Johnny Pesky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Pesky |
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Pesky in 2006
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| Shortstop / Third baseman / Manager | |||
| Born: February 27, 1919 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
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| Died: August 13, 2012 (aged 93) Danvers, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1942, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 24, 1954, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .307 | ||
| Home runs | 17 | ||
| Runs batted in | 404 | ||
| Managerial record | 147–179 | ||
| Winning % | .451 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Michael Pesky (born John Michael Paveskovich; February 27, 1919 – August 13, 2012) was a famous American baseball player, manager, and coach. People called him "The Needle" and "Mr. Red Sox". He played as a shortstop (the player between second and third base) and third baseman (the player near third base).
Johnny Pesky played in Major League Baseball for ten years. He was in 1,270 games from 1942 to 1954. He missed three seasons (1943–1945) because he served in World War II. Pesky was connected to the Boston Red Sox for 61 of his 73 years in baseball. He also managed the Red Sox in 1963–1964 and in 1980.
Pesky hit the ball with his left hand and threw with his right. Pitchers found it hard to strike him out. He was the first player in the American League to score 6 runs in a 9-inning game. He was very good at getting on base. He led the American League in hits three times. He had over 200 hits in each of his first three seasons. He also had a great batting average of .307. He was a close friend of other baseball legends like Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Dom DiMaggio.
Contents
Early Life and Name Change
Johnny Pesky was born on February 27, 1919, in Portland, Oregon. His parents, Jakov and Marija Paveskovich, were immigrants from Croatia. When he was younger, sportswriters in Portland shortened his last name to "Pesky" because it fit better in baseball scores. He officially changed his name to Pesky in 1947.
Playing Baseball
Starting Out in Baseball
Pesky played baseball for Lincoln High School. He also went to a baseball school run by former major league pitcher Carl Mays. He played for several local amateur teams. One of these teams was connected to Tom Yawkey, who also owned the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox signed Pesky as a free agent before the 1940 season. He spent two years playing in the minor leagues. In 1940, he played for the Rocky Mount Red Sox. He hit .325 there. The next year, he moved up to the Louisville Colonels and also hit .325. Soon after, he made it to the major leagues.
Major League Career Highlights
In his first year in the major leagues (1942), Pesky led the American League with 205 hits. This was a record for a Red Sox rookie at the time. He also led the league in sacrifice hits. He had the second-best batting average on his team, hitting .331. He finished third in the Most Valuable Player award voting.
After serving in World War II, Pesky returned to baseball in 1946. He led the league in hits again and hit .335. He was chosen for his first and only All-Star team. In 1947, Pesky hit .324 and led the league in hits for the third year in a row with 207 hits.
In 1947, the Red Sox got a new shortstop, Vern Stephens. Pesky was asked to play third base instead. This change was tough for him, and his batting average dropped to .281. But he improved and hit over .300 from 1949 to 1951. In 1951, he went back to playing shortstop.
Pesky started the 1952 season slowly. In June, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He played 69 games with the Tigers and hit .254. In 1953, the Tigers moved him to second base, and his batting average went up to .292. In 1954, he was traded to the Washington Senators. After the season, he was released.
"Pesky's Pole"
At Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox, the right field foul pole is called "Pesky's Pole". Former teammate Mel Parnell named it after Pesky. The story says that Pesky hit a home run around that pole in 1948 to win a game for Parnell. Pesky only hit 17 home runs in his major league career, so hitting one near the pole was special. Records show he hit only one home run in a game pitched by Parnell, in 1950.
Managing and Coaching Career
Early Coaching and Managing
Pesky started coaching with the New York Yankees organization in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, he managed teams in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system. He also managed a team in Nicaragua.
In 1961, he returned to the Red Sox to manage their top minor league team, the Seattle Rainiers.
Managing the Red Sox
Pesky managed the Seattle Rainiers for two successful seasons. In 1962, the Red Sox owner, Tom Yawkey, made Pesky the manager of the Boston Red Sox. This was a popular choice.
His 1963 team started well, winning many games early on. But the team struggled with poor defense and not enough good pitchers. They finished in seventh place. In 1964, the team continued to struggle. Pesky was replaced as manager with two games left in the season.
Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates
After leaving the Red Sox, Pesky joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for four seasons. From 1965 to 1967, he was a first-base coach. He then managed the Pirates' top minor league team in 1968.
Returning to the Red Sox Family
In 1969, Pesky came back to the Red Sox. He worked as a broadcaster for their radio and TV games. He worked with Ken Coleman and Ned Martin.
In 1975, Pesky returned to the field as a full-time coach for the Red Sox. In his first season back, the Red Sox won their division. They went on to play in the exciting 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Pesky continued to coach for the Red Sox. In 1980, he briefly became the interim manager for the last five games of the season.
After that, he continued as a batting and bench coach. He was especially helpful to slugger Jim Rice. From 1985 until his death, he worked as a special instructor and assistant to the general manager. He often helped players before games. In 1990, at age 71, he even managed the Red Sox's top minor league team, the Pawtucket Red Sox, for a few months.
Later Years and Honors
Johnny Pesky was a beloved figure for the Red Sox. In 2004, when the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series (their first in 86 years), Pesky was there. He watched the final out and was embraced by players like Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling. He represented all the past Red Sox stars who had not won a World Series.
In 2005, Pesky received his own World Series ring at a special ceremony. He also helped raise the 2004 World Series championship banner at Fenway Park. After the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series, Pesky received another ring and raised the new banner in 2008.
On his 87th birthday in 2006, the Red Sox officially named the right-field foul pole "Pesky's Pole" in his honor. In 2008, the Red Sox announced they would retire his number 6 jersey. This means no other Red Sox player will wear that number. Pesky's number was the first retired by the Red Sox for a player not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pesky lived in Lynn and Swampscott, Massachusetts. He was a well-known person in the community. He even appeared in funny TV and radio commercials for a local company.
On April 20, 2012, Pesky was part of the celebration for Fenway Park's 100th birthday. He was wheeled out to second base with Bobby Doerr to join over 200 past Red Sox players and coaches.
Death
Johnny Pesky passed away on August 13, 2012, at the age of 93. He was buried next to his wife, Ruth, who died in 2005. Many people in Boston and among Red Sox fans felt sad when he died, as he was like a grandfather figure to them.
See also
- Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
- Milt Schmidt (1918–2017), a Boston Bruins legend and longtime friend of Pesky
