Red Sox Legend John Pesky Dies at 92
By Josh Hill
He was an All-Star infielder, a broadcaster and a staple in Red Sox lore, associating himself with the club for over 60 years. Boston icon John Pesky has died at the age of 92.
Sox fans have dubbed the pole along the right field line “Pesky’s Pole” due to his numerous short distance home runs he hit along there during his career. He became infamous in Boston in 1946 when he held into the ball as the winning run crossed the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals. Pesky handled (well, mishandled depending on how you veiw it) a relay from the outfield just long enough to allow Enos “Country” Slaughter cross home — from first base.
Pesky was forever dubbed ‘the man who held onto the ball“.
He could have played more then the 10 years he ended up playing, but he put his baseball career aside in 1941 like so many others did, to enlist to serve his country in Europe. After his retirement, he began his coaching career in 1955 with the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate the Denver Bears. less then ten years later, Pesky would return to Boston to become the Manager in 1963 but only lasted one season before becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates first-base coach starting in 1965 for manager Henry Walker.
It was Walker who hit the double that scored Enos Slaughter in the 1946 World Series.
Pesky returned to the Red Sox in 1968 to become the color commentator. Pesky actually turned down a chance to become former teammate Ted William’s bench coach for the Washington Senators to broadcast for the Red Sox television and radio crews. In 1975 he left the booth to return to the field as the Sox first0base coach and helped the team to the 1975 ALCS against the Oakland A’s before losing to the Reds in the World Series.
When all was said and done, Pesky had put in over 60 years of sweat into the Red Sox organization. He had his number retired in 2008 along with other Red Sox greats, solidifying his status as a Boston legend.
This past April, Pesky was welcomed back to the place he called home for so long, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. The man who infamously dropped the ball was wheeled out to his second base position to a standing ovation.
He had returned home, a hero, an icon and a legend. His passing came just a month shy of what would have been his 93rd birthday.
Pesky made one final return to the Red Sox organization as manager in 1980 before