Johnny Pesky and Dustin Pedroia
According to a report in the Boston Herald, the Boston Red Sox plan to retire the uniform number of Johnny Pesky.
According to a team source, meetings were held last night and again this morning to address how and when a player’s number should be retired. The team plans to hold a press conference today or tomorrow to announce the change in policy, with all signs pointing to the dramatic news that Pesky’s uniform No. 6 will be retired before the end of the regular season.
The timing is perfect: Given that Pesky’s 89th birthday is Saturday, it’s likely the ceremony will take place before the Sox’ nationally televised game against the New York Yankees.
And according to Chad Finn over at the Boston Globe, the Red Sox could have an announcement as early as this afternoon.
Currently, the Red Sox have retired 5 numbers. They are #1 Bobby Doerr, #4 Joe Cronin, #8 Carl Yastrzemski, #9 Ted Williams, and #27 Carlton Fisk. Jackie Robinson’s #42 is also up there as it was retired by MLB in 1997.
The policy for retired numbers by the Red Sox has been in place for a long time. Normally you have to had played 10 years for the Red Sox, been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and finished your career as a member of the Red Sox. Obviously Fisk didn’t finish his career with the Red Sox but an exception was made.
So as Finn asks, will we see other numbers retired by the Red Sox. Out of Finn’s list, the only one I don’t want to see up there is Roger Clemens.
If this does happen, what a great honor for Mr. Red Sox.
UPDATE: Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe has confirmed from team sources that the Red Sox will indeed retire Pesky’s No. 6 on Friday night before the game against the Yankees.
