One of the most beloved men ever associated with the Boston Red Sox has passed away.
Did Pesky hold the ball?
Somehow Johnny Pesky became the co-goat (along with Ted Williams) of the 1946 World Series, all because of this Game 7 play in which he supposedly held the ball, allowing Enos Slaughter to score and Harry Walker to cruise to second with a double.
After the jump, Joe Posnanski’s take on that clip ...
Read Article >Did World War II Cost Johnny Pesky A Hall Of Fame Career?
David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox greets Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky before the game against the New York Yankees during Opening Night at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Getty ImagesIn Pesky’s first three seasons, he led the American League in hits in each season. Without checking, I am fairly sure that no other player has ever done that.*
But as Jaffe also points out, Pesky didn’t finish his career with Hall of Fame statistics, in part because between his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Red Sox, he spent three years in the U.S. Navy.
Read Article >HC Book Club - Pesky Edition
If you want to know a lot more about Johnny Pesky, who left us yesterday, you could do a lot worse than Bill Nowlin’s 2004 biography:
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Read Article >Remembering Johnny Pesky: Bud Selig, John Henry Release Statements
Obviously, the loss hits hardest in the New England region. For the current generation of fans, Pesky may be best known as the namesake for the right-field foul pole. But he was also an excellent player, coach and broadcaster. He remained a mentor to the present-day Red Sox and continued to be around the organization, even in his 90s. Red Sox owner John Henry also released a statement to express his condolences on the loss of the franchise icon:
The Red Sox are idle on Monday night, and it’s still unclear what the organization will do on the field to commemorate one of their heroes.
Read Article >Red Sox Icon Johnny Pesky Dies
Former Boston Red Sox Johnny Pesky greets the fans before the home opener between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Getty ImagesPesky, whose birth name was John Michael Paveskovich, was an All-Star infielder for the Red Sox in the late 1940s and early 1950’s; he became famous in a not-positive way when he held on to the ball in the 1946 World Series as Enos Slaughter dashed across the plate for what turned out to be the winning run.
After a 10-year playing career interrupted by World War II, Pesky became a coach, manager and radio announcer for the Red Sox; he became famous as a coach for being able to accurately hit fungoes off the Green Monster to help Red Sox outfielders practice. He was associated with the team for more than 60 years; his passing comes just about a month short of what would have been his 93rd birthday.
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