Few and Chosen Red Sox: Defining Red Sox Greatness Across the Eras [Hardcover]

Johnny Pesky (Author), Phil Pepe (Author), Ben Affleck (Introduction), Carl Yastrzemski (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004 | Series: Few and Chosen

The Red Sox's famous drive for the biggest names in the game in the offseason after the 2003 season was so big because of the history the Red Sox possess. For the first time ever a Boston icon ranks the five best players at each position to ever take the field. The Rocket or Pedro? Teddy Ballgame or Yaz? Find out who tops who and why.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Because of his long association with the team, who better to choose an all-time Red Sox team than Peksy? And because he has been associated with every Red Sox player over the past 60 years, I am honored and flattered that Johnny has seen fit to find a place for me on that team at not one, but three different positions." - From the Foreword by Carl Yastrezemski

"The 'Pesky Pole' still stands in Fenway Park as a monument to the greatness of the team and its storied history. So does John Pesky." -From the Introduction by Ben Affleck

From the Inside Flap

Talk about a "dream team": imagine what it would be like to take a franchise with as rich a history as the Boston Red Sox have - with all of the wonderfully gifted athletes who have graced their uniform over the past century - and assemble a lineup using only the very best players from the elite group.

Would you take Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez as your number one starting pitcher? Or would it be Cy Young or Babe Ruth - just to toss out a couple of names?

In left field, your choices might include great players like Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski. But if you could put just one name in the top spot, wouldn't it have to be Ted Williams? With all of the incredible talent the Red sox have had over the years, it becomes an enticing - and challenging - exercise. Former Sox great Johnny Pesky was up to that challange; in Few and Chosen, he has ranked the top five all-time Boston Red Sox players at each position, as well as the team's top five managers.

Pesky watched many of the candidates play as he traveled from ballfield to ballfield developing the tools and knowledge that would mark his own life in baseball. He played with or against many others over the years - many of which he spent in Boston - as a major league shortsop during baseball's golden ages, the forites and fifties. And he has spent the better part of the past five decades evaluating talent and working with players as a manager, coach, scout, and broadcaster within the Red Sox organization. If anyone is qualified for an undertaking such as this, it's Pesky.

Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of dozens of ballplayers from different eras, Pesky reveals his conclusions and rankings in Few and Chosen: Defining Red Sox Greatness Across the Eras. The finished product is an entertaining and informative insider look at the best players to be a part of this great franchise. By bringing together the legends of Sox lore, as well as the team's contemporary superstars, Pesky has created the ultimate tribute to the Boston Red Sox while also fanning the flames of debate among the most passionate fans in sports.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572436085
• ISBN-13: 978-1572436084
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,421,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun book, June 8, 2004

By 

Chris Thomas "chrtho" (Louisiana (transplanted Red Sox fan)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Few and Chosen Red Sox: Defining Red Sox Greatness Across the Eras (Hardcover)

A fun book. A good idea to have a player rank other players. Too many errors, though. Misspells Boo Ferriss name, and some others. Some facts are wrong, too. The book says Pesky held the ball so one wonders did he really write it? And why is there a picture of Mickey Mantle swinging at a ball inside both the front and back covers? Is that a publisher's joke to anger Red Sox fans?

It's still fun, though.