1933’s New Owner
February 25, 1933
Bob Quinn, then owner of the Boston Red Sox, publicly announces that “The Yankees have not, and never have had, any financial interest in the Red Sox” just moments after selling the team to a Mr. Tom Yawkey. Mr. Yawkey had received an inheritance from a dead relative (Money that mostly came from owning slave-labor plantations in South Carolina) 4 days earlier and decided to buy the Sox.
Mr. Quinn had been continuously exploring the possibility of sharing Braves field with the Braves rather than continue to operate Fenway Park separately, and it was commonplace to assume this would happen eventually. But, once Yawkey owned the team, he decided that Fenway was there to stay (Sounds a little like the current ownership if you ask me) and started pumping money into it, including the renovations that gave it the primary look it still has today.
If it weren’t for this transaction, we wouldn’t be going to Fenway (and the Braves may not be playing in Atlanta). Who should we thank? It may surprise you to find out that the King of all mean-spirited baseball players, Ty Cobb, was the one who introduced Quinn and Yawkey. This is because Yawkey’s foster father had an interest in the Tigers while Cobb was playing. Who knew that the reason we love Fenway Park can be traced directly to Ty Cobb himself?
Stumble it!
February 26th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I once read that before buying the Red Sox, Tom Yawkey was offered 50% of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but turned it down because he wanted 100% of a club. So he grabbed the Red Sox. How different history might have been if he bought into the Dodgers. They might still be in Brooklyn today. And God knows what would have happened to the Red Sox.