Boston Red Sox: Top 5 name replacements for Yawkey Way

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Yesterday Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry told the Boston Herald that he’s still “haunted” by the racism displayed of his legendary predecessor Tom Yawkey. He also said that his franchise welcomes the renaming of Yawkey Way.

Yawkey led the Red Sox to become the last MLB team to integrate. Teams began integrating in 1947 and Yawkey didn’t start until 1959. Yawkey had the opportunity to sign both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, yet he neglected to follow through on either player.

Whether you call it racist, dumb, or both, Henry and the Red Sox want the street name changed.

Henry said that if it were up to him, he’d just rename the street after David Ortiz but there’s a long process to renaming streets and it must go through the City of Boston for approval.

So, with this all of happening, it’s fun to think of the top five street names to replace Yawkey Way. As it stands now, Yawkey Way is a very important and notable landmark at Fenway Park. Even after they change the name to whatever it will be, the street will still be known as “Yawkey Way” for another 20 to 30 years.

The bottom line is that the new name of the street has to be notable and the player (or manager’s) contributions to the team have to be well-known.

FT. MYERS, FL – MARCH 2: Boston Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky signs some autographs prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins on March 2, 2008 at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /

5. Pesky Way

There is arguably no one more beloved and revered in Red Sox nation than Johnny Pesky.

Pesky had a solid playing career with the Red Sox that included a .313 batting average, 867 runs, a .394 on-base percentage and one all star appearance. And if he hadn’t lost three years with the Red Sox due to serving in World War II, his numbers would have been even better.

However, his service to the team was as special as it got. Pesky was a true Red Sox at heart, as he served the team in multiple capacities for 61 years all the way up until his death in 2012. During his life with the team, Pesky was everything at some point: a player, coach, manager, announcer, spokesperson, and an all-around ambassador.

A true Red Sox legend.

His name is certainly notable enough to name one of the most important streets at Fenway after. If you ask any Fenway-goer what the name of the right field pole is, 99% of them would say it’s the “Pesky Pole”. Pesky was infamous for wrapping his only home runs right around the right field foul pole.

In contrast, the pole in left field is supposed to be called the “Fisk Pole” for Carlton Fisk‘s famous home run in Game Six of the 1975 World Series.

Nobody calls it that.

Pesky is a well-known name known by generations of Red Sox fans, including this current one. He is an example of pure class and is a model Red Sox. He should be in serious contention for this street.

BOSTON, MA – JULY 19: A detail of a Boston Red Sox hat in the dugout during the first inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park on July 19, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

4. Remy Way

Similar to Pesky, Jerry Remy has also spent a good chunk of his life with the Red Sox.

Remy had a respectable career with the Red Sox, as he batted .286 with one all star appearance in seven seasons with the team.

But, even more important to Red Sox nation has been Remy’s 30-year broadcast career, as he’s served as the team’s color analyst since 1988. He’s announced over 3,900 Red Sox games during his career.

In the renaming of this street, the Red Sox should look to have it renamed after someone who was on the field for the good times of the franchise, which has been the past 13 years.

Even though Remy hasn’t been on the field for these past 13 years, his voice has helped narrate the summer for millions of Red Sox fans all over the region. Everybody knows Remy and he is beloved throughout Red Sox nation.

Remy is currently taking time away from the booth after being diagnosed with lung cancer. This is the fifth time Remy has had to battle cancer, and he’s set to undergo chemotherapy later this month.

Before this Sunday’s game against the Yankees at Fenway, the Red Sox will honor Remy for his 30 years in the booth. It would be quite the surprise if they gifted him with “Remy Way” as the replacement for Yawkey Way.

And it would also be well-deserved.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 26: Manager Terry Francona looks on from the dugout during the second inning of the Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 26, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

3. Francona Drive

Terry Francona is the greatest manager in Red Sox history. He was the leading savior to strike down the 86-year Curse of the Bambino by winning not one, but two World Series titles (2004 and 2007) in his eight years with the team.

Francona worked so well in Boston due to his tremendous talent of being a player’s manager. Boston is an incredibly tough place to play due to the intense scrutiny on players (and coaches) at all times. Francona was able to allow the players to play and not have to focus on all of the outside noise.

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Unfortunately, that is what ultimately got him fired at the end of 2011, when he was at the helm of one of the greatest September collapses ever.

To the dismay of Red Sox nation, ownership fired him immediately. Fans are still mad about that decision and give him a loud ovation every time he visits Fenway. If Henry and the Sox wanted to make it up to Francona, they’d name the street after him.

But, because of the bad ending between both camps in the fall of 2011 and the constant back-and-forth that still exists to this day, it’s highly unlikely that the Red Sox will pull through on naming the street “Francona Drive”.

BOSTON, MA – JUNE 23: Former Boston Red Sox player Pedro Martinez /

2. Pedro Place

No pitcher, no person, and no personality was more suited to usher in the new millennium in Red Sox nation than Pedro Martinez.

Martinez was electrifying in every sense of the word. He was intense on the field and had an incredible personality off of it. He was at the heart of the most intense period of the greatest rivalry in all of sports with the Red Sox and the Yankees. From calling the Yankees his “daddy”, to throwing at Karim Garcia, to throwing down Don Zimmer, no one embodied the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry more than Pedro.

Aside from the entertainment value he provided, he is also widely thought of as the greatest pitcher in Red Sox history.

Over seven years with the team, Martinez had an ERA of 2.52. He won the Cy Young award twice (1999 and 2000) and came in second for it twice as well (1998 and 2002). He did all of this during the heart of the steroid era. His dominance was never more clear than his performance in the 1999 All Star game.

Along with that, he helped bring the franchise their first World Series title in 86 years.

Pedro is one of the most well-known and recognizable faces and names in Red Sox nation. He was a large part of the winningest time in the franchise’s history and is a name that should never be forgotten. It would be a very quick transition in the minds of Red Sox fans from Yawkey Way to “Pedro Place”.

He’s one of those legends that generations of Red Sox fans should know and love.

BOSTON, MA – JUNE 23: Former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz /

1. David Ortiz Way

So yeah, this one was pretty obvious. Henry wants this to happen and if that’s the case, than this name is the option most likely to become Yawkey Way’s replacement.

David Ortiz deserves this street. Most people thought that the Red Sox would change Yawkey Way to David Ortiz Way when he retired but the Red Sox did no such thing. Most believed it was a good way to get Yawkey’s name off of the street sign. Most are aware of Yawkey’s racist past, but let’s use Ortiz’s retirement as the reason we’re changing it instead.

Either way, Ortiz should get this street.

In the previous slide, I said that Martinez “was a large part of the winningest time in the franchise’s history”. Ortiz was the largest part of the winningest time in the franchise’s history. Big Papi represents all three World Series won since the Curse of the Bambino and he represents Boston as a whole.

While with the team, he was the team’s most clutch hitter, he was their leader and he was their spokesperson. And he wasn’t just the leader and spokesperson of the Red Sox; he was both of those for the city of Boston.

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Without a doubt, Ortiz was the most important player in Red Sox history. He represents everything the Red Sox should want to model to the coming generations of fans and he’s a legend who will never die.

Give the man his street for God’s sake.

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