Pedroia just wants to play the game

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Ben Grieve. Marty Cordova. Bob Hamelin. Pat Listach. Gregg Olson.

Remember them? Probably not.

The American League Rookie of the Year award looks impressive on the resume, but it does little to guarantee fame or fortune, or even a full-time job. But then, Dustin Pedroia probably already knew that. The winner of last year's award -- the Boston Red Sox second baseman who averaged .317 during the regular season and was anything but average in the American League Championship Series and the World Series -- is approaching his sophomore season the way he approached his first major-league at-bat.

"That little chip on his shoulder," said veteran third baseman Mike Lowell, with a smile, "that's still there."

Pedroia returns with the 2007 rookie plaque and a World Series title under his belt, determined to further his credibility as a starting infielder, while remaining pretty much the same small-town guy.

He only reluctantly embraces celebrity. He only endures interviews. He still only stands 5-foot-8 -- and that's a stretch -- yet retains the mental tenacity and physical tools that enabled him to overcome a miserable 2007 start and finish with a memorable postseason. He also seems intent on protecting his image as someone who grew up and moved away, but never really left home.

"I spent two weeks at my parents' house in Woodland (Calif.) during the holidays, and it was pretty funny," said Pedroia, who went hitless in Boston's 2-1 victory in the A's home opener Tuesday night at McAfee Coliseum. "Everyone has become Red Sox fans. I'm just happy for everybody who believed and supported me through the years."

Did we mention his genuine aw-shucks humility? His persistence? He won't, but others do.

The respected Lowell, while acknowledging the high percentage of rookies who experience subsequent slumps, predicts a more favorable second season for his close friend.

"Dustin gets here early," he said. "He prepares himself. You have to like those guys who struggle and come back like he did after his rough start last year. This game will humble you quick. But he didn't let that get to him. You root for guys like that."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona praises Pedroia for "playing through" a fractured bone in his left wrist during the final six weeks of last season. "He dove a couple times, and you could see him kind of grimace," said Francona, "but on his swings, no, I couldn't detect any pain. He's a tough guy."

In a Red Sox clubhouse known for its unique and mostly overpowering personalities, Pedroia's understated presence also provides a welcome balance. Ebullient (and brilliant) closer Jonathan Papelbon, for instance, has been known to line-dance after victories. David Ortiz dominates with his booming laughter. Curt Schilling is a weekly serial drama, some of his episodes as moving as a bloody sock, some of them really, truly, epic postseason tales. Then there are occasions like Tuesday night when Manny Ramirez sits alone and watches the Tennessee-Texas A&M NCAA women's game, while his teammates monitor the Yankees-Blue Jays game on the other two televisions.

If Pedroia, 24, leaves the impression that he would rather be stuck in the first row of a first-grade classroom than talking about himself -- and this is consistent with the scouting report offered last fall by his extroverted parents Guy and Debbie -- the former Arizona State standout loosens up when discussing his hometown, and his hometown Kings.

He volunteered that he provided 21 tickets to Tuesday's game to the gang at his family-owned Valley Tire. He said he was sorry for missing Woodland's annual holiday parade, and did so only because he was rehabilitating his wrist. He revealed that he "mostly hung around the house and did nothing exciting" during his visit, "except when I went to the (NBA) Kings game." An impassioned Kings fan, he added, "I know they're unloading contracts, trying to make some moves. They'll get it back."

As for avoiding the heightened expectations of demanding Red Sox fans, Pedroia, who is off to a .182 start, shrugged. "I don't think numbers," he said. "I know I'm going to help the team win. When you get 500 or 600 hits in this league, you are who you are."

(Contact Ailene Voisin at avoisin@sacbee.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)