Yawkey Foundations 'disheartened' by efforts to stir Yawkeys in controversy

Yawkey Foundations - the charity organization founded posthumously by former Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey - said in a statement Thursday they are disheartened their founders are being linked to political controversy amid the club's current plans to remove the Yawkey name from the street surrounding Fenway Park.

Jean and Tom Yawkey's philanthropy has always been color blind. Their extraordinary generosity has made a significant impact on Massachusetts and the Greater Boston community, contributing more than $450 million to hundreds of non-profit organizations and helping improve the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children of all backgrounds. We are honored to have the Yawkey name on so many organizations and institutions that benefit Bostonians of all races - and disheartened by any effort to embroil the Yawkeys in today's political controversy.

The foundation did not specify which controversies their founders are being linked to, though current Red Sox owner John Henry said Thursday the team would welcome removing Yawkey's name from "Yawkey Way" due in part to "the country's current leadership stance with regard to intolerance," referencing the protesting of Confederate-era statues in the United States.

Yawkey owned the Red Sox from 1903 until his death in 1976, though his legacy is blemished by widespread accusations of racism. After Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Red Sox would take another 12 years to do so themselves, becoming the last team in Major League Baseball to officially integrate their roster.

Along with Henry's push to rename the road, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy added Thursday that input from the surrounding community also contributed to the decision to potentially drop Yawkey's name.