In Dustin Pedroia’s world, the scouting report on his son, Dylan, was complete even before he came into this world.

“He’s a baller,” the Red Sox second baseman said.

Tuesday, all seven pounds and 20 ½ inches of Dylan Pedroia began his quest to live up to the hype laid out by his father. Nine days before Kelli Pedroia’s due date – and one day after Dustin’s 26th birthday – the couple’s first child was delivered.

Of course, there was good reason for Pedroia’s description of his son. For more than a month the baby held off on his introduction, allowing his parents some peace of mind prior to the big day.

A labor that started July 6, and kept Kelli in bed rest right up until Tuesday, finally came to a conclusion.

But as much praise as went to Dylan, the way his young parents pulled through their last 43 days shouldn’t go unrecognized, starting with Mom. Kelli would be allowed just 30 minutes a day to leave her condo, with the rest of her day spent resting in bed.

“Dude, she’s been a trooper,” Pedroia said before leaving on the Red Sox’ current road trip. “She’s been unbelievable.”

Then there is Dad.

Just prior to the first game of the Sox’ series with Oakland in early July, Pedroia got word that Kelli had been taken to the hospital after going into premature labor. For the next four days, it was touch and go, with the doctors telling the couple that there was a likelihood that Dylan wasn’t going to wait any longer.

Pedroia returned to work immediately after the initial incident, always keeping his phone nearby or in the hands of one of the clubhouse attendants. Often times, updates would be supplied during the games in the midst of the second baseman also trying to keep his team afloat.

“I wasn’t really worried about baseball,” he said. “I was worried about my wife and my baby. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve just had to deal with it day to day. I’ve just been trying to come out here every day and help us win, and then go home and take care of her.”

Read More

Blogs

• LouTube recap: Merloni answers Red Sox spring training questions
• Terry Francona on The Big Show: ‘Blowing off steam’ with Manny Ramirez comment

Audio on Demand

• Former Sox skipper Terry Francona with the Big Show
• Clay Buchholz, Sox SP, 1 on 1 with Lou Merloni

Columns

• Carl Crawford: Hit me 'where I can cause havoc and do the stuff that I do'
• First impressions: Pitching coach Bob McClure's initial take on Red Sox rotation candidates

Tickets

03/3/2012

Boston Red Sox vs Northeastern - JetBlue Park, Lee County , FL
[find tickets]

03/3/2012

Boston Red Sox vs Boston College Eagles - JetBlue Park, Lee County , FL
[find tickets]

03/4/2012

Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins - JetBlue Park, Lee County , FL
[find tickets]

And it was during that stretch of going back and forth that another example of why Pedroia is Pedroia was brought to light. Not only did he do whatever it took to help his wife make it through her ordeal, but the results on the field didn’t suffer a bit.

In fact, he got better.

During the 34-game stretch, Pedroia had more hits (43) than any other member of the Red Sox, while totaling a .307 batting average. It started with multiple-hit games in four of the six games right after Kelli’s medical emergency, and didn’t stop.

“I always thought about how she’s doing and if something could happen,” Pedroia said. “I just concentrate on the game, but I always had my phone with me and was always checking in.

“It’s been kind of a weird year. After last year, I had such a great year, and then there were all the expectations. My biggest goal this year was to be consistent. That’s all you can do as an everyday player. That’s all I’ve been focusing on, being consistent. The stuff with my wife happened and it doesn’t take away from what I’m trying to do. Obviously, that’s more important than this. But I still have a job to do.”

Perhaps part of the reason for Pedroia’s resiliency has been all of the obstacles he has already overcome this season. From a spring training injury, to death threats, and all the distractions that come with being put on the American League MVP pedestal, it all has led to an anything-but-smooth third major-league season.

“It’s been tough,” Pedroia said. “I never thought I would have this much success at the beginning of my career. Obviously this year they’ve pitched me a little bit differently than they have in the past, I had to make a lot more adjustments, but that’s part of the game. I’ve walked more and scored a lot runs. That’s my job, to score runs. I think I’m doing a great job of getting on base and starting the offense.

“I’ve always been a guy who showed up to the yard, played baseball and had fun, without a lot of distractions. But this year there’s been a ton of things that could have been distractions, death threats and a bunch of other crap. It’s been non-stop. But I just try and be myself, smile and get through it and don’t worry about things I can’t control.”