I have no idea so I'm asking, what Jean also a racist, or only her old man? Emmanuel College has a student center named solely after her and I'm guessing there are other Jean Yawkey things still around.
I respect your position. I don't disagree with it, you're entitled to how the term Yawkey makes you feel. If you're offended, as others seem to be, then I understand it better. I'm familiar with the history, but racist isn't the first thing I think of when I hear Yawkey. My mind doesn't immediately associate it with his foundation either, and I'm familiar with that as well.
He said (or implied) that he cringed primarily because Yawkey was racist, not because of policies that hurt the Red Sox. And aren't people who actually owned slaves even more racist? Look, I'm not defending Yawkey, it doesn't matter to me what the street is called. But we can't pretend that this part of history is bad, and then feel that other legacies of slavery (which I think are even worse) are fine and dandy. So if you really cringe for Yawkey, you should doubly cringe about Washington etc...
So if David Duke donates millions to charity it's okay to leave his name up on buildings? I'm sorry they're "disheartened" and all but I'm also disheartened that they don't get with the program and denounce racism. Saying racism is bad but having Yawkey associated with your building is hypocritical. Hopefully Mayor Walsh continues to do an excellent job in office and renames the street and anything else to do with that racist family.
I know you're trolling and I know that I'm feeding you, but this post sucks. Do better.
I mean if David Duke changed his ways and then spent hundreds of millions helping the poor of all races, shouldn't we be OK with future generations learning "Here was someone that started out as a real asshole, but then did his best to help people"?
Except there is no proof Yawkey ever stopped being a racist. So I'm not really comfortable looking up at a building or a t station that says the name "Yawkey" I still to this day call it Jersey Street. But the racism in this city needs to be scrubbed clean. I believe Marty Walsh can help the Red Sox in renaming this street.
Because Yawkey was racist a long time after it had been determined to be culturally and legally unacceptable to own slaves or discriminate against persons of color? I mean, no one is going to say that Washington owning slaves was anything other than awful, but context does matter here.
How about we rename Yawkey Way and rename some street in Roxbury after him then?
Bingo. You could certainly argue that Washington should have known better, but Yawkey had the benefit of a century and a half of cultural learning over GW, and took piss-poor advantage of it.
Unfortunately, the entire Yawkey era was marred by racial bias. If anything, the 1976-1992 era (when Jean and Haywood Sullivan were owners) was worse than the 1959-1976 era (after desegregation and while Tom Yawkey was still alive). The 1960s and early 1970s teams usually had several black players; the Jean/Haywood teams had years where it might be just Jim Rice (or later Ellis Burks) and one other guy (variously Scott, Easler, etc.). It really did not change until the Harrington/Duquette years (not nominating either of those men for sainthood - they had conflicts with Mo Vaughn that some saw as racially charged - but most of the 1990s teams did have a healthy number of black players).
Of course, the fatal flaw of those teams was always pitching, not by any means hitting. Example, the 1950 team slashed .302/.385/.464. Without pitchers, it was .311/.394/.484! And, Williams didn't have one of his best years. Yawkey and his boys most always went for the wallbangers like Foxx (worth it), York, Gernert, Stuart, etc. Mays or Jackie would have been wonderful to have and might have pushed them over the top for one year, but Don Newcombe or Joe Black or Sam Jones (not that one) might have done as much good. The Yankees and (1954) Indians were also almost too good those years.
In a conversation I had with Earl Wilson's son, he said the only baseball souvenir his father kept was an autographed Ted Williams baseball. In regards to this question Williams was on the right side.
In keeping with this thread, he hated segregation. He included a section in his HOF speech about what a good thing integration was, needed more, etc. Welcomed Larry Doby with a handshake in the Indians first game against Boston as they were changing in LF between innings. The wars service he did, Jimmy Fund. He had his rough edges but he did far more good than bad. F*** Dave Egan anyhow.
Nobody is suggesting any of those things.
Oh the humanity.
The arrival of Pedro changed the culture forever. The team and fan base became more diverse. There was a new energy around this charismatic figure that was palpable at the ballpark. I don't know if it will ever be that way again, but 1998-2004 was the most enjoyable period of my fan hood. One of the most meaningful images of 2004 for me was Ellis Burks emerging from the plane with that trophy.
To me it's way more than just Yawkey. It's the legacy that he helped create at the club which persisted long into the 90s after he had sold the team and died. And among a few of its fans to the present day.
Are you asking about a new player coming along or secrets being disinterred?
Or the fact that the team was still accepting free passes to the segregated Winter Haven Elks Club well into the 1980s.
Both.
They should absolutely change the name. Paterno got most of his stupid wins reinstated that's enough for that family. I really don't care that he and his wife gave back to the community either they were just as bad as Sandusky. Joe Pa had the opportunity to do something bigger than being a coach and he ran from it. How many kids could he have saved from being molested by the "tickle monster" had he done the right thing? That's more meaningful than any national championship or any donation.
The one thing they definitely shouldn't do is name it after anyone if they change it. Whoever they choose, it's just going to piss someone off.
They need to work with Marty Walsh to get it done. They need to make sure that they are doing right by the African American community on this. Whether they name it after Jackie Robinson MLK Crispus Attucks or whoever or if it's just named after Ortiz. I don't know. But the City it's amazingly progressive Mayor should have say on this not just John Henry.
Not just in Alexandria--the loss of the library affected the world.
People are going to complain. That's what people do these days. I don't think it's worth the controversy, but if JWH wants to change it then Red Sox Way is perfect. Nobody will complain about that.
I'm going to need you to clarify this because you throw in the "I'll humor you part" so it isn't quite clear but are you saying that if we don't agree that statues of Washington and Jefferson should be torn down them my privilege is showing?
I'm saying if we're going to look at all monuments and statues with a critical eye and we are going back and judging the history of this country the same way as now then yes they should be torn down. Keeping them up would be honoring racists and not agreeing with that shows your privilege. There is one ideology that is right and the other is the ideology of the Nazis and 45 that marched last weekend.
Got it, if I don't want Washington and Jefferson statues taken down I'm a Nazi.
