As a baseball fan from St. Louis, I won’t pretend to fully comprehend what the beloved Johnny Pesky meant to Boston and Red Sox fans around the globe. That said, when I first heard the news of Mr. Pesky’s passing Monday afternoon at the age of 92, I stopped in my tracks.

I’ve never heard a bad word spoken of Mr. Pesky, and, judging by the chatter on Twitter, many feel the same way. Here’s a small sample:

Jacoby Ellsbury (@JacobyEllsbury): RIP Johnny Pesky. You will be missed in the clubhouse and by #RedSoxNation.

Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann): Words cannot adequately describe the loss of Johnny Pesky, who has died after a lifetime of being genuinely, generously terrific to people.

Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis): The most impressive thing about Johnny Pesky has to be that not one bad thing has ever been said or written about him. And this is BOSTON.

ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo): Via ELIAS: Red Sox Johnny Pesky died today (age 92). He is only player in MLB history to lead league in hits in each of his 1st 3 seasons.

BostonTweet (@BostonTweet): Roses outside Fenway Park for Johnny Pesky.

The “Teammates” statue, located outside of Gate B at Fenway Park, depicts the longtime friendship of Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky. (@BostonTweet)

Mike Lowell (@mikelowell25): My prayers go out to Johnny Pesky, a true “man” of baseball. Your stories & attitude always made me smile. Rest in peace. We all love you.

Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe): Sad as the Johnny Pesky news is, the man served his country, was a heck of a player, made so many friends + lived to 92. What a life.

Jon Lester (@JLester31): Just heard we lost one of the good ones today. A great player and an even better man, rest in peace Johnny, thank you for the memories.

Mark Feinsand (@BloggingBombers): The Yankees remember the late Johnny Pesky before the game.

A classy move by the Yankees last night prior to first pitch in the Bronx against Texas. (@BloggingBombers)

Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN): Not many people in baseball history have given more to the sport than Johnny Pesky did, through his lifetime.

Lou Merloni (@LouMerloni): Johnny Pesky thank you for always being there for me, making me a better player and a better person. I’ll never forget you. RIP

Peter King (@SI_PeterKing): RIP Johnny Pesky. One of the great baseball players and personalities of our time.

Mia Hamm (@MiaHamm): Johnny Pesky, a true gentleman. RIP # 6

Over parts of his eight seasons playing for the Red Sox (through June 1952), Pesky hit .313 with 196 doubles, 46 triples, 13 home runs, 361 RBI, and 776 runs scored. He remains among Boston’s career leaders in batting average (7th), on-base percentage (7th, .401), runs scored (10th) and at-bats per strikeout (3rd, 21.61). (Getty Images)

Although it’s not listed at the top of his resume, Mr. Pesky managed the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1990 from June 27 – September 3.

The PawSox send their condolences and prayers to the Pesky family, and are honored to have been associated with not just a terrific baseball player, but also an outstanding man.

-AG

@aaronmgoldsmith
agoldsmith@pawsox.com