The Chance to Meet a Red Sox Legend
Johnny Pesky

The Fall Regional meeting of the Boston chapter, SABR, will be Saturday, 27 October 2001, 11:00-4:30, at Boston Public Library, Rooms C05-C06.

Johnny Pesky

Johnny Pesky is widely known as "Mister Red Sox." He signed with Boston in the late 1930s and played in their farm system for the 1940 and 1941 seasons. Johnny joined the Red Sox in 1942 at shortstop and was, in effect, the American League Rookie of the Year. He had more than 200 hits in each of his first three seasons, 1942 and 1946-47, surrounding three years lost to World War II military service. Johnny then moved to thirdbase where he was the regular, 1948-50, beside Vern Stephens. He finished as a lifetime .307 hitter and a 10-year man (Pesky player record).

Since his playing career, Johnny has served the Boston Red Sox in several roles:

He has been a Special Assistant to the General Manager since 1984 and is now, at age 82, a Special Assignment Instructor. This year, you could find him at Pawtucket and at Lowell, working with young prospects by hitting fungoes and ground balls and by discussing batting and defensive play.

Johnny Pesky has a wealth of stories about baseball. He played alongside Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, and many more. (Revisit the 1946 season: AL1946 at RetroSheet, AL1946 at baseball-reference.) He managed Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Conigliaro and "The Monster" Dick Radatz (Pesky manager record). As a coach, he worked very closely with players such as Jim Rice and Wade Boggs.

Manny Ramirez keeps a photo of Johnny in his locker at Fenway Park.

Come hear Johnny Pesky talk about the Boston Red Sox, past and present
Acknowledgment. Prepared from draft text by Bill Nowlin.
2001-10-16 (Bill Nowlin)
Last modified: 2002-05-08 (re-URL)
Paul Wendt