How Long Have You Been A Red Sox Fan?

[AtWork]

Joe Cronin also had a large part in the Red Sox being the last team to integrate. He was the GM of the team from 1947 (year the color barrier was broken) through 1958 and it was an all-white team throughout his tenure. He was replaced before the 1959 season and that's the year Pumpsie was called up.

[a700hitter]

I can't believe Pinky Higgins's name is just now surfacing in this thread. I was about to post about him earlier but decided I did not have time. He was the absolute face of prejudice in the organization. He used the "N word" very frequently and publicly. It wasn't like today. Yawkey had no pressure to fire his drinking buddy for use of the word. Heck, President Lyndon B. Johnson was using the word up until 1963.

 

But back to Higgins and prejudice in the Red Sox organization. Yawkey was not particularly active in the operation of the Sox for several years in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Higgins was not really promoted to the GM as much as he was removed as manager. It was an awkward friendship and when Higgins was eventually fired as GM, it because Higgins had lost control of his drinking.

 

Btw, shortstop Don Buddin (known as E-6 and maybe the most hated Sox of all-time) was not replaced by Pumpsie Green (the first black Red Sox) until right after Pinky (There'll be no niggers on this ball club as long as I have anything to say about it) Higgins was "promoted" up to the GM position.

 

Higgins, and not Yawkey, was the face of prejudice on the Red Sox.

Spitball, you know your Red Sox history. Thanks for filling in the gaps. I don't like mob mentality condemnation of people without knowledge of all the facts. Yawkey was by all accounts a hard drinker, and some of his drinking buddies were the unsavory sort. He was close friends with Ty Cobb until Cobb almost beat him to death in a drunken rage. After that Yawkey decided to come back east and he bought the Red Sox. I never heard a negative story about him from anyone who knew the man, and his philanthropic and charitable contributions speak for themselves.

 

Higgins was a despicable character who was not promoted to GM but rather put in the GM role so as to remove him from the dugout and the public. Yawkey almost never fired anyone. Higgins was a figure head as GM. Dick O'Connell was already in the organization and he was calling the shots even though he did not have the official title. African American players were being brought into the organization and Higgins had nothing to do with it. After Higgins left the Red Sox, he got convicted of vehicular manslaughter while drunk. He served some time and died of a heart attack almost immediately after his release in his 50's.

[BOSOX11]

Even though Pumpsie Green joined the Red Sox on July 21, 1959, he did not supplant Don Buddin at SS. Don remained as the primary SS until after the 1961 season when he was traded to the Colt .45's for Eddie Bressoud, who was a definite upgrade. Pumpsie remained with the Red Sox as a utility infielder until he got shipped to the Mets.

 

I've spoken to a great number of former Red Sox who played under Pinky Higgins. Nary a one of them had anything even remotely nice to say about him. Tom Yawkey, on the other hand, was well respected by the players.

[AtWork]

A guy can be racist and well-liked. That no more clears him of being racist than not having any black players on his team condemns him of being racist.

[a700hitter]

A guy can be racist and well-liked. That no more clears him of being racist than not having any black players on his team condemns him of being racist.

The issue that I have with this is that the man is dead and has no ability to "clear" himself of accusations being made against him-- often by people born after he had died. There is very tangible and extensive evidence of his philanthropic and charitable works, but some people would rather besmirch his legacy with very questionable evidence. He left the world a better place as the result of his life.

[OldSailor]

Since 1946 - 65 years now. Lived long enough to get my heart broken 4 times (not counting playoffs or Bucky "X" Dent) and see 2 championships.

[garedsoxfan]

Since maybe 94-95. I remember I got a Mo Vaughn baseball card that was really cool looking. Since then I have been a Redsox fan.

[Steagles]

I was 5, so 10 years.

[AtWork]

Always. I was raised a Red Sox fan, as was my father.

[Monster]

I was 6 when I got my first Red Sox cap.