Sox will retire Johnny Pesky's #6 on Friday

JE · Sep 23, 2008

http://www.nesn.com/content/redsox/story.aspx?content_id=50241f45-7822-423d-96ed-4e0836a1d55e

The Boston Red Sox plan to retire Johnny Pesky’s uniform No. 6 as a tribute to his nearly six decades of exceptional service to the organization.

The ceremony will take place prior to the Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park on Sept. 26, the eve of Pesky’s 89th birthday.

"From the time he first put on a Red Sox minor league uniform in 1940 to the present day, Johnny's impact on the Red Sox organization has been unmatched," Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino said in a release. "He has had a major influence on the lives of thousands of individuals, both in the organization and throughout Red Sox Nation. There may not be a more beloved person who has ever worn the Red Sox uniform, and he certainly has been our proudest and most active ambassador for many years."

He will be the sixth Red Sox player to have his number retired by Boston. The club has already retired the numbers of Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Ted Williams (9), and Carlton Fisk (27). Jackie Robinson's 42 is also retired, as it has been with all major league teams since 1997.

Pesky will also be the only player among the six not to have met Boston's general qualifications for having a number retired -- election to baseball's Hall of Fame and at least 10 years played with the Red Sox.

"There has been a longstanding criteria for the retiring of Red Sox uniform numbers. However, Johnny Pesky is clearly an exception to the rule. His long and exemplary contributions to this organization make him a very worthy addition to the exclusive list of Red Sox so honored," Lucchino said.

Pesky, who has been with the Boston organization for 57 years, played the first seven-plus seasons of his career with Boston, from 1942-1952. He missed the 1943-45 seasons while serving in World War II. Pesky notched at least 200 hits in his first three MLB seasons, and in 1,029 career games with the Red Sox batted .313.

Pesky played primarily shortstop throughout his career, but also saw time at third and second base. He was named to his only All-Star team in 1946, when he batted .335 in 153 games for the Red Sox.

Pesky played with Detroit and the Washington Senators at the end of his 10-season career, but continued his ties to Boston. He managed the Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate, Seattle, in 1961 and was the skipper of the Red Sox from 1963-64. Pesky then served as a coach and manager with Pittsburgh for four years, but returned to Boston in 1969 and has been with the organization ever since.

He has served as a radio and TV announcer, special instructor at spring training, coach, and most recently special assistant to the general manager and special assignment instructor.

In 2006 the right field foul pole at Fenway Park was dedicated as Pesky's Pole. According to Pesky, the phrase was coined by former Boston pitcher Mel Parnell. The pitcher was prompted to name it that after the left-handed Pesky hit a homer just beyond the pole -- 302 feet from home plate -- to win a game for Parnell.
The No. 6 will be the first Red Sox number retired since Fisk's 27 in 2000.
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Congrats to Pesky. Long overdue. And more ceremonies I get to watch.

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Sox will retire Johnny Pesky's #6 on Friday

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