Bob Quinn
| Birthdate | 2/14/1870 |
| Death Date | 03/12/1954 |
| Debut Year | 1902 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Braves, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees |
| Positions | Executive, Owner |
Bob Quinn, Honor Rolls of Baseball class of 1946, is the patriarch of a baseball family; son John and grandson Bob, and great grandson Bob were all GMs of MLB franchises.
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Bob Quinn bought the Red Sox and Fenway park from Harry Frazee in 1923
Bob Quinn bought the Red Sox and Fenway park from Harry Frazee in 1923
Bob Quinn bought the Red Sox and Fenway Park from the man who traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees
The story of Quinn’s stewardship of the Red Sox begins with the previous team owner Harry Frazee who bought the team in late 1916. Winners of three of the previous five World Series, the Sox were loaded with talent. For the most part, Frazee kept the team intact. Behind the pitching of Carl Mays, Bullet Joe Bush, Sad Sam Jones and the two-way play of Babe Ruth, Boston claimed another title in 1918.
After the ’19 season Frazee dispatched Mays and Ruth to the Yankees. The Boston owner traded future Hall of Famer Harry Hooper after the 1920 season. When the 1921 season ended, Frazee sent Bush and Jones to New York, ridding the club of talent.
At war with American League president Ban Johnson, Frazee watched as his team dropped into the second-division and by 1922, all the way down to last place. In August of ’23, Frazee sold to a group of investors led by Bob Quinn.
In the collection is the signature of Harry Frazee. This letter is yet another part of the fire sale that doomed the Red Sox franchise to an 85-year World Series drought. Here Frazee informs catcher Wally Schang that his release to the Yankees is enclosed. Schang would enjoy the move, earning his third ring with New York and helping The Bambino transform the Yankees into the greatest sports franchise in North America.
Bob Quinn's reign as Red Sox owner resulted in 8 last-place finishes in 10 years
Bob Quinn's reign as Red Sox owner resulted in 8 last-place finishes in 10 years
Bob Quinn was the face of the ownership group that bough the Boston Red Sox from Harry Frazee. Immediately he spent a quarter of a million dollars on baseball talent. A hopeful rebuilding process began.
Regrettably, Quinn’s initial moves didn’t help. After the 1924, the deep-pocketed investor of the ownership group fell ill and withdrew his financial support. Boston’s Fenway Park, just a dozen years old fell into disrepair. Disillusioned, the fans stayed away.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, Quinn realized he had to sell. In February, 1933 Tom Yawkey bought the club and the stadium for $1.2 million. Quinn’s ten-year run included eight last-place finishes.
Shown here is a season pass to Red Sox games from Quinn’s final year of team ownership in 1932. It is issued to 19th-century star Harry Stovey and shows a facsimile of Quinn’s signature as club president. The major’s career leader in homers for 8 years, Stovey has signed the back. More on Stovey, including the back of the pass can be seen by clicking here.
Bob Quinn was voted into Cooperstown's Honor Rolls of Baseball in 1946
Bob Quinn was voted into Cooperstown's Honor Rolls of Baseball in 1946
The Hall of Fame established the Honor Rolls of Baseball as a second level of recognition of non-playing personnel. In 1946, a Cooperstown committee inducted 39 non-players into the Honor Rolls. There were five managers, 11 umpires, 11 executives, and 12 sportswriters.
Bob Quinn was one of the executives honored for his management with four different franchises. He served as GM of the St. Louis Browns from 1917-1922. He took the lovable but losing Browns to within one game of the 1922 pennant.
The next season he led an ownership group that bought the Boston Red Sox. The franchise was in shambles from the mismanagement of Harry Frazee. Quinn served as team president. His term in ownership in Boston was doomed when the key financial man in the equation Palmer Winslow died in 1927. Quinn sold his shares to Tom Yawkey in 1932.
Quinn became the GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1934, a post he held for two seasons. He returned to Boston as team president and part-owner of the Braves from 1936-1945. Quinn later served as president of the Hall of Fame from 1948-1951 before suffering two strokes.
After his death Quinn’s baseball legacy continued to expand. His son John, grandson Bob, and great grandson Bob all served as big league general managers.
Shown here is a telegram written and signed by Quinn in 1934. Western Union stopped sending telegrams in 2006.
Few could foresee the demise of this mode of communication when its army of uniformed messengers were sending more than 200 million telegrams every year.
A dozen years after sending this baseball gave Quinn its highest honor for executives at the time, induction into the Hall of Fame’s Honor Rolls of Baseball.
Bob Quinn is the patriarch of four generations of big league General Managers
Bob Quinn is the patriarch of four generations of big league General Managers
Bob Quinn served the game in four different decades as owner of the Red Sox, president and part owner of the Boston Braves, and as president of the Hall of Fame. Quinn’s legacy, however could very well be his bloodline — his son, grandson, and great grandson all served as GMs of MLB franchises.
In the collection is this letter signed by Quinn in 1936. A glance of the letterhead reveals Bob Quinn as team president.
In 1936 the Braves, or Bees if you will, played in National League Field on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Managed by future Hall of Famer Bill McKechnie the team went 71-83 that year and drew only 340,585 fans for their home games.
