David Ortiz did not know Dustin Pedroia’s real name for the first 10 years they played together in Boston, according to the former second baseman.
An old clip of Pedroia telling the story of how Ortiz didn’t know his name has recirculated recently. The clip stems from a roast of David Ortiz held on June 22, 2017 at the House of Blues in Boston to benefit the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. A few famous people participated in the roast, including Pedroia, who brought down the house with his set.
This short clip boils it down to a 1-minute video where Pedroia reveals Ortiz called him “Pee Wee” for 10 years.
That is freaking hilarious.
Pedroia’s delivery is outstanding. And the way he notes how Pedroia’s name was announced 6,000 times before Ortiz and yet the former Red Sox DH didn’t realize it was great.
Ortiz was acquired by the Red Sox in 2003, while Pedroia made his debut for the team in 2006. They had won two World Series together by the time that video was created.
There are two other good items to note from that story. One, it sounds like Ortiz was ready to have some words for the Cleveland catcher for potentially calling Pedroia by a disrespectful name. Two, Ortiz probably heard people called Pedroia “Peedie,” which is a nickname based on the second baseman’s last name. Ortiz probably misheard and thought that “Peedie” was “Pee Wee.”
What a great story. And it was told so well by Pedroia.
