Padres All-Star Jackson Merrill reveals reason for idolizing a Red Sox legend

Jackson Merrill was born in Baltimore, but was a Red Sox fan growing up. The 22-year-old watched David Ortiz, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia and others as a child.

Merrill was on the "On Base with Mookie Betts" on Wednesday, where he disclosed his love for the Red Sox. When Betts asked him who his favorite was, Merril replied that it was Dustin Pedroia.

"DP, Dustin Pedroia, was my guy," Jackson Merrill said [from 26:15]. "He was just a little grinder, you know, and I was small in high school so I kind of related to him. And he didn’t care. I heard he used to show up to the field and put his jersey on at like 12."

Merrill learned about Pedroia's jersey story from Vic Rodriguez, the Padres' hitting coach, who was the assistant hitting coach for the Red Sox from 2013 to 2017. Betts, Pedroia's former teammate, had a firsthand account of the story.

"He would get to the field really early. He wouldn't put his jersey on that early, but he would get to the field early, take care of all his business. But then right after BP, it's 5:00. He's got, he's uni'd up, ready to go, walking around. And he always said he would get ready just in case they started the game early," Betts said [from 26:51].

Betts' locker room was close to Pedroia's and he never saw a day that the Red Sox Hall of Famer didn't have fire in him. The Dodgers' superstar believes Pedroia was born to play in Boston, and his fire pushed him past the media scrutiny associated with playing for the Red Sox.

Jackson Merrill and Mookie Betts lament Dustin Pedroia's unfortunate career end

Dustin Pedroia announced his retirement from MLB in 2021, but his career had already ended in 2017 after an accident involving Manny Machado, then with the Orioles, injured his knee. After the 2017 season, Pedroia only played six games. Machado is now a teammate of Jackson Merrill in the Padres.

"It's really kind of sad, kind of how, what kind of happened. And I know it was an accident and all this stuff with his knee, but you know, he still has some, you know, but it is what it is," Betts said [from 27:54].

The Dodgers star added that Pedroia was one of the best he has ever played with.

"Yeah, I wish he didn't get shortened I wish he had like another three years instead the way it ended," Jackson Merrill said [from 28:10].

In 14 seasons in the MLB, all with the Red Sox, Pedroia was a 4x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove Award winner, and one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and won the AL MVP the following season. The 41-year-old won 2 World Series with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash