Remembering Johnny Pesky And The Birth Of Red Sox Nation

Boston Red Sox legend, Johnny Pesky, died Monday at 92 years old, having spent more than 60 years in baseball — much of that with the Red Sox.

The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy wrote on Tuesday about Johnny Pesky's death:

"The Red Sox are 112 years old.  Fenway is a hundred.  Johnny Pesky 'only' lived to be 92, but his life touched everything that ever had anything to do with the Red Sox."

Pesky played with Ted Williams, Bobby Doer and Dom Dimaggio.  He managed Carl Yaztremski, and coached Jim Rice and Nomar Garciapara.  He celebrated the historic come-back when the Sox won the 2004 World Series, and he was on the field this past spring-- still in uniform — celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.

Pesky was a player, manager, coach and team ambassador, but to anyone who had the good fortune to meet him, he was a good guy and a gentleman.  In an era of aloof multi-millionaire baseball mercenaries, Pesky was a generous hometown friend — who loved to talk about baseball, the Red sox and the great players he played with.

In a 2003 interview with teammate Bobby Doer, Pesky professed his love for the game on WBUR's Here & Now:

Bobby Doer: "You left one thing out. How we loved it. We loved it."

Johnny Pesky: "Dominic. Bobby. Me and Teddy. You know, we were known as the big four from the west coast, we were the rabble rousers. But we had a great love for the game of baseball and for each other.

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