This Week we cover August 26 – Sept 1 . . . We are going to talk Tom Yawkey, Jackie Robinson, Jeff Bagwell, The First Televised Game, Rob Dibble, The Rat and Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell. TRIVIA – Who was the first black/African American player in Major League Baseball History? On August 26, 1939…
Tom Yawkey Essentials Positions: Bats: Throws: Weight: Born: Year: 1903 in Detroit, MI USA Died: 7 9 1976 in Boston, MA USA Debut: Last Game: Hall of Fame: Inducted as a Pioneer/Executive in 1980 by Veterans Full Name: Thomas Austin Yawkey
2018 – Boston Red Sox owner John Henry officially petitions the city of Boston, MA to rename Yawkey Way, which is located just outside Fenway Park. The street was named after former owner and Hall of Fame member Tom Yawkey, but history has not been kind to its namesake’s memory, as he is widely blamed for delaying the integration of the team, making them the last major league franchise to have am African-American player in its line-up, 12 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color line.
1992 – Boston Red Sox owner Jean R. Yawkey dies at the age of 83. For the first time in 59 years, someone other than a Yawkey will own the team. Mrs. Yawkey’s husband, Tom, became president of the Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone in major league baseball history.
Al Kaline, Chuck Klein, Duke Snider, and Tom Yawkey are inducted into the Hall of Fame
On March 12, 1980, slugging outfielder Chuck Klein and former Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Klein won the NL MVP Award in 1932, won the Triple Crown in 1933, appeared in the first two ALL-Star Games, listen to him in 1934…
1975 – In a 9 – 3 win over the Kansas City Royals, Boston’s Jim Rice clouts a tremendous homer over the CF wall at Fenway Park, to the right of the flag pole, just the 6th player to accomplish this feat. Owner Tom Yawkey calls it the longest shot he’s ever seen at Fenway. The others: Detroit’s Hank Greenberg, on May 22, 1937; Boston’s Jimmie Foxx, on August 12, 1937; Yankee Bill Skowron, on April 20, 1957; Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski, on May 16, 1970; Brewer Bobby Mitchell, on September 29, 1973.
Detroit clinches the American League pennant with a 2 – 1 win over the Yankees. Detroit is ahead, 1 – 0, when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey phones Tiger general manager Jim Campbell with the news that the Sox have beaten the Orioles, clinching the pennant for the Tigers. Campbell keeps the score off the radio and the scoreboard, fearing the news will send fans rampaging onto the field. Don Wert singles home the winner in the 9th and the fans tear down the left field screen.
At Fenway Park in front of only 1,247 fans, Boston right-hander Dave Morehead, who will lead the league in losses with 18 this season, no-hits the visiting Indians, 2-1. On the same day, the ninth-place Red Sox who will lose 100 games, fire their general manager, Pinky Higgins.
On July 21, 1959, the Boston Red Sox become the last team to debut a black player when Elijah “Pumpsie” Green appears in a game as a pinch-runner for Vic Wertz and shortstop. Green’s debut with Boston comes 12 years after Jackie Robinson’s historic debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In an interview with the Red Sox released…