The Red Sox want Yawkey Way, the road outside Fenway Park, to be renamed because of the racist legacy of its namesake, Tom Yawkey, who resisted integration when he owned the ball club.
Current owner John Henry embraced a name change of the street, telling the Boston Herald that he was "haunted" by his predecessor's past.
Yawkey's tenure with the Red Sox, which lasted from 1933 to his death in 1976, was laced with racist implications, including the team being the last to integrate black players years after other teams, CBC Sports reported.
"The Red Sox don't control the naming or renaming of streets but for me, personally, the street name has always been a consistent reminder that it is our job to ensure the Red Sox are not just multi-cultural, but stand for as many of the right things in our community as we can — particularly in our African-American community and in the Dominican community that has embraced us so fully," Henry told the Herald.
Henry said he favored renaming the street "David Ortiz Way" or "Big Papi Way."
"We ought to be able to lead the effort and if others in the community favor a change, we would welcome it — particularly in light of the country's current leadership stance with regard to intolerance," he said, according to the Herald.
Changing the name of the street would require a petition involving all abutters. In this instance, there are only two abutters on Yawkey Way: The Red Sox and a merchandise shop, and they are supportive of a name change, the Herald noted.