Johnny Pesky was an infielder for the Red Sox from 1942-1952 and the team’s manager in 1963 and 1964. Dubbed “Mr. Red Sox”, Pesky is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame and is still employed by the team at the age of 87. This interview took place in May 2004.

Johnny Pesky Interview

David Laurila: Your recent biography, written by Bill Nowlin, is titled “Mr. Red Sox”. Tell us what it means to have such a title bestowed upon you.

Johnny Pesky: It's flattering, of course. I'm not sure if I warrant it -- others deserve it more than I do. I was never very impressed with my own ability, but I have been around for a long time. I'm certainly proud to have been with the Red Sox for so much of my life.

DL: What does it mean to put on a Red Sox uniform? Have you ever spoken to young players about that?

JP: I have, many times. The team has always treated me, and my family, with respect. That's important, and it's an honor to be a part of the Red Sox. I tell young players that. Of course, that goes for other uniforms too -- you should be proud to represent your team. Players should have more loyalty than they do these days.

DL: You've certainly been as loyal as they come.

JP: And I'm certainly not planning on going anywhere. <smiles> Nobody else would even take me anymore, so I'm staying right here!

DL: Tell us about signing with the Red Sox.

JP: Back then, you could sign with anybody -- there was no draft yet. There were a number of teams interested in me, and some offered more money than Boston. My mother and father wanted me to sign with the Red Sox, though, because their scout brought her flowers when he came to the house -- and bourbon for my father. They were immigrants, and even though it was the Depression, that was more important than the extra money. I'm glad it worked out the way it did.

DL: You were born on the day Babe Ruth played his last game in a Red Soxuniform. Is there anything symbolic in that?

JP: Well, I don't think you want to compare the two of us. <smiles> It sounds like a memorable date in history, but I was too young at the time to know what it meant.

DL: Most people have read about your friendships with Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr. Who else were you close to in the game?

JP: There have been many, but the guys you just named are my people. They're the ones I came up with, and we spent a lot of time together, both during and after our careers. Others were close: (Dave) Ferriss, (Tex) Hughson, (Mel) Parnell -- but good things happen in your life that you don't forget. My friendships with Ted, Dom and Bobby are a part of that.

DL: What about guys you didn't get along with?

JP: Some people think I didn't like Dick Stuart. That wasn't true. I actually liked Dick -- I just didn't like that he couldn't catch the ball. There were other guys, like Allie Reynolds, who were tough and mean. I got along with Billy Martin, for instance. Guys like him and Reynolds were just tough competitors. I got along with (Mickey) Mantle too.

DL: Talk about some of the guys on the current Red Sox team.

JP: I call (David) McCarty "Mr. Harvard," because he's such a smart guy. I know he went to Stanford, but I call him that anyway. (Curt) Schilling likes to get on me about Ted, saying how he'd get the best of him if he played now. I tell Schilling that Ted would hit him -- hit him hard. I point to the Williams seat up in right field, and tell him Ted would have taken him even deeper than that! (David) Ortiz and (Manny) Ramirez both like to kid me a lot. They also ask me about my era. Ortiz is a wonderful boy -- a pussycat. Manny is very affectionate. He hugs me all the time, and kisses me. He calls me "poppy." Ortiz and (Kevin) Millar have caught on to that, so now they're starting to hug me all the time, too. I might have to start wearing a skirt in the clubhouse!

DL: What about Pokey Reese?

JP: What a glove. Defensively he's one of the elite second basemen of all time, but we need him at shortstop right now -- and he's playing great. When Nomar (Garciaparra) gets back, not many balls will get through the middle of the infield with them out there. That's for sure.

DL: You were close to Shea Hillenbrand when he was here.

JP: Great kid; great demeanor. He worked as hard as anybody -- maybe even tried too hard at times. Jimy (Williams) had me helping him, and after every workout he'd thank me. I'd tell him: "You don't have to thank me -- this is my job!" Great work ethic. As you probably know, I hated to see him leave.

DL: You were in Detroit, late in your career, when Al Kaline broke in. Tell us about Kaline.

JP: He was a great kid who became a great player. I was a veteran, so the manager, Fred Hutchinson, had me work with him. He was only 18, but very mature for his age. I'd talk to him about what was happening on the field, and he'd take it all in. Some young players aren't good listeners, but he was -- he really wanted to learn. Along with Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, he might have had the best work habits of anyone I've seen.

DL: Tell us about Yaz.

JP: Wonderful player. Next to Ted, he might be the best I've been around. Not only could he hit, he played different positions and played them well. He worked hard and made himself into one of the best, not only here, but in the game.

DL: Talk a little about pitchers. You mentioned how Reynolds was tough and mean, and he certainly threw hard. I'm guessing Bob Feller and Dick Radatz are among the hardest throwers you've seen?

JP: They are. Let me tell you about Radatz. I was managing in AAA when he was coming up, and in those days guys didn't want to be relief pitchers. But I saw the way he could throw the ball, and told him that's what I wanted him to do. He didn't like the idea at first, but I convinced him that it would work out, and it did. For about four years he was as good as anybody I've seen. He'd just throw the ball by people.

DL: You were almost impossible to strike out -- only 218 times in your ten-year career. Talk about how you learned bat control, and how that has changed since your era.

JP: Heinie Manush had a big part in that. He was my manager when I started out, and he called me over one day and suggested that I choke up on the bat. He didn't try to force anything on me; just explained that big league pitchers can knock the bat right out of your hands. I wasn't that big of a guy, so I wasn't going to hit many home runs anyway. He had been watching me play pepper, and saw that I controlled the bat pretty well that way. Very few guys do it now -- there's too much money in hitting home runs -- but it's foolish not to listen to advice from guys who have been successful and know the game.

DL: You also ran very well, but in those years teams didn't run as much. Have you ever thought about how many bases you'd steal if you played today?

JP: That's a good question. I'm not sure if I know the answer, but it's true we didn't run much when I played. But you have to remember that I hit in front of Ted. We didn't want me getting thrown out, because as often as not he'd knock me in. And if I did steal second, then they'd just walk Ted -- we didn't want to take the bat out of his hands.

DL: Ted was reportedly almost traded for Joe DiMaggio at one time. What was the talk in the clubhouse when that rumor surfaced? Did the players discuss it?

JP: I've never believed that trade came close to happening. And we didn't really talk about it at the time, no. In those days you just accepted things, and took them for what they were. We didn't pay it much mind.

DL: You were traded late in your career (Johnny Pesky Trades). What was that like?

JP: Boston was the only place I played that I really loved, so I couldn't say I liked it. But there were young guys coming up, and I knew how the game worked, so I understood it. Ted didn't understand it, though. He wondered why the hell they would trade me.

DL: Let's talk a little about Ted. Was "Little needle-nosed shortstop" a compliment coming from him?

JP: <smiles> Yes, it was a term of endearment. Ted liked me, and was a great friend. Back when I was sick -- he was still healthy at the time -- he called to check on me all the time. He'd shout into the phone: "When the hell are you going to get better?!"

DL: Tell us about your days as a broadcaster, and a little about the greats who have occupied the booth at Fenway, guys like Ken Coleman and Joe Castiglione.

JP: I was more comfortable on the field than in the booth -- I'll say that. I didn't mind the job, but I don't think I was very good at it. Guys like Coleman and Castiglione; they're good at it -- they're wonderful. Someone else that's good is (Jerry) Remy. Of all the ex-jocks, he's the best going right now. I like (Dennis) Eckersley and (Jim) Rice, too. They're not as good as Remy, but I like hearing what they have to say.

DL: There is talk that Tony Conigliaro's number may be retired by the Red Sox next year. There has been similar discussion of retiring yours. What are yourthoughts on each?

JP: Well, I'm not so sure about me. I like the idea for Tony. What happened to him was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. I was managing when he first came up -- he was just a kid, like Kaline was. The first time I saw him in the spring he really opened my eyes. I kept putting him on the field, and he just kept producing. What a great player he could have been.

DL: Talk about your Navy years and wartime baseball, including base teams.

JP: There were teams on the bases, yes. Some pretty good ones too, but the top priority was always to do your duty. That's why you were there. That was usually in the morning, and then later in the day you'd play ball. That was secondary though. Our duties came first.

DL: Tell us about the war ending, and coming back to play.

JP: Coming back was wonderful. We were all back; Ted, Dom, Bobby -- all of us. And we played so well that season. Ferriss won 25 games; Hughson 20. Ted was hitting like he hadn't missed a beat. The war was over and we were together playing baseball. It was a wonderful time.

DL: Talk about barnstorming, including the Negro Leagues. I assume you were a part of that?

JP: Yes. Birdie Tebbetts put together some good groups that I was with. The Negro Leagues were a part of barnstorming; the House of David. You know, some of the guys on those Negro League teams were great ballplayers: Satchel Paige; Josh Gibson was wonderful. It was a lot of bull that they couldn't play in the major leagues. It was just the way things were, so we didn't really think about it a lot at the time, but it was a lot of bull.

DL: We spoke to Leigh Montville recently, and he talked about how Ted said the same thing, that he just didn't think about it that much.

JP: We didn't, and it was a shame. There were so many good players, and they were no less human beings than we were. I remember when Larry Doby broke in with Cleveland. Back in those days you left your glove on the field, and when he came out for his Ted jogged by and said: "Good luck, kid." A lot of guys weren't like that, and I think that probably meant a lot to Doby. And Doby could play, too -- do everything.

DL: Did you ever hit against Paige?

JP: Yes, both when we barnstormed and again when he came to the majors. He was pretty old by then, so he didn't throw as hard -- lots of motion, though. I remember finally getting a hit off of him. He was good.

DL: Talk about some of the men who have managed here, including Grady Little.

JP: I think Grady did a good job, and I stood behind his decision last year. He had the best pitcher in the game look him in the eye and say he could get it done. You have to go with your best, but in baseball you can't control everything that happens -- luck plays a part. (Jorge) Posada tied the game with a bloop hit. There's nothing you can do about that. People always want to find somebody to blame, and that's what happened with Grady.

DL: Some people blamed you for 1946.

JP: Yes, and for a short time I was sensitive to that -- but I got over it. Fans have a right to their opinions, whether you're talking about 1946 or last year. But it's important to accept responsibility, and I was a part of that play -- sure. Could I have thrown him out? I don't know, but I think I would have needed a gun. Something a lot of people don't remember is that Dom got hurt and was out of the game when that happened. With him in center field, I don't think Slaughter tries to score.

DL: Back to managers for a moment: Why, in your opinion, did Joe McCarthy pitch Denny Galehouse in 1948?

JP: I wish I knew, but you didn't question managers much back then. He pitched him, and things didn't work out. Connie Mack pitched Howard Ehmke in the (1929) World Series instead of Lefty Grove -- and ended up looking like a genius. You look good when it works, and bad when it doesn't. Baseball is really "the perfect imperfect game." You see new things every day. Sometimes they go your way, and sometimes they don't.

DL: There certainly have been some tragic moments in Red Sox history.

JP: Yes, and if I could explain it, I would. Fate is a God-given thing. Just like He gives you your good looks and a brain, things happen out on the field too -- and you can't always understand why they play out like they do. Joe Morgan's ball fell in front of Fred Lynn in '75; (Ed) Armbrister wasn't called out for interference in that same series. All you can do is keep playing. This year's team has a chance. We have better pitching than last season. We're good enough to win it.

DL: Tell us a little about your wife. You've been together for a long time.

JP: Our 60th anniversary is coming up in January. She's still a pretty little girl. I met her when I was in the Navy during the war, and she accepted that I was a ballplayer. When I went off to spring training for the first time I didn't think she'd be there when I got back. But there she was, waiting for me.

DL: Any closing thoughts before I let you go?

JP: I've had a good life. I've had wonderful friends; a wonderful family. The Red Sox have always treated me fabulously, and that means a lot to me.<smiles> Yes, it's been a good life -- and I'm not done yet.

DL: We hope you have many more years in the game, Johnny. Thanks for taking the time.

JP: I hope I gave you enough to work with. Now, I better get back to the clubhouse. There’s a game to get ready for.