Johnny Pesky

[Cowtipper]

Johnny Pesky played for ten years in the big leagues, hitting .307 with 662 walks and only 218 strikeouts. He recorded over 200 hits in each of his first three seasons, which - obviously - were the best three years of his career.

A one-time All-Star, Pesky missed 1943-1945 because of World War II. Because his first season came before World War II and his next two years came after it, one could deduce that had he been afforded those three years, he would have had three more 200 hit (or at least, remarkable) seasons.

Pesky is similar to only one Hall of Famer: Bucky Harris. The other players he is similar to are Woody English, Johnny Temple, Sparky Adams, Dave Cash, Jimmy Johnston, Placido Polanco, Lyn Lary, Glenn Beckert and Luis Castillo.

In 1946 and 1947, Pesky led the league in at-bats. He led the league in plate appearances in 1946, and in 1942, 1946 and 1947 he led the league in hits. He also led the league in singles in 1942, 1946 and 1947 as well. In 1942, he led the league in sacrifice hits, too.

The Baseball Page ranks him as the 44th best shortstop of all time. He received one vote for the Hall of Fame in 1960.

So, what do you think? Should Johnny Pesky be in the Hall of Fame?

[KCGHOST]

You have to give Pesky a ton of war time credit at a very high level to boost Pesky's 10 year career over the top.

[jjpm74]

He's a solid maybe for me depending on how much war credit he deserves.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Johnny Pesky played for ten years in the big leagues, hitting .307 with 662 walks and only 218 strikeouts. He recorded over 200 hits in each of his first three seasons, which - obviously - were the best three years of his career.

A one-time All-Star, Pesky missed 1943-1945 because of World War II. Because his first season came before World War II and his next two years came after it, one could deduce that had he been afforded those three years, he would have had three more 200 hit (or at least, remarkable) seasons.

Pesky is similar to only one Hall of Famer: Bucky Harris. The other players he is similar to are Woody English, Johnny Temple, Sparky Adams, Dave Cash, Jimmy Johnston, Placido Polanco, Lyn Lary, Glenn Beckert and Luis Castillo.

In 1946 and 1947, Pesky led the league in at-bats. He led the league in plate appearances in 1946, and in 1942, 1946 and 1947 he led the league in hits. He also led the league in singles in 1942, 1946 and 1947 as well. In 1942, he led the league in sacrifice hits, too.

The Baseball Page ranks him as the 44th best shortstop of all time. He received one vote for the Hall of Fame in 1960.

So, what do you think? Should Johnny Pesky be in the Hall of Fame?

Pesky was moved off of SS to 3B in mid-career to accomodate Vern Stephens. This isn't a ringing endorsement of Stephens' defense, although it's possible that this was done because Pesky was more versatile.

I rate Pesky behind Nomar Garciaparra, Cecil Travis, and Vern Stephens. All of these guys have HOF cases; all of these guys were better than Pesky (IMO), but there are compelling reasons to say "no" to all of these guys regarding the HOF. If those guys aren't going into the Hall, why Pesky?

[jalbright]

He's a solid maybe for me depending on how much war credit he deserves.

Well, he played quite well in 1942 before he went to serve, and when he returned in 1946 he was again excellent. Even with the war credit I give him, he just sneaks over, but I believe he lost three darned fine years to serving his country in one of its hours of greatest need, and deserves to be treated as though he had three more fine years than he actually did for that very reason. Some may still think that leaves him short, and I can accept that judgment, though.

[SABR Matt]

Nah.

Let's make a big assumption here...here's Pesky's career summary:
Yr Lg Off Def O-M D-M Wins
1946 AL 6.54 5.03 8.6 7.3 11.57
1942 AL 5.61 4.14 6.9 5.6 9.75
1949 AL 5.65 3.75 6.8 5.7 9.40
1947 AL 5.82 2.07 7.1 1.4 7.89
1951 AL 5.69 2.10 7.8 2.1 7.79
1950 AL 4.80 2.72 5.8 3.8 7.52
1948 AL 5.11 1.37 5.9 1.1 6.48
1953 AL 2.50 0.38 2.8 -0.5 2.88
1952 AL 1.45 0.52 1.0 -0.1 1.97
1954 AL 0.64 0.55 0.0 0.4 1.19

So let's take his 1942-1949 win scoring rates for offense and defense as the rates he'd have produced from 1943-1945.

5.91 offensive wins per year at a 1.24 marker to win exchange rate, 3.75 defensive wins per year at a 1.33 marker to win exchange rate.

That would be 22 additional offensive marker points and 15 additional defensive marker points, bringing his career totals to 74.7 offensive marker and 42.4 defensive marker...for a career total of 117.1, which is in the same neighborhood as Hughie Jennings, Dick Bartell, Phil Rizzuto and Vern Stephens.

Making a war-credit adjustment brings him to just below where my bubble is (Luis Aparicio, Dave Bancroft, Tony Fernandez, Joe Sewell are the bubble guys who don't make my HOF and he's behind all of them)

[Fuzzy Bear]

I might have supported Pesky if he had spent his entire career at SS.

[Cougar]

With war credit and service to the game, he's over my line.