Few and Chosen Red Sox: Defining Red Sox Greatness Across the Eras

Boston Red Sox icon Johnny Pesky ranks the five best players at each position to ever take the field in this subjective analysis. Featured players include Mo Vaughn, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Jim Rice, Bill Lee, and Nomar Garciaparra.

Johnny Pesky has served the Red Sox in virtually every capacity—as an All-Star player, a coach, a manager, a broadcaster, and a goodwill ambassador—over parts of seven decades. A Boston legend, Pesky has worn the uniform longer than anyone else, and his namesake “Pesky Pole” marks the right field foul line at Fenway Park. Phil Pepe is the author of more than 40 books on sports, including collaborations with Yankees legends Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, and Whitey Ford. He is a former Yankees beat writer for the New York Daily News and a former president of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Carl Yastrzemski is a former player for the Boston Red Sox, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an 18-time All-Star, and the recipient of seven Gold Gloves. Ben Affleck is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, an actor, and a philanthropist. He is a fan of the Boston Red Sox.