According to a report by the Boston Herald, the Red Sox franchise is ready to change their long-standing policy regarding the retirement of a player’s number. All indications are this change is being made to allow the team to honor unofficial team ambassador Johnny Pesky by retiring his number six among the former Red Sox greats. The current policy states a player must already be enshrined in Cooperstown and spent 10 years as a member of the Boston franchise. Historically, a player must also finish his career with the Boston franchise, however, an exception was made to policy to allow for Carlton Fisk’s number 27 to be added to the wall.
Pesky played for the Red Sox for 7 full years and part of an 8th before being traded to Detroit; he missed three years after winning the Rookie of the Year to serve in the Navy. The light-hitting Pesky averaged just below two HRs a year, prompting teammate Mel Parnell to joke Pesky could only hit home-runs by wrapping them around the short porch to the fair side of the right field pole. The pole was commonly called “Pesky’s Pole” until it was officially named so by the franchise in 2006. In his seven years with Boston, Johnny Pesky averaged 143 games
Loading ...
Let the great debate begin – who should be considered for retirement if the policy is changed? Posting of stats, arguments is encouraged!!
I don’t think Pesky deserves it but I won’t really complain. He is one of the few good sox players who remain around the club over the years. If that wasn’t the case I don’t think we would be seeing his # retired which makes it a bad reason. I say we wait for him to pass and display his embalmed body like Stalin or Lenin on Causeway street.
I’m not (quite) old enough to remember Pesky, so I saw #6 in the headline and my mind went immediately to Bill Buckner.
We’d better win tonight.
I’m for it. He’s become ingrained in the franchise as a person and a player. Plus I’m not even sure this should/will open the door for other players, this man has been a part of the team in some form for going on 150 years (give or take a few).
I think, as the Baseball Hall of Fame does, he should be retired as some sort of “Contributor” since he has been involved with the team for so long … and I know he missed three years of his prime … but his career numbers resemble that of Luis Castillo … and I know we wouldn’t be retiring his number …
Pesky deserves to have his number retired. It’s not all about the production on the field, it’s about what it means to be a Red Sox, and that’s Pesky.
No on Clemens and Manny. They tainted their image.
Yes on Pedro Martinez. Yes on Varitek.
I do like Ryne’s idea of “Contributor,” but it feels like that’s been done with the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Great point on Pedro, Evan! He also only spent 7 years with the team, but wow, what a seven years it was! I just spent the last 15 minutes going through baseball-reference.com game logs from 1999 … what a year
Yay Pesky!
Add Wakefield. but, we’ve had that discussion.
Yes on Pesky, absolutely. And while he is still with us to see it, too. But assuming that America, and the Western World are going to continue for centuries to come, I would like to see the honor bestowed in a different manner. Eventually teams will run out of numbers (Celtics), some in the next 100-200 years, and then what? I know, not our problem, but it is an obvious one. Some football teams, looking ahead, already simply put the names of the players up on the stadium wall, and I would prefer that to the number. The first time a franchise has to unretire a retired number will be a sad day.
Let the debate rage (Jimmy Foxx, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, Dewey, Rice, Dom Dimag, and Tony C. pop to my mind first) and I might actually agree with Sean O about Wake. Put the names on the wall, retire the number for a century maybe, if you must.
Johnny Pesky is a special case, like so many from the WWII era, who must be looked at in historical perspective.
I did see Pesky play as a kid, and to my generation and the one before me, it was a no brainer to sacrifice your career to prevent Germany and Japan from dividing up the world. In Dorchester where I grew up all the houses still had windows painted black to prevent damage from night bombers; and most neighbors had some family member who had died overseas.
Many baseball greats took years out of their careers, and many gave their lives. Those who were lucky enough to come back tried to continue their lives where they left off. Pesky and Williams were two of those.
Had the promising ROY Pesky opted to stay and play, he would have his 10 years, but his generation would not vote to retire his #. Bbut he opted to serve, and subsequent generations should appreciate what these guys achieved, and what they gave up to do so . . . and that in WWII math, 8years + 3years = 11 years. No problem.
For such matters as playing time, MLB and the Sox should include their years of service away from their team as time spent with the team. I’m not a hawk, but our soldier-athletes who gave up so much for their country should be honored for their service, not punished for it by limiting decisions to arbitrary rules.