Simply The Best?

Xander Bogaerts and the greatest rookie seasons in Red Sox history.

The Advanced Scout – Baltimore Orioles

The Advanced Scout has a heavy heart as he analyzes the Baltimore Orioles

Johnny Pesky passes

Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky has passed away.

1946 Reincarnated?

Fair or not, the 2011 Red Sox have been compared to the 1946 Red Sox since before the season began.…

Numbers

For whatever reason, I've been having a large number of conversations about retired numbers lately. From students trying to get me on a tangent by asking who they all are to discussions about whether Pedro Martinez' return on Opening Day was a play to get 45 on the facade, the frequency of the topic has gotten me thinking about what the next number retired would be. So, instead of the usual recriminations or wishful thoughts on the 2010 campaign, I wanted to run down the top 5 candidates in order of what I think is their likelihood of retirement. I don't expect everyone to agree, but it should spark some interesting conversation.

The current list stands at 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, and 27 (along with Jackie Robinson's 42). Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Johnny Pesky, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Jim Rice and Carlton Fisk -- as good a rundown of Red Sox greats as you can get. Hall of Famers all, aside from Pesky, who represents a special case. The restrictions on retirement have been eased by current ownership, and the rules are now a bit fuzzy; it used to be that a player had to begin and finish a Hall of Fame career with the Sox. That seems to no longer be the case, despite a few acrobatic moves to get Fisk there. So, with that in mind, here is my list of five, along with their numbers, chances and qualifications.

Manny a Tornado?

The Can-Am Worcester Tornadoes have offered Manny Ramirez a contract for two years at $24,000. With Worcester as my birth city and a city I still frequent multiple times a week, it would be great if he signed.

The Tornadoes have had former Red Sox prospects play for the team such as Greg Montalbano and Ed Reilly, who pitched the first ever Tornadoes game and then retired immediately after the game. Former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman has been the manager since inception. Johnny Pesky and Roger Clemens were among those that attended Tornado games in 2008. I attended the first game for the Tornadoes; you can read about it here (sadly, the pictures no longer work).

Photos from Johnny Pesky’s induction ceremony

It was a rainy, cloudy ceremony to honor Johnny Pesky and his lifetime contributions to the Red Sox. Just as…

6/28 GM 1: Viva Pesky

Prev. Gm: New York Yankees (88-72) @ Boston Red Sox (94-66) Mike Mussina (19-9, 3.47) @ Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80)…

Pesky

If are you like me, you are a fan of the Boston Red Sox. You are a fan of the…

A Homage to Johnny Pesky

Johnny Pesky, SS/3B, #6 (1942-present) .307/.394/.386, 1,455 hits, 17 HR, 867 R, 218 K in 10 seasons It was announced…