April's player profile of yesteryear - Who is THE Mr. Red Sox?

Aprils past player profile is a very important man. This man has been with the Boston Red Sox for 58 of his 70 years in his baseball career. He has done everything he could for the Red Sox, he was a player, coach, announcer and ambassador. He is one of the last true baseball men in baseball history. He is also a World War II veteran who served his country and then came back and played his heart out. He has met Babe Ruth, played and became best friends with Ted Williams, and has 2 world series rings with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. He has the right field pole named after him in Fenway Park and he also had his number 6 retired on Sunday September 28th 2008 just 1 day after his 89th birthday. If you don’t know his name by now I cant tell you anymore hints, his name is Johnny Pesky.

When Pesky was about to get signed there were 3 teams at his house. The Yankees, Cardinals and Red Sox. Out of all of them the Red Sox offered him the least amount of money and coming from a poor immigrant family he was very surprised when his mom told him to sign with the Red Sox. She told him he better sign with the Red Sox because she felt like they cared about him and that the scout was much nicer.

Pesky started his career in 1942 with a bang batting .331 but his baseball career was put on the back burner by World War II, joining the Navy and served his country until 1946. He played with the Red Sox for 8 more years until being traded to the Detroit Tigers and retired in 1954 with a career batting average of .307 batting average.
Pesky will always be known as a life long Boston Red Sock. He has devoted his life to the game of baseball and helped teach the right way to many Boston Red Sox greats.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Red Sox and it was a day I would never forget he is a class act that can change the way you look at life in meeting you for just one second. If you are lucky enough to see this great man at Fenway Park please just stop him and thank him for all he has done for the Boston Red Sox and the game of baseball.