John Henry of the Red Sox wants Boston to change the name of Yawkey way.

The Boston Red Sox will ask the city to rename Yawkey Way, the street alongside Fenway Park, to erase what owner John Henry called a haunting reminder of the ballclub’s history of racial intolerance.

Henry told the Boston Herald on Thursday that he welcomes changing the name of the street that honors his predecessor Tom Yawkey, an inductee in the baseball Hall of Fame, and is the mailing address for the ballpark and team offices.

Under Yawkey, who owned the club for four decades, the Red Sox were the last team in the major leagues to cross the color barrier while choosing not to sign black players including Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.

Even in the 1970s, the Red Sox tolerated players going to white only clubs during spring training. I first knew the road as Jersey Street (which still exists on the eastern most part of the street), and thought that changing the name was more trouble than it was worth. It forced business to change their addresses, and I don’t think Boston or the Red Sox picked up the tab. Even leaving racism out of it, Yawkey never brought a winner to the city.

So how about going back to Jersey Street instead of after another celebrity? It will save future embarrassment if that person turns out to be disliked by future generations.