Harry Frazee

Theatrical producer and Red Sox owner who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

Harry Herbert Frazee (June 29, 1880 – June 4, 1929) was an American theatrical agent, producer, and director, and owner of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox from 1916 to 1923. He is well known for selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, which started the alleged Curse of the Bambino.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Harry Herbert Frazee
Born: June 29, 1880
Birthplace: Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Died: 4 June 1929
Place of death: New York City, New York, U.S.

Lore & Background

Frazee bought the Boston Red Sox from Joseph Lannin for a reported $675,000 after their victory in the 1916 World Series. The Sox won another World Series title in 1918. After the 1919 season, Frazee started selling players to the Yankees, most notoriously Babe Ruth. He then left the Red Sox in bankruptcy while continuing to produce theatre shows. The sale of Ruth and other players led to a long drought for the Red Sox. Frazee's dispute with American League president Ban Johnson limited his trading options, forcing him to deal primarily with the Yankees. The Ruth sale included a $300,000 loan secured by a mortgage on Fenway Park.

Reader's Guide

Frazee was born June 29, 1880, in Peoria, Illinois. He attended Peoria High School, where he was a baseball teammate of Harry Bay. At 16, he became assistant manager of the Peoria Theater. Within a year, he was player-coach of the Peoria Distillers semi-pro baseball club. He moved to Chicago and built the Cort Theater in 1907. In 1913, he built the Longacre Theatre in New York City and staged hit plays such as Fine Feathers and Adele. He promoted a boxing match between Jess Willard and Jack Johnson on April 5, 1915 in Havana, Cuba. He was a Freemason.