The American League pennant, a new beacon atop the old Hancock

( David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

Fenway Park flagmen Kurt Jackson, Marc Champagne, and John Coyne climbed the antenna atop the old Hancock building today and hung a 2007 American League pennant.

By Andrew Ryan and David L. Ryan, Globe Staff

Since 1950, the illuminated beacon some 500 feet atop the old John Hancock building has told Bostonians the weather: steady blue for clear, flashing blue for cloudy, steady red for rain, and flashing red for snow.

Today, the landmark on Berkeley Street is sending a new signal: The Red Sox won the 2007 American League pennant and are in the World Series.

John Coyne, flag coordinator at Fenway Park, and two colleagues scaled the antenna atop the Hancock with a replica of the pennant three times the size of the flag the Red Sox won Sunday night. It took four hours today and plenty of 1/4-inch-thick steel cable to hang the blue flag, which is 20 feet high and 30 feet wide.

"It was intense, just because of the squalls," Coyne said after climbing down. The pennant "acts like a sail because the wind fills it up."

It took two safety lines to keep Coyne and his fellow climbers attached to the antenna atop the old Hancock, which is now called the Berkeley Building.

"This is pleasure to me -- we enjoy it. I like climbing, I like heights," Coyne said, describing a misty vista that stretched to Massachusetts Bay. "It's smashing up there, I can't even tell you how beautiful it was."

In 2004, the weather beacon flashed red and blue in honor of the Red Sox World Series win. While this pennant help history repeat itself?

"Not necessarily," Coyne said. "But I hope we get through this quick. Two here and two in Colorado. Then we’ll hang a red World Series banner next week when we win."

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