When the Dodgers made their blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox in August of 2012, everyone knew who Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were, but let’s be honest here, how many Dodger fans knew who Nick Punto was? This is by no means a knock on Punto and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him knows first-hand that he is a great guy with a tremendous sense of humor.

Nick Punto has always been a great teammate and outstanding clubhouse guy throughout his 13-year MLB career. (Photo credit – Stephen Dunn)

When Punto arrived in Los Angeles aboard Magic Johnson’s private jet (along with Beckett and AGon), he had been in the majors for 12 seasons, during which he appeared in 100 games or more only five times – with the most being 150 games in 2007 while a member of the Minnesota Twins. He is, in every sense of the word, a utility player – and a good one at that.

It’s safe to say that Beckett, Gonzalez and Punto were happy to be traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers, and even safer to say that they were impressed when Magic Johnson dispatched his private jet to bring the trio to L.A. forthwith. (Photo courtesy of @Shredderpunto)

Born in San Diego, CA, Nick attended high school in Mission Viejo, CA. He was drafted by the Phillies in the 21st round of the 1998 First Year Player Draft out of Saddle Back Community College (also in Mission Viejo) and made his MLB debut with the Phillies as a September call-up on September 9, 2001. In his very first MLB at bat he hit a pinch hit single and ended the 2001 season going 2 for 5 in the four games that he appeared in. In his three years with the Phillies Punto played in a total of 77 games and hit .223 with one home run.

Punto was traded to the Twins in 2004 but spent most of the season on the disabled list, finishing the season with a .253 batting average in the 38 games in which he appeared. His best season with the Twins was 2006 when he hit .290 in 135 games played.

As they say, timing is everything and Punto proved this when he signed a one-year/$700,000 contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on January 21, 2011. The Cardinals, of course, went on to win the 2011 World Series. While a member of the Cards, Punto went 21 for 166 (.278) in 63 games. He also went 3 for 14 (.214) in six of the seven World Series games that he appeared in.

On December 14, 2011, Punto agreed to a two-year/$3 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. He appeared in 65 games and landed square on the Mendoza Line with a .200 batting average while starting games at second base, third base and shortstop. He also appeared in five games at first base (who knew?).

With the Red Sox firmly planted in last place in the AL East and with dissention widespread throughout the organization, Red Sox owner John Henry and new general manager Ben Cherington decided to do a major overhaul and salary dump late in the 2012 season. In the blockbuster trade that sent Beckett, Crawford and Gonzalez to the Dodgers on August 25, 2012, Punto was an add-on to the deal. And though the Beantowners landed Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan De Jesus, James Loney, Jerry Sands and Allen Webster in the trade, none of whom had a direct impact for the eventual 2013 World Champions, the trade freed up more than $270 million in future salary commitments and allowed Henry and Cherington to acquired free agents Ryan Dempster, Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino – and the rest (as they say) is history.

Although Punto appeared in only 22 games for the Dodgers in 2012 going 10 for 43 (.286), he ended the season with a very respectable .390 OBP – occasionally the result of his signature (and often questionable) head-first slides into first base. “I didn’t teach him that,” Nick’s father Lou once told Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Lou Punto is a former minor leaguer who played in the Red Sox organization and is currently a high school baseball coach.

Only Nick Punto knows why Nick Punto likes to slide head-first into first base.
(Video capture courtesy of MLB.com)

During the Dodgers’ recently concluded 2013 NL West-winning season, Punto saw quite a bit of playing time filling in at shortstop for the oft-injured Hanley Ramirez and at second base to spell 36-year-old Mark Ellis every few days. In 116 games, Punto went 75 for 335 (.255) and filled in for Ramirez during the NLCS after Hanley was hit in the ribs by a 95 MPH Joe Kelly fastball – a pitch that resulted in a fractured rib and proved to be the defining moment of the series which the Cardinals won in six games. Punto went 2 for 6 in the NLCS with a double. Unfortunately, and in spite of all that Punto did while with the Dodgers, it very well may be that one NLCS double that he will be remembered for most.

It was a one out double in the bottom of the 7th inning of Game-4 of the series with the Dodgers trailing 4-2. On an 0-1 count to Carl Crawford and for reasons that only Nick Punto knows, Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez easily picked Punto off of second base – a play that absolutely took the wind out of the Dodgers’ sail in a game that they could have won. Instead, the Dodgers never had another runner reach second base and ended up losing the game by that same 4-2 score. For all the good and all the fun and all the shredding that Nick Punto brought to the Dodgers, it will be this one unexplainable pick-off that he will forever be remember for by Dodger fans. That being said, I can guarantee you that there isn’t anyone who feels worse about it than Nick Punto himself.

“I was a little too aggressive,” said Punto after the game. “It was a big play in the game. It was a lonely place to be. It was a lonely jog back to the dugout.”

With the Dodgers knocked out of the playoffs and with Punto heading into free agency, there was little chance that the Dodgers would re-sign him as a utility bench player – not because of the pick-off, but because the Dodgers rarely (if ever) bring back free agent utility bench players; they didn’t with Ángel Berroa, they didn’t with Ronald Belliard, they didn’t with Jamie Carroll, they didn’t with Aaron Miles and they most likely won’t with Skip Schumaker or Jerry Hairston Jr.

All of this said, there was absolutely zero doubt whatsoever that the ever-gritty Punto, known as a true gamer and affectionately called “The Little Pony” by Dodger fans, would be on the free agent market very long – and he wasn’t. On November 13, 2013, just 14 days after the final game of the 2013 World Series, Nick Punto agreed to a one-year/$3 million contract with the Oakland Athletics that includes an option for 2015. Somebody better tell the A’s clubhouse manager to order a bunch of extra jerseys because “The Shredder” is coming to the East Bay.

It took all season but ‘The Shredder’ finally got shredded when the Dodgers defeated the Braves in the 2013 NLDS. You know what they say about paybacks. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Anyone who loves the game of baseball, regardless of who their favorite team is, has to love what Nick Punto brings to the game. And while Nick may not be in the headlines very often (the pick-off notwithstanding), he is one of those guys who is the glue that holds a team together (as a friend of mine describes it) when everyday position players need an occasional day off or gets injured – and there is no better glue than Nick Punto.

Godspeed to you Nick.