Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia could no longer delay the inevitable and called it a career Monday. Since the end of the 2017 season, he appeared in just nine games, as his balky knee would not allow him to stay on the field.
He finishes his career with a .299/.365/.439 line, totaling 1,805 hits. He did it with his defense as well, winning four Gold Gloves.
Here’s a look at some of Pedroia’s top moments with the Red Sox.
2004
▪ Selected in second round of draft with the 65th pick out of Arizona State.
2006
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▪ Called up from Pawtucket Aug. 21, makes his major league debut the next night and gets first hit against the Los Angeles Angels in his second at-bat, off Joe Saunders. Plays 27 games at second base, 19 of which were starts, and six games (five starts) at shortstop.
▪ Hits his first home run, off Kansas City’s Luke Hudson Sept. 21.
2007
▪ Named American League Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies with a .317 batting average. Receives 24 of 28 first-place votes and is the only player named on all 28 ballots. Also leads rookies in doubles (39), is second in OBP (.380) and multihit games (49), and third in runs (86) and hits (165).
▪ Starts all 14 Red Sox postseason games, hitting .283 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs. Sets postseason rookie record with six doubles.
▪ In Game 7 of the ALCS, goes 3 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs. The home run in the seventh inning is a two-run shot that extends the Red Sox’ lead to 5-2. The Sox go on to win, 11-2.
▪ Becomes the first rookie to hit a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the World Series, connecting against the Colorado Rockies.
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2008
▪ Becomes the first Red Sox player ever with 5 runs and 5 hits in a game, turning the trick Aug. 11 in a 19-17 win over the Rangers.
▪ Becomes just the eighth player in AL history to earn MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger awards in the same season. Hits .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs while establishing franchise records for a season by a second baseman in runs, hits, doubles, batting average, total bases, and extra-base hits.
2009
▪ Hits a home run in his first plate appearance of the season, April 7 vs. Tampa Bay, and in his last one, Oct. 4 against Cleveland.
2010
▪ In a 13-11 win at Colorado, goes 5 for 5 with three home runs and a career-high 15 total bases.
2011
▪ Sets career highs with 21 home runs, 91 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, and a .387 OBP
▪ Posts a career-high 25-game hitting streak from June 29 to July 28.
2012
▪ Leads the Red Sox in games (141), hits (163), doubles (39), multihit games (47), total bases (253), extra-base hits (tied, 57), and stolen bases (20).
2013
▪ In July, signs an eight-year, $110 contract extension that runs through 2021.
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▪ Plays in all 16 postseason games as the Red Sox win the World Series again.
2014
▪ Sets a Red Sox record with a .997 fielding percentage at second base and wins his fourth Gold Glove.
▪ Leads the Sox with 153 hits, 45 multihit games, and 11 games with 3+ hits in just 135 games.
▪ Hits his 100th career home run, a grand slam, that also pushes him to the 500-RBI plateau on May 2.
2015
▪ Hits two home runs in an 8-0 win on Opening Day over the Philadelphia Phillies.
▪ Hits two home runs — his fifth career multihomer game — and drives in four runs against the Twins on May 27.
▪ Has his third multihomer game of the season in a 10-1 win over the Orioles Sept. 16.
2016
▪ In a 13-2 pasting of the Twins, goes 5 for 5 with three singles and two doubles July 21.
▪ With the Sox trailing the Angels, 3-1, in the ninth inning with two outs, belts a three-run homer for the win July 31.
2017
▪ Hits a two-run single in the second inning and another in the sixth, but it’s his defensive gem in the ninth inning that has everyone talking after a 7-5 win over the Rangers July 4.
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.@15lasershow, you are amazing. #RedSox pic.twitter.com/YxVbDB9swK
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 4, 2017
Follow Andrew Mahoney on Twitter @GlobeMahoney.