"I've heard this award is pretty big, but I think I still have a few more doors that need to be held open," said Pedroia, who last spring memorably said that his Rookie of the Year award was being used a stopper for his garage door.

The 5-foot-6 second baseman worked tirelessly at the API facilities in Arizona on his speed and strength during the offseason, and the strong, quicker Pedroia started the season by throwing himself into video work and scouting reports to augment his already solid range and positioning.

Let's just say that the extra work might have panned out more than a little.

"The study of the film and the positioning definitely helps (Pedroia's) range," said departed infield coach Luis Alicea, who was a key factor in Pedroia's defensive improvements last season. "He's a very smart player.

"He learned to cheat on some balls, and he learned to move himself according to guys' swings and what they're trying to do with two strikes. He made adjustments. He's got good range, but he helped himself tremendously by getting himself into better position."

Pedroia credited Alicea and utility infielder Alex Cora for helping him improve by leaps and bounds from his rookie year to last season, and it was both repetition and hard work that allowed the sure-handed infielder to keep getting better.

"We definitely took a ton of groundballs and tried to get better, and I think the last couple of years I've proven myself that I can be a great defender in this league," Pedroia said. "I'm still a little upset about the way the season ended and then watching the World Series games ... (but) I'm definitely excited."