Almost six years ago, my family and I took our first trip to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Like many twelve-year-olds, I was eager to get there early to watch batting practice and try to get players' autographs. When we arrived, there were only a few fans in the ballpark at that point.
As I watched batting practice, an older man came out of the dugout. I soon realized it was Johnny Pesky. He had been mentioned in the tour of Fenway Park I had been to that morning.
He looked me dead in the eye and asked, "how ya doing kid?" He happily signed my baseball and answered questions, including "why was the pole named The Pesky Pole?" and "what was Ted Williams like?" He answered all my questions honestly and fully.
Pesky passed away today at the age of 92. Hearing this news brings back memories of that day.
Though he was an All-Star and a .307 career hitter, he should also be remembered for being a great guy.
Coming from a Yankee fan, that's high praise.
ReplyDelete