Harry Frazee
| Birthdate | 6/29/1880 |
| Death Date | 6/4/1929 |
| Debut Year | 1916 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Red Sox |
| Position | Owner |
The Red Sox won 5 World Series crowns from 1903-1918 before Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees to begin The Curse of the Bambino.
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Harry Frazee writes to catcher Wally Schang enclosing his release to the Yankees
Harry Frazee writes to catcher Wally Schang enclosing his release to the Yankees
When Harry Frazee bought the Boston Red Sox after their 1916 World Series win, the team was the best in baseball. The Sox won another championship in 1918 with high hopes to remain on top for years to come.
Boston was stocked with young talent. Babe Ruth was the best player in baseball, having just led the AL in slugging percentage, OPS, and homers in just 317 at bats. The game’s greatest two-way player, Ruth averaged 20 wins from 1916-1918, hurling 16 shutouts and posting a 1.95 ERA. He was joined by Hall of Fame outfielder Harry Hooper, star catcher Wally Schang, and a quartet of good young pitchers – Carl Mays, Bullet Joe Bush, Dutch Leonard, and Sad Sam Jones.
After a sixth-place finish in 1919, Frazee started to dismantle the dynasty headlined by the infamous sale of Ruth to the New York Yankees. Just a short time later, the other stars were gone as the Red Sox began a string of nine last-place finishes times in eleven years beginning in 1922.
Frazee sold the team in 1923 and passed away six years later.
In the collection is the signature of one of the most hated men in Boston sports history, 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 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.
When Boston finally ousted Harry Frazee, the new owner Bob Quinn was not much better
When Boston finally ousted Harry Frazee, the new owner Bob Quinn was not much better
In late 1916, Harry Frazee purchased a Boston Red Sox team loaded with talent. Winners of the ’16 World Series and three of the previous five Fall Classic, the Sox had an enthusiastic fan base.
After winning another World Series in 1918, Frazee extinguished that enthusiasm and changed the course of franchise history.
After a sixth-place finish in 1919, Frazee began dismantling the team. He traded and sold Carl Mays and Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919 then allowed Hall of Famer Harry Hooper to flee after the 1920 season. After the 1921 5th-place finish, Frazee decimated the team further by sending pitchers Bullet Joe Bush and Sad Sam Jones to the Yankees.
Feuding with American League president Ban Johnson compounded matters. The baseball powers of the time wanted Frazee to disappear. In August of ’23, they got their wish when Frazee sold the team to a group led by Bob Quinn.
After winning four World Series titles in the 1910’s, the Red Sox did not finish above .500 until 1934. Though Boston won the World Series under Frazee in 1918, Red Sox fans had to wait until 1946 for their next pennant and until 2004 for the next Fall Classic triumph.
The 86-year championship drought that started under Frazee’s watch is surpassed by only two teams, the Cubs from 1908-2016, and the White Sox from 1917-2005.
Shown here is a season pass to all Red Sox games with the facsimile signature of the man who bought the Boston team from Frazee, Bob Quinn. It is issued to 19th-century home run champion Harry Stovey. The back of the pass that contains Stovey’s signature and story of Stovey himself can be seen by clicking here.
