 |
The revered sportsman had a strong financial backing, but lived with the heart and admirable disposition of a simple fan of the game. He cared for his players, mixing the emotion of a cheering spectator with the business smarts of a successful major league owner. And Boston loved him for it. At age 30, Yawkey took the reins from the struggling Bob Quinn with a desire to guide the Red Sox back onto the winning path. He hired Eddie Collins away from Philadelphia to become the team's vice-president and general manager and then dipped into his pocket, as he did many times in Boston, to bring a solid squad to Fenway Park. Yawkey purchased the contract of catcher Rick Ferrell and followed by acquiring speedy Billy Werber. The moves helped Boston climb out of the basement and marked the beginning of a process whose goal was regaining the team's historical winning form. Yawkey followed by picking up hard-nosed pitchers Lefty Grove and Wes Ferrell. He brought Joe Cronin and Jimmie Foxx to Boston a few years later. The moves brought immediate success to the Red Sox organization as the club continued to rise in the standings. The process continued for 44 years. By 1976, Tom Yawkey had turned a floundering club into a winning franchise that annually contended for championships. He brought Ted Williams and Rod Carew to Fenway Park and showed an off-the-field compassion for his ballplayers often lacking in major league owners. He was a regular guy that loved baseball, and a businessman that could build a champion. |
