red sox


Logo used by the BoSox in the 1950sThe 1950s were viewed as a
time of tribulation for the Red Sox. After Williams returned
from the Korean War in 1953, many of the best players from the
late 1940s had retired or been traded. The stark contrast in the
team led critics to call the Red Sox' daily lineup "Ted Williams
and the Seven Dwarfs." Jackie Robinson was even worked out by the
team at Fenway Park, however it appeared that owner Tom Yawkey
did not want an African American player on his team at that time.
Willie Mays also tried out for Boston and was highly praised by
team scouts. Ted Williams hit .388 at the age of 38 in 1957, but
there was little else for Boston fans to root for. Williams
retired at the end of the 1960 season, famously hitting a home
run in his final at-bat as memorialized in the John Updike story
"Hub fans bid Kid adieu." The Red Sox finally became the last
Major League team to field an African American player when they
promoted infielder Pumpsie Green from their AAA farm team in
1959.