The Boston K Men phenomenon began 24 years ago, when Pedro Martinez joined the Red Sox. At every home game that Pedro pitched between 1998 and 2004, the crew — mostly teenagers — plastered K signs symbolizing his strikeouts on the back wall of the Fenway Park bleachers.
After Pedro left the Sox, the K Men migrated from the bleachers to their current perch above the Green Monster, posting Ks each season for the team’s ace pitcher — from Daisuke Matsuzaka and Curt Schilling to Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.
In 2022, with Chris Sale on the injured list, the crew decided to record strikeouts each time Nate Eovaldi takes the mound at Fenway.
K is the symbol for strikeout because it is the last letter of the word “struck,” as in, “most batters who faced Pedro struck out.” We post the K forward if the batter strikes out swinging; backwards if the umpire calls the third strike.
Each year, we design new t-shirts and hats, which we sell on this website to benefit student-athletes in our city. We are committed to using our small role and platform within Red Sox Nation to proudly promote the important work of The BASE and to connect otherwise disconnected communities.
With David Ortiz heading to the Hall of Fame in July, we’re celebrating Big Papi and raising money for our city’s kids with these Dominican flag shirts.
Pitch in and support Boston’s youth by ordering your
Dominican flag shirts here.
your original red K shirts here
and backward-ꓘ trucker hats in traditional blue
and St. Patrick’s Day green here.
Thanks to a generous donation from the sports bar Game On!,
100 percent of your $30 donation will go to The BASE.
You can also donate directly to the organization here.
This year, thanks to the generosity of the Red Sox, we are able to host student-athletes from The BASE on the Wall as well.
Look for them posting Ks, buy a shirt and hat and support urban talent!
Why The BASE?
The BASE leverages the power and passion of baseball to transform lives of Boston’s youth, providing pathways to higher education and productive citizenship for student-athletes. Founded by community leader Robert Lewis, Jr., the Roxbury-based nonprofit organization operates a premier youth academy that offers exceptional athletic training and competition combined with academic and career support.
Our goal is simple: raise funds and awareness for our city’s kids — and help build a movement of citizens committed to their success.
VIDEO: NESN’s Jahmai Webster interviews the K Men about their campaign
Support Boston’s youth by ordering your Dominican flag shirts here
your original red K shirts here
and backward-ꓘ trucker hatshere.
You can also make a donation directly to The BASE here.
Thank you!
Earn your spot on the Green Monster!
For every additional $20 donated to The BASE above the $30 cost of a shirt or hat, participants may submit one individual entry into a drawing to win two Red Sox tickets and a spot posting Ks at Fenway in 2023.
The drawing will be held after the season in fall 2022.
K Men or K People?
While “The K Men” is the group’s official name, it is a bit of a misnomer. The K Men believe in equal opportunity, with representation from men, women and children.
Support Boston’s youth by ordering your Dominican flag shirts here
your original red K shirts here
and backward-ꓘ trucker hats here.
You can also make a donation directly to The BASE here.
ThanK you!
All Boston K Men official gear is designed by artist Matt Tavares, a longtime K Man and now a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many award-winning children’s books including Growing Up Pedro.
K Men Team Up With The BASE 