OT: Boston Sports Icon Johnny Pesky Dead At 92

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Should probably be in the baseball forum but this guy was an icon in and out of baseball for the city of Boston and should be mentioned.....somewhere,anyway.

Red Sox icon Johnny Pesky dies at 92 | MLB.com: News

Johnny Died earlier Today at the ripe old age of 92

Rest in peace Johnny!

 

[RayClay]

Agreed. A good, not great player, mediocre manager and decent broadcaster that just became a Boston fixture. Nice guys do finish first sometimes, wth the fans, at least.

Claim to fame was a pole indicating his lack of power, obviously he could take a joke.

RIP

 

[DaBruinz]

Agreed. A good, not great player, mediocre manager and decent broadcaster that just became a Boston fixture. Nice guys do finish first sometimes, wth the fans, at least.

Claim to fame was a pole indicating his lack of power, obviously he could take a joke.

RIP

You forgot to mention a great infield coach.. How many decades did he just hit grounders for infielders to handle?

 

[Reckedtrek]

Rest In Peace Mr. Pesky. Condolences to his family and friends.

 

[patsfan13]

Always sad to lose an icon. Glad he lived to go the the 100th anniversary of Fenway to get the recognition from the Fans and his peers from the Red Sox over the years.

He had a great run hope, I make it to 92.

 

[Deus Irae]

May he rest in peace, and may his family take comfort in the knowledge that he lived a long life around the sport he loved.

 

[RayClay]

You forgot to mention a great infield coach.. How many decades did he just hit grounders for infielders to handle?

And a great instructor, Rice sang his praises. I did think of it, but didn't want to write an essay. His stretch as a coach/instructor is more responsible for his legacy than anything else, you are correct to mention my omission.

...Just decided to look up Rice and Pesky. Of course i thought of Pesky working with hitters, which he did, but Rice mentioned the hours he spent helping him play the outfield and that really rang a bell. Rice was horrible at first. It would have definitely limited his career or the teams flexibility. He became an average to good defensive outfielder which goes to show what patient instruction can accomplish. Never realized it was Pesky, I'm sure few would have that type of patience or calming influence.

 

[363839]

Johnny had himself a nice baseball career.
Nice long life...he is well loved and will be missed by Red Sox nation.
Rest in Peace, Johnny.

 

[Fencer]

Johnny had himself a nice baseball career.
Nice long life...he is well loved and will be missed by Red Sox nation.
Rest in Peace, Johnny.

Did I read correctly that the last game he attended was 9 nights before he died in a hospice? Truly, the Red Sox were family to him.

That kind of thing happens in few sports franchises -- a number of baseball teams, probably led by the Dodgers and then Red Sox; very few basketball teams, mainly the Celtics , in part because few others have enough of a legacy to inspire such feelings; and very few football teams, in part because guys have such complex feelings about leaving the game (perhaps the Steelers?); and probably a few of the original NHL teams, but I don't know much about that sport.

 

[DarrylS]

RIP Johnny, you were a class act and a symbol of what baseball should have been.. love of the game, love of your club and a true mentor.

 

[MetalBleachers]

Went to spring training years ago (early 2000s). During the assigned time, a few people approached Johnny Pesky for autographs, and he said with a chuckle, "Boy, you are scraping the bottom of the barrel."

A funny, humble guy who never saw himself as the Boston sports icon he became. He will be missed.

 

[IndyKen]

RIP Johnny - you made a wonderful contribution to baseball, the Red Sox and New England region.

 

[PatsDeb]

RIP Johnny. Will miss seeing your face at all the important Red Sox events - you seemed always to enjoy yourself thoroughly and you were a great embassador for the Red Sox.

 

[BradyFTW!]

When the Sox won it all in 2004, I went to the victory parade with some friends (still lived in Boston at the time). Probably my favorite part of it was that Pesky got the loudest cheers from the crowd, I think. Even louder than Papi.

Honestly, in cases like this, it almost seems unfitting to offer condolences, since the guy pretty clearly lived a long, happy, and basically ideal life. Good for him, and I somehow doubt that he had many regrets.