Johnny Pesky
A valuable leadoff batter, Johnny Pesky finished second in batting and led the American League in hits in his rookie season, and scored at least 100 runs in each of his forst six seasons in the majors. Though he missed three full seasons while serving in World War II following his rookie year, Pesky came back and paced the AL in hits in 1946 and 1947, as well. A flashy defender, Pesky gained unfortunate attention in Game Seven of the 1946 World Series, when he held a relay throw for a split-second, allowing Red Schoendienst to score the go-ahead run. Pesky hit .307 in his 10-year career.
Played For
Boston Red Sox (1942-1952)
Detroit Tigers (1952-1954)
Washington Senators (1954)
Managed
Boston Red Sox (1963-1980)
All-Time Rankings
Johnny Pesky ranks #44 among the Top 50 all-time at SS. Rankings ⇒
Where He Played
Shortstop
Born
John Michael Pesky was born on September 27, 1919, in Portland, OR.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: SS
Primary Team: BOS
Major League Debut
April 14, 1942
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1942
Tommy Holmes
Johnny Pesky
Warren Spahn
Allie Reynolds
Johnny Sain
Hank Borowy
Peanuts Lowrey
Willard Marshall
Eddie Robinson
Related Players
Red Schoendienst, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1960 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1946 World Series
Post-Season Notes
Pesky on the loss to the Yankees at the end of the 1949 season that kept them out of the World Series: "We had a one-game lead and went to New York for those last two. Sunday was the killer. That [expletive] Jerry Coleman hit a ball off the end of his bat that just went over the glove of Bobby Doerr. We lost and went home. Sick puppies, we were. That was a sad train ride home. This game can kill you sometimes."
Batting Feats
Hitting Streaks
26 games (1947)
All-Star Selections
1946 AL
Best Strength as a Player
Ability to put the ball in play.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Longball power.
Learn More about Johnny Pesky
Search Amazon.com for Books about Johnny Pesky ⇒
Search for Johnny Pesky at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
