Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin (February 21, 1903 – July 9, 1976), was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.

Early life[link]

Yawkey was born Thomas Austin. He was the grandson of lumber and iron magnate William Clyman Yawkey, who agreed in principle to buy the Detroit Tigers in 1903 but died before the deal closed. The deal eventually was completed by Tom's uncle, Bill Yawkey. After his father died, Tom's uncle adopted him, and he took the Yawkey name.

Bill Yawkey died in 1919, and left his $40 million estate to his adopted son, but a clause in the will forbade him from taking possession of it until he turned 30 years old. Yawkey was a graduate of the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University.

Boston Red Sox[link]

Four days after his 30th birthday, Yawkey bought the Red Sox for $1.2 million on the advice of his longtime friend and former classmate, Eddie Collins.

The Red Sox had been the dregs of the American League for more than a decade since the infamous Babe Ruth sale, and had just come off a dreadful 111-loss season which is still the worst in franchise history. Yawkey hired Collins as general manager with instructions to buy up as much talent as possible to turn the team around. He also heavily renovated Fenway Park, which had fallen into disrepair over the years.

Yawkey devoted his time and finances for the rest of his life to building winning teams. His teams' best seasons occurred in 1946, 1967, and 1975, when the Red Sox captured the American League pennant, and then went on to lose each World Series in seven games against the St. Louis Cardinals (1946, 1967) and Cincinnati Reds (1975). He would never achieve his ultimate goal of winning a World Series championship.

Charges of racism[link]

Yawkey has been accused of being a racist for his apparent reluctance to employ black players with the Red Sox.^[1]

The Red Sox had several black players in their farm system during the 1950s. Many would have good seasons, and then, without explanation, be traded away or given outright releases. However, the slow, lumbering white players that the Red Sox had built their team upon were no longer the style in the American League. Against his personal wishes, Tom Yawkey finally allowed the team to be integrated. In 1959, the Red Sox became the last Major League team to field a negro player (Elijah Green), twelve years after Jackie Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers and almost three years after Robinson's retirement. Even after integrating, racism was believed to play a role in future moves made by the Red Sox, notably the trade of star outfielder Reggie Smith in 1973.^[2] During that period, the Red Sox went from being a perennial contender to failing to finish within 10 games of first place for 17 years (1950–1966).

Legacy[link]

Yawkey was a popular man and proved a strong voice in major league councils. He also served as American League vice president between 1956 and 1973. He died in Boston; his wife, Jean R. Yawkey, became president of the club following his death. The street in Boston that Fenway Park is on, Jersey Street, was renamed Yawkey Way in his honor.

A chain of islands off the coast of Georgetown, South Carolina make up the Yawkey Heritage Preserve, a nature preserve formed from land willed to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources by Tom Yawkey. It consists of North and South Islands and a majority of Cat Island.^[3]

Tom Yawkey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Tom Yawkey with his wife Jean Yawkey

See also[link]

• Boston Red Sox
• Red Sox Hall of Fame

References[link]

1. ^ Bryant, Howard. Shut Out: Race and Baseball in Boston, New York: Routledge, 2002
2. ^ http://sullybaseball.blogspot.com/2009/02/los-angeles-dodgers-all-time-home-grown.html
3. ^ Tom Yawkey Heritage Preserve

External links[link]

• Tom Yawkey at the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Baseball Library - biography and career highlights
• Yawkey Foundation