Carl Yastrzemski Statue

This statue commemorates Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Fame left fielder Carl Yastrzemski (1939-). Born on Long Island, he spent his entire major league career—twenty-three seasons in total—with the organization. During that time, he won seven Gold Glove Awards and three American League batting titles, in addition to the American League Triple Crown and the league’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1967. The eighteen-time All-Star retired following the 1983 season, finishing with a .285 batting average, 452 home runs, 3,419 hits, and 1,844 RBIs. Six years later, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To mark the thirtieth anniversary of Yastrzemski’s retirement, the Red Sox commissioned a bronze statue of him at Fenway Park. Designed by artist Toby Mendez, the bronze sculpture depicts the club’s longtime left fielder standing in his uniform, with his bat in his left hand, tipping his batting helmet to the Fenway crowd before making the final plate appearance of his career in 1983. Unveiled on the morning of September 22, 2013, the statue resides outside Fenway Park’s Gate B along Van Ness Street between the statue of Ted Williams and that of Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr called “The Teammates,” which Mendez also designed. In attendance at the dedication ceremony, in addition to a few hundred onlookers, were Yastrzemski, his family, members of the organization’s front office, some former teammates, and a few members of the 2013 team.

Carl Michael Yastrzemski was born on August 22, 1939 in the Long Island town of Southampton, New York. Growing up on his family’s potato farm in nearby Bridgehampton, he learned the game of baseball from his father, who founded, managed, and played on a local semi-professional baseball team. Regularly, his father helped him develop his skills by playing catch with him and tossing some balls for him to hit after dinner. A stellar three-sport athlete in high school, Yastrzemski earned a scholarship to play both baseball and basketball at the University of Notre Dame. His stay in South Bend, however, proved short, as he signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox while still in his first year on campus. Yastrzemski began playing minor league ball with the Raleigh Capitals in 1959. After a successful season in North Carolina, the organization sent him to the Minneapolis Millers.

The Red Sox called up Yastrzemski prior to the start of the 1961 season. Having played second base during his short stint in the minor leagues, he moved to left field to fill the roster spot vacated by the legendary Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who retired following the 1960 season. Yastrzemski ultimately spent his entire big league career—twenty-three seasons in total—with the organization. During that time, he won seven Gold Glove Awards and three American League batting titles. In 1967, Yastrzemski won the American League Triple Crown and powered the “Impossible Dream” Red Sox to a World Series berth, only one season removed from a ninth-place finish in the American League. Having also led the league in runs, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases, he earned the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award that year. Yastrzemski helped the Red Sox capture another American League pennant in 1975, and four years later recorded his 3,000th hit and 400th home run, becoming the first American League player to reach both offensive milestones. Following the 1983 season, the eighteen-time All-Star retired from the game, finishing with a .285 batting average, 452 home runs, 3,419 hits, and 1,844 RBIs. Six years later, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

To mark the thirtieth anniversary of Yastrzemski’s retirement, the Red Sox commissioned a bronze statue of him at Fenway Park. Designed by artist Toby Mendez, the bronze sculpture depicts the club’s longtime left fielder standing in his uniform, with his bat in his left hand, tipping his batting helmet to the Fenway crowd before making the final plate appearance of his career in 1983. Unveiled on the morning of September 22, 2013, the statue resides outside Fenway Park’s Gate B along Van Ness Street between the statue of Ted Williams and that of Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr called “The Teammates,” which Mendez also designed. In attendance at the dedication ceremony, in addition to a few hundred onlookers, were Yastrzemski, his family, members of the organization’s front office, some former teammates, and a few members of the 2013 team.

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