A lifetime .307 hitter, he was part of a talented Boston lineup with Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr and Dom DiMaggio. Pesky hit .331 - second in the AL only to Williams' .356 - and notched 205 hits in 1942, his rookie year.
Of course, playing in Boston, he had his ignominious share of the folklore surrounding the Red Sox's 86-year World Series drought. Fans blamed him for holding the ball for a split second on the cutoff as Enos Slaughter dashed from first to score the winning run for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series.
Pesky always denied hesitating and film of the play belied the persistent myth. "In my heart, I know I didn't hold the ball," he said.
It's good to be a lefty
The Cleveland Indians traded lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero to the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league infielder Carlos Rojas on Monday. This is actually the former Phillie's second stint this season with Orioles organization. He started the year with St. Louis, going 0-0 with a 10.13 ERA in 11 games for the Cardinals before being released May 14. The O's then signed him to to a minor-league contract and he went 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 17 appearances for triple-A Norfolk. He was then signed to a minor-league deal by the Tribe on July 21 and pitched in eight games for triple-A Columbus. The Orioles, still in contention for an AL wild-card spot, will add Romero to the 25-man roster.
Survivor: Atlanta
The Atlanta Braves are turning their rotation into a reality show, with manager Fredi Gonzalez saying he'll go with six starters for two weeks before picking the best five at the end of August (presumably at a meeting lit by tiki torches). Contestants are Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Mike Minor, Paul Maholm, Ben Sheets, and Kris Medlen (2-0 in three starts after moving from the bullpen). Gonzalez says Medlen will stick if he can outwit, outplay and outlast.
Contact Michael Harrington at mharrington@phillynews.com.
This article contains information from the AP.
