Sox to Retire Pesky's Number

by Drugs Delaney on Sep 23, 2008 7:01 PM EDT

According to both the Globe and Herald, the Red Sox will retire Johnny Pesky's number 6 prior to Friday night's game v. the MFY.

The Red Sox will break their traditional requirements for a player's number to be retired: that he is in the Hall of Fame, that he ended his career with the club, and that he played at least 10 seasons for the Red Sox. Pesky is not in the Hall of Fame.

I'm very happy Pesky will be honored, and have always thought the Sox' retired number policy was stupid. The Yankees have done a better job with their retired numbers, honoring non-Hall of Famers like Thurman, Munson, Don Mattingly, Elston Howard, and Ron Guidry.

Hopefully the Pesky ceremony signals a loosening of the Sox' retired number policy. Here are some other players that should be honored:

Jimmie Foxx

Dom DiMaggio

Luis Tiant

Tris Speaker

Jim Rice

Dwight Evans

Wade Boggs

Pedro Martinez (when he retires).

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Yes:
DiMaggio, so what if he isn’t as good as his brother?
Speaker, Doubles machine!
Rice, WAAAAAAAAYYYYY underated
Boggs, Great hitter
Martinez, ‘Cause he’s so good.

My last sig was too long, so my new one is: He who hesitates is a mediocre ambidextrious stupid person who thinks the Rays suck and stole Joe Maddon's shoes while thinking he was at a baseball game but was at church.

by BoSox415 on Sep 23, 2008 8:14 PM EDT reply actions

Jim Rice is underrated?

Like fresh muffins.

Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.

by bdalebs on Sep 24, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually Martinez has been struggling

5-6, whopping 5.50 ERA, 103.0 IP in 2008 (poor, injury plagued)
3-1, 2.57 ERA, 28.0 IP in 2007 (poor, injury plagued)
9-8, 4.48 ERA, 132.2 IP in 2006 (sub average for Martinez)
15-8, 2.82, 217.0 IP in 2005 (an average season at best for a guy like Pedro)

I’ve been tracking Pedro ever since he left because he was one of my favorite players ever, and, I can hardly remember a single noteworthy performance in the last 4 years.

I don’t think Pedro’s number should be retired. Although he deserves to be in the Red Sox Hall of Fame no doubt, I don’t believe he’s right up there with the Yaz and Ted. Retiring numbers is a big deal, there are plenty of awesome players in the history of the Red Sox, but we can’t retire all there numbers can we?

Forever Red Sox, screw all those pink-hatted babes, 'got no family, 'got no friends, 'got no life--RED SOX I LIVE FOR THIS.

by RedSoxUltras on Sep 25, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Of that list the only people I could agree with are Jim Rice, Pedro Martinez, and Dwight Evans. The only real Red Sox on that list; half of those guys played less than half their careers in Boston. Dom Dimaggio is the exception; he just wasn’t good enough. Pedro didn’t spend that many years here, but he was just so good..

by Charger567 on Sep 24, 2008 12:23 AM EDT reply actions

honor your greats

What a novel idea. It only took you 90 years.

by LouieTheLip on Sep 24, 2008 12:29 AM EDT reply actions

OK, we get it, you’re a Yankees fan who’s throwing a fit on Red Sox blogs because you’re upset the dynasty is over. Now leave.

by Charger567 on Sep 24, 2008 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions

At least we won't have to start dishonoring them by allowing young players to wear their numbers...

Once you have #1-60[ish] retired, you will have to give them to new players, managers, etc. It depends on how many people the MFY allow to wear jersey’s with numbers.

Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.

by bdalebs on Sep 24, 2008 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions