FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In his first full season in the big leagues, Dustin Pedroia was part of a world championship team.
A year later, his Red Sox made it to the ninth inning of Game 7 of the ALCS before coming up just short in an effort to defend their title.
But since then, it's been a different story for Pedroia. In the last seven seasons, the Red Sox have been to the playoffs just twice -- and in one of those appearances, were ignominiously swept and didn't win a game.
True, the Red Sox won it all in 2013, giving Pedroia his second World Series ring. But in the past seven years, only once have the Red Sox won as much as a single postseason game.
The losing has gotten old, especially finishing last in three of the past four seasons.
"It doesn't matter if it's last [place] or finishing second -- losing stinks, man,'' said Pedroia. "We're trying to win. That's it. It doesn't matter if you finish last or second. I view it as the same.''
Pedroia got accustomed to winning in his first two seasons. But lately, successful years have been the exception rather than the rule.
"You want to be there [in the postseason] consistently, give yourself the most opportunities you can to win,'' said Pedroia. "That's the only thing you shoot for, so it's frustrating. But I'm not going to sit here and go cry about it. I'll try to get better and work. That's the only thing you can do.
"This is my 10th year, and we've won two World Series in [my first] nine years. It's not easy to win World Series. You've got to the take positives out of that.''
Indeed, even with the disappointing seasons, if you start the clock with his first full season, only two teams in baseball have won more than one World Series -- the Red Sox and the three-time champion San Francisco Giants.
If Pedroia were to retire tomorrow, David Ortiz is the only Red Sox player alive in possession of more World Series rings.
But that's cold comfort after a run of poor fininshes, made worse by the fact that Pedroia has had trouble staying on the field. A series of hand/wrist/finger injuries limited him and restricted him from having full, healthy seasons.
Last year, Pedroia came to camp having fully recovered from the run of nagging injuries, only to twice spend time on the DL with a serious hamstring strain. He was limited to just 93 games, his fewest played since 2010.
Rather than feel sorry for himself or make excuses for his time missed, Pedroia has another theory.
"I look at it like maybe that's why we're in last,'' said Pedroia, linking his reduced playing time and performance-limiting injuries to the team's on-field play, "because I wasn't on the field for 160 games. The last time I was on the field for 160 games [2013, with 160 games], we won the World Series. So, I look at it like that. That's it.''
Fiery as he is and famed for chirping at teammates, Pedroia won't be issuing any motivational speeches.
"No, I'm not going to yell at anybody, man,'' said Pedroia. "I don't need to do that.''
Internally, however, the fire still burns.
He likes what he's seen the team do since the end of last season: bolstering the rotation with the signing of David Price and improving the bullpen by trading for Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel.
Added to the improving young core and returning vets like Ortiz and Pedroia believes the ingredients are there.
"It's an opportunity to go out and try to be the best as a team,'' said Pedroia. "That's the way I look at it every season -- it's a fresh start to try to win the World Series.''
The way it used to be, when Pedroia was younger and the Red Sox weren't as likely to be consigned to the division cellar.