Why is a Yankees fan memorializing a Red Sox player, much less a guy who
was arguably the most beloved Sox of them all? Probably because my father was a diehard fan, and his favorite Sox player was Johnny Pesky, who died yesterday at 92. After all, Pesky's main position was shortstop, my father's as well.
Here is an obituary from the Sox website.
Johnny Pesky, born John Michael Paveskovich on 27 September 1919 in Portland, OR, had a long career (61+ years) with the Sox as player, manager, broadcaster, and executive.
He was a close friend of fellow West Coaster Ted Williams, who, along with their other West Coast teammates Dom DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr, were celebrated in David Halberstam's The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship.
Two of the teammates, Williams and Doerr, are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pesky was a good player - .307 lifetime batting average and good fielder - but lost three years in his prime to World War II. But no
other Red Sox player has a foul pole named for him. The right-field
foul pole at Fenway Park, known as Pesky's Pole for many years, was finally given that official moniker in 2006. Here is the story behind that name - it was not so named for Pesky's hitting prowess; he hit just 17 total homers, and only 6 at Fenway Park.
Above all, Pesky had a well-deserved reputation as a nice guy. But he played the game for keeps and was a great teammate. He apparently was a very good hockey player, supposedly working out with the Boston Bruins.
I never saw Pesky play, but I did see him in 1964 during his short stint as Sox manager. The Sox finished 8th out of ten that year. He was let go shortly after that.
Johnny Pesky will be missed by many, many people.
Including at least one Yankees fan.
“The sky is a little bluer, the beer tastes a little better, and my wife looks like Gina Lollobrigida." - Johnny Pesky, when asked how it felt to win as a manager. {When asked whom his wife resembled during a losing streak, he replied, "Bela Lugosi."]
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