Pesky's Pole

Pesky's Pole, or The Pesky Pole, is the nickname for the right field foul pole at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. It is named after Johnny Pesky, who played second base, shortstop and third base for the Red Sox from 1942 to 1952, except for 1943-45 during World War II. The pole sits only 302 feet (92 meters) away from home plate. Like the measurement of the left-field line at Fenway Park, this has been disputed. Aerial shots show it to be noticeably shorter than the (actual) 302 foot line in right, and Pesky himself has been quoted as estimating it to be "around 295 feet" to his eponymous pole.

According to Pesky, the nickname was coined by former Red Sox pitcher Mel Parnell. Parnell thought up the name after Pesky won him the game with a blooper over the fence near the pole. Pesky was a slap hitter who hit just 17 home runs in his career (6 at Fenway Park) [http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/peskyjo01.shtml] ; thus, he was a hitter who would have benefited greatly from the short, easy-to-reach fence. However, research has suggested that he was unlikely to have hit many home runs around the pole.

The term, though it had been in use since the 1950s, became far more common when Parnell became a Red Sox broadcaster.

On September 27, 2006, on Pesky's 87th birthday, the Red Sox organization officially dedicated the right field foul pole as Pesky's Pole with a commemorative plaque placed at its base.

The seat directly on the foul side of Pesky's Pole in the front row is Section 94, Row E, Seat 5 and is usually sold as a lone ticket.

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* [http://www.redsoxconnection.com/peskypole.html About The Pesky Pole (RedSoxConnection.com)]