVP, Dustin Pedroia.

Thanks to a six year, $40.5 million dollar contract extension that will be formally announced at a 3 pm press conference today, Dustin Pedroia will be manning second base at Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. The contract, which has been in negotiation since mid-August, includes both a $1.5 million dollar signing bonus and a club option for the seventh year at $11 million dollars ($500,000 team buyout).

December 3, 2008 josh lacey