Second baseman Dustin Pedroia may be ranked sixth among Boston Red Sox prospects, but don’t be surprised if he reaches the big leagues ahead of all or most of the guys rated ahead of him.

Pedroia, 21, may only be 5-feet, 8 inches, but he has a huge upside, as his rapid ascent through the Sox minor-league system attests.

“Whether he’s 5-6, 5-7. 5-8. 5-9… He’s talented. They’re going to love having him [in Boston] with that bunch,” Portland manager Todd Claus said earlier this season. “He’s a character guy. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done and makes things happen. He’s a guy you love to have on your team.”

Boston’s first pick (second round, No. 65 overall) in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft last June split time between Single-A clubs Augusta and Sarasota before starting this season with Double-A Portland. Wednesday, he was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on the same day shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Boston’s top-ranked prospect, was activated from the disabled list by the Sea Dogs.

The four-year starter at Arizona State University and Woodland, Calif., native batted .357 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 42 games last season.

This year, the player Baseball America magazine rates as having the “best strike zone discipline” in Boston’s minor-league system was hitting .324 (fifth in the Eastern League) with eight home runs, two triples, 19 doubles, 40 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 66 games with Portland.

Pedroia is also a defensive stalwart. He set a school record for career fielding percentage (.895) with the Sun Devils. He committed just six errors with the Sea Dogs this season.

Teacher trio in Dogs’ starting 9

James Arsenault, Deborah Carter, and Shawn Kimball were among nine Maine teachers honored by the Portland Sea Dogs for their excellence last week.

Arsenault, an elementary teacher in Hampden; Carter, an elementary teacher at the Brooklin School in Sunset; and Kimball, a Hermon Middle School teacher, were included in the UnumProvident Teachers’ Hall of Fame Starting 9 as part of an inaugural program run jointly by UnumProvident, the Sea Dogs, and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education.

All nine were honored Friday before the Sea Dogs’ game against Erie at Hadlock Field and threw out ceremonial first pitches. They also received $500 and four skybox game tickets each. They were chosen based on their creativity and innovation in the classroom and excellence that aligns with Maine’s Learning Results.

Ramirez, Claus have Futures

Portland Sea Dogs shortstop Hanley Ramirez and manager Todd Claus were selected to participate in the XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures game at Comerica Park in Detroit Sunday, July 10.

The game features the top 50 minor-league baseball prospects and pits the top United States-born players against one of international players (World). Both Ramirez and Claus will be on the World team. Claus is one of 12 coaches in the game.

Ramirez, who was activated off the disabled list Wednesday after going on with a mild lower-back strain June 12, is hitting .274 with an Eastern League-leading seven triples. The 21-year-old shortstop also has eight doubles, two homers, 20 RBIs and 15 steals.

Claus managed the Dogs to a 10-0 start and the EL’s northern division lead with a 37-30 record (through Tuesday). The 35-year-old native of Endicott, N.Y., joined Boston’s organization last year and managed Single-A Sarasota in 2004, compiling a 76-61 record. He will also manage the EL northern division team in the 2005 EL all-star game at Portland on Wednesday, July 13.

Batters aren’t getting the boot

For most people, the phrase “getting the boot” would be a bad thing. That’s not the case with Portland Sea Dogs players this season, however.

If a Sea Dogs batter hits the giant, inflatable boot in Hadlock Field’s right field stands, he and a randomly-chosen fan will each earn a $100 gift certificate to L.L. Bean.

For the last several years, a giant mitt occupied the space, enticing players to “hit the mitt” and split an ever-changing jackpot with Youth Alternatives, a Portland-area charity. The feat was accomplished twice last year, once in 2001, and once in 1998. The largest jackpot – which increased $100 for every home game it was not hit – was $6,900, split in 2001 between former player Luke Wilcox and the charity.

There is no charity tie-in with the L.L. Bean boot and through Tuesday night, no one had managed to hit the boot yet this season.

If you think hitting the boot is a daunting challenge, consider the one made by Sullivan Tire, which has sponsored a billboard-style sign on the left-field fence since 2002. The square placard features a picture of a tire and has a hole in the middle of it with the words “hit it here” alongside. If a player hits a ball through the hole in the tire, he and a randomly drawn fan will split a $10,000 prize. No one has been able to accomplish the feat as yet.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net