Red Sox file petition to change name of Yawkey Way back to Jersey Street

The Boston Red Sox have filed a petition with the City of Boston Public Improvement Commission to revert the name of Yawkey Way back to Jersey Street - which it is still a segment of and bore the name of prior to 1977.

"Restoring the Jersey Street name is intended to reinforce that Fenway Park is inclusive and welcoming to all," the statement from the Red Sox read.

Yawkey Way - a section of Jersey Street - was named for Tom Yawkey in 1977, the owner of the Red Sox from 1933-76. Yawkey oversaw the team during the integration era, and didn't add their first black player to the major-league roster until 1959 - 12 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Robinson would later describe Yawkey as "one of the most bigoted guys in baseball."

"It is important to separate the unfortunate and undeniable history of the Red Sox with regards to race and integration from the incredible charitable work the Yawkey Foundation has accomplished in this millennium and over the last 16 years," the release continued.

Fenway Park - famously located at 4 Yawkey Way - was the location of racial tension last summer. During an early-season game against the Baltimore Orioles, star outfielder Adam Jones was faced with racist taunts and told media that a fan "threw a bag of peanuts" at him during the game.

Later that month, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy handed a fan a lifetime ban for use of a racial slur against a fellow patron.

Meanwhile, in September, an anti-racism group draped a banner that read 'Racism is as American as baseball' over the Green Monster - Fenway Park's left-field wall.

While Yawkey Way had come under criticism over the tainted legacy of the former team owner, a movement to rename the street after famous Red Sox slugger David Ortiz gained some traction before ultimately being dismissed due to bylaws that prohibit street names from being named after a living person.