JOHNNY PESKY had the corner locker near the clubhouse entrance and liked to talk. He'd often grab a few baseballs and stick them in his back pocket before heading out to the field. Pesky would toss those baseballs to the first kids he saw, then mingle with fans and players during batting practice.

Red Sox fans, if you never met Pesky, you simply weren't trying hard enough. Through six decades, he served as player and manager, broadcaster and executive, coach and special assistant. And everywhere he went, from the Granite State Baseball Dinner to spring training, Mr. Red Sox was a great ambassador for the team and game.

Upon hearing of Pesky's death, at age 92, I thought of our many conversations in the corner of the clubhouse while covering the Red Sox. We talked about the 1946 World Series in which Pesky “held the ball,” according to a myth. (He didn't.) We talked about a great book, “The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship,” in which author David Halberstam brilliantly captures the 60-year friendship of Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams.

I always thought Pesky liked me. Or maybe that's how everyone felt during a personal encounter with the legend.

Pesky always received a standing ovation at the New Hampshire Baseball Dinner-turned Granite State Baseball Dinner. He began attending the dinner in 1952, often making the trip with fellow infielder Eddie Pellagrini. Pesky loved the chicken pot pie. As a player, he didn't expect payment for attending a fund-raiser dinner that was meant for the fans.

“You always got a gift. Some guys got money sometimes,” he told me, “but we went up there for the dinner and camaraderie. We used to have 1,000 people in there. Fans in New Hampshire always think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

Pesky's name is etched throughout Red Sox history dating to his rookie season in 1942. His New Hampshire connections alone offer perspective on his impact throughout the organization.

Did you know Pesky:

-- Played with Red Sox catcher Birdie Tebbetts of Nashua from 1947-50. Powerful teams won 96 games in 1948 and '49 but didn't win the pennant.

-- Coached the Red Sox under manager Darrell Johnson and was in the first-base coaching box for Granite Stater Carlton Fisk's epic World Series Game 6 homer in 1975.

-- Served as Red Sox manager from 1963-64 and 1980. Managed starting pitcher Bill Monbouquette, who later moved to New Boston, and was the first manager for future Granite Stater Rico Petrocelli, who became a resident of Nashua.

-- Coached and managed Butch Hobson, who later passed along the wisdom as manager of the Red Sox and Nashua Pride, among other teams.

-- Introduced himself to a generation of Red Sox fans while serving as a radio broadcaster. Pesky shared the air waves with Ken Coleman and Ned Martin and later worked in TV with Coleman.

-- Sat in the front row for the introduction of Ben Cherington, a Lebanon High graduate, as Red Sox general manager last fall.

Monday afternoon was a time for fans to share their own Johnny Pesky story. Last month, I took my 8-year-old son to Fenway Park for the second time and made a special trip to Pesky Pole. I explained how some of Pesky's home runs curled around the foul pole. We sat there, 302 feet from home plate, and watched fans inscribe their names on the pole. We borrowed a black Sharpie, and Ethan stretched as high as possible to write his name. My mother had done the same on her last trip to Fenway Park.

As long as there is a yellow pole in right field — and No. 6 is retired — Pesky will never be forgotten.

Staff writer Kevin Gray's email address is kgray@unionleader.com