If you want to start a fight in a South Philly sports bar or a Southie pub, just mention David Jonathan Drew. Honestly, few players in the history of the game have ever managed to be so statistically productive while being so deeply, viscerally disliked by the people paying for the tickets. J.D. Drew was the guy who had everything—the swing of a god, the speed of a sprinter, and the "it" factor that made scouts drool—but he also had the personality of a guy waiting for a bus.
People called him soft. They called him a mercenary. They said he didn't care.
But if you actually look at the numbers, and I mean really look at them, you realize that the narrative around J.D. Drew doesn't match the reality of what happened on the field. We’re talking about a guy who finished his career with a .384 on-base percentage. That is higher than Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Yet, he’s remembered as a guy who "underachieved."
The Holdout That Changed Everything
The "hatred" didn't start in the pros. It started in 1997. Drew was coming off a season at Florida State that was basically a video game on easy mode. He was the first player in Division I history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season. The Philadelphia Phillies took him second overall and offered him $2.6 million.
His agent, Scott Boras, wanted $10 million.
The Phillies said no. Drew said, "Okay, I’ll go play in the independent leagues."
He went to the St. Paul Saints, hit a bunch of homers, and waited a year to re-enter the draft. Philadelphia fans never forgot it. When he finally made it to the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals and visited Philly, they didn't just boo him. They threw batteries. It was ugly. This set the tone for his entire 14-year career: he was the "greedy" kid who didn't respect the game.
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Why the J.D. Drew Perception Was So Warped
There is a specific type of baseball fan who hates "efficient" players. Drew wasn't a guy who would slide headfirst into first base on a routine groundout. He didn't scream at the sky. He had this very calm, almost detached-looking demeanor. To the old-school crowd, that translated to "he’s not trying."
But let’s talk about that swing. It was short, compact, and generated incredible power for a guy who wasn't built like a linebacker. In 2004 with the Atlanta Braves, he put up an 8.6 WAR season. That’s an MVP-caliber year. He hit .305 with 31 homers and walked 118 times.
He was a walk machine.
In a weird way, Drew was ahead of his time. If he played today, in the era of "Value over Replacement" and "Launch Angle," front offices would be backing up Brink's trucks to his house every winter. But in the early 2000s, people wanted to see "grit." Drew gave them elite plate discipline and high-level defense instead.
The Boston Years and the $70 Million Question
When he signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2007, the pressure was at an all-time high. Boston fans are... well, they’re intense. And for most of that first season, Drew struggled. He hit .270 with only 11 home runs. The local media was calling for his head.
Then came Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS against the Cleveland Indians.
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The Sox were facing elimination. The bases were loaded in the first inning. If Drew pops out there, the energy in Fenway dies. Instead, he worked the count and launched a grand slam into the center-field bleachers. It changed the entire momentum of the series. Boston won that game, won Game 7, and swept the World Series.
He basically paid for his entire contract with one swing.
Even after that, the "aloof" label stuck. Curt Schilling once defended him, saying Drew was just "even-keeled," but the fans wanted a firebrand. They wanted Dustin Pedroia’s intensity in Drew’s body. You just weren't going to get that.
The Reality of the "Injury-Prone" Tag
Was he hurt a lot? Yeah. He had a loose shoulder that gave him fits, and his back was a constant issue. He only played more than 140 games three times in his career.
It’s fair to wonder what his career would have looked like if he’d been a 160-game-a-year guy. He ended with 242 home runs and 1,437 hits. If he stays healthy? Maybe he’s flirting with 400 homers and 2,000+ hits. Those are Cooperstown conversations.
But even with the injuries, look at the efficiency:
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- Career OPS+ of 125 (Meaning he was 25% better than the league average hitter over 14 years).
- 44.9 Baseball-Reference WAR.
- One All-Star MVP (2008).
That’s not a "bust." That’s a very, very good Major League career.
Where Is He Now?
When the 2011 season ended, Drew didn't hold a press conference. He didn't go on a retirement tour. He just went home.
He moved back to rural Georgia, to a 12-acre farm. He’s spent the last decade-plus hunting, working with his church, and raising his five kids. He once told an interviewer that he didn't miss the stress or the "sleepless nights" of trying to hit a curveball.
He was always a guy who treated baseball like a job—a job he was exceptionally good at—but not his entire identity. Maybe that’s why he was so polarizing. We want our athletes to be obsessed. Drew was just... talented and professional.
What You Can Learn from the Drew Legacy
The biggest takeaway from J.D. Drew's career isn't about baseball stats; it's about the danger of "expectation." We judge players based on the "myth" we create for them. Because Drew was a #1 talent, we expected a Hall of Famer. When we "only" got an All-Star who won a World Series, people felt cheated.
If you’re looking to evaluate Drew’s place in history, stop looking at the "lack of grit." Look at the 862 career walks. Look at the fact that he was a plus-defender in right field for over a decade. He was a master of the "unseen" parts of the game—the things that help you win championships even if they don't make the 11:00 PM highlights.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Compare his 2004 season to other MVP winners of that era; you’ll be shocked how close he was to the top.
- Watch the footage of his 2007 ALCS grand slam—it’s a masterclass in staying calm under immense pressure.
- Re-evaluate "productive" versus "passionate." Results on the scoreboard often matter more than the facial expressions made while achieving them.