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61-594: MBF began in 2005, when William S. Stavropoulos , then Chairman of the Dow Chemical Company , which is headquartered in Midland, came up with the idea that minor league baseball could help to vitalize the hometown of Dow Chemical. He had observed how the introduction of minor league baseball had rejuvenated several communities in the United States, and he felt it could similarly trigger a renaissance in Midland. With

122-652: A blood clot after having hip surgery. Carl's grandson Mike Yastrzemski , Carl Jr.'s son, was drafted by the Red Sox in 2009 and the Seattle Mariners in 2012. However, he did not sign with either team, as he played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores . He signed with the Baltimore Orioles after being selected in the 2013 MLB draft . He rose through Baltimore's farm system , reaching Triple-A with

183-562: A B.S. degree in pharmacy from Fordham University in New York City in 1961 and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry in 1966 from University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. In 1967 he joined the Dow Chemical Company as a researcher and was first assigned to Dow's pharmaceutical research labs in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stavropoulos, however, soon had the opportunity to become more involved in

244-405: A damaged left shoulder he kept secret, and said this injury reduced his home run power. Before that, he could hit home runs to all fields, but afterward, his home run power was mainly in pulling the ball. This is why Yastrzemski no longer held the bat high and used several batting stances to adjust to the injured shoulder. He explained that with each new stance, he had to change the way he swung. This

305-582: A minor league baseball team (the Devil Rays of Battle Creek, Michigan. In 2006, the founders of MBF established Michigan Baseball Operations—a taxable non-profit—to which they transferred ownership of the ball club. The Devil Rays became the Great Lakes Loons of Midland, Michigan in 2007. From 2006 to 2007, MBF built a baseball stadium in downtown Midland (the Dow Diamond ), which serves as the home field of

366-634: A rising star in 1963 , winning the American League batting championship with a batting average of .321, and also leading the league in doubles and walks, finishing sixth in the Most Valuable Player voting. Yastrzemski enjoyed his best season in 1967 , when he won the American League Triple Crown with a .326 batting average , 44 home runs (tied with Harmon Killebrew ), and 121 RBIs . Yastrzemski's Triple Crown win in 1967

427-530: A tax-free status. As a result, MBF’s founders created the Michigan Baseball Operation (MBO) – a separate, independent taxable non-profit – and MBO became the owner of the Devil Rays in early 2006, when the purchase of the team was finalized. During the 2006 baseball season, the Devil Rays continued to play in Battle Creek, while a stadium was being built for them in Midland. At the end of the season

488-427: A total restructuring of the company. Dow’s division into largely autonomous geographic units was replaced by an organizational structure based on fifteen global businesses and ten global functional units. Hand in hand with this, Dow introduced a new performance review system that aimed to encourage accountability, and it greatly expanded its capacity in information technology ― most notably, a global company-wide intranet

549-436: A unique way to induce a throwing error. Thrown out at second base, he failed to head immediately for the dugout, as is customary. Opponents made a protracted attempt at tagging out another runner in a rundown or "pickle", but soon were flabbergasted to see a Red Sox player rounding third and heading for home. A panicked throw to the catcher far missed the mark, allowing Yastrzemski to appear to score, but more importantly, allowing

610-465: Is an American former professional baseball player who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He started his career primarily as a left fielder , but also played 33 games as a third baseman. Later in his career, he was mainly a first baseman and designated hitter . Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star , the possessor of seven Gold Gloves , a member of

671-601: Is being created to downtown Midland, and business activity is being encouraged in the downtown area. William S. Stavropoulos William Spyros Stavropoulos (born 12 May 1939) is a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist. He is the past CEO and Chairman of The Dow Chemical Company , and the current CEO and Chairman of the Michigan Baseball Foundation . Stavropoulos was born in 1939 in Southampton, New York . The son of Greek immigrants, he grew up in

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732-453: Is currently a roving instructor with the Red Sox, and was honored by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for Game 1 of the 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018 World Series. In August 2008, Yastrzemski underwent successful triple bypass heart surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital . The Red Sox honored him with a statue outside Fenway Park on September 23, 2013. His son Carl Michael Yastrzemski Jr., known as Mike, played college baseball for

793-548: Is one of two players to win the All-Star Game MVP Award despite playing for the losing team, Brooks Robinson having done so in 1966 . Yastrzemski's .329 batting average that season was his career high, but he finished second behind the California Angels ' Alex Johnson for the batting title by less than .001. In 1970, Yastrzemski led the league in slugging and on-base percentage, finishing third in home runs. In

854-452: Is why Yastrzemski never came close to hitting 40 home runs again. He was also known for modifying his batting helmets by enlarging the right earhole (for comfort) and removing part of the right earflap (for better vision of the ball as it was being pitched). "Yaz" stood out for his cagey approach to the game. He decoyed opposing baserunners with his left-field play. On fly balls headed for Fenway's Wall, Yastrzemski lined up as if about to make

915-462: The 2005 film Fever Pitch . Earlier in the film, Ben's girlfriend, Lindsay Meeks ( Drew Barrymore ), not yet familiar with the triumphs and tribulations of the Red Sox, is unable to properly pronounce Yastrzemski's name, and has to be corrected by the surrounding fans: "Ya-STREM-ski!" The final scene of the movie indicates that if the couple's unborn child is a girl she will be named "Carla Yastrzemski Wrightman". Yastrzemski thought that Tommy John

976-401: The 3,000 hit club , and the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs . He is second on the all-time list for games played, and third for total at-bats. He is the Red Sox's all-time leader in career RBIs , runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is third on the team list for home runs, behind Ted Williams and David Ortiz . He

1037-571: The Baltimore Orioles . His final career statistics include 3,308 games played (second all-time and the most with a single team), 3,419 hits, 646 doubles, 452 home runs, 1,844 RBIs, and a batting average of .285. He had 1,845 walks in his career, and 1,157 extra base hits. Yastrzemski was the first player to collect over 3,000 hits and 400 home runs solely in the American League (the feat has since been accomplished by Cal Ripken Jr. ). He

1098-548: The Cincinnati Reds . He made the final out in Game 7 on a fly out to center, trailing by one run. Coincidentally, he also made the final out of the 1978 American League East tie-breaker game with a foul pop to third base. This game featured Bucky Dent 's famous homer (although Reggie Jackson 's was the eventual winning run). Earlier in the game, Yastrzemski began the scoring with a home run off left-handed pitcher Ron Guidry , who

1159-779: The Florida State Seminoles and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round in 1984. He started his professional career with the Durham Bulls and eventually played for two Chicago White Sox affiliated teams in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League , first with the Hawaii Islanders in 1987 and then ending his playing career with the Vancouver Canadians in 1988. He died in 2004 at age 43 from

1220-642: The Great Lakes Loons . Both MBF and MBO operate as 'social enterprises' that invest their earnings back into the community, in the form of donations to non-profits, as seed money for ventures that improve the community, or to catalyze local entrepreneurship. Stavropoulos serves as chairman of both entities. Together with his wife Linda, Stavropoulos established the Bill and Linda Stavropoulos Family Foundation, which donates to educational, religious, civic, recreational, and cultural non-profits. Linda serves as president of

1281-651: The Lansing Lugnuts minor league team, as a consultant, and through him in September 2005 MBF negotiated the purchase of the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays of nearby Battle Creek, Michigan . As MBF awaited approval of the sale by the Midwest League , it sought to register with the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The IRS was unwilling to grant a professional baseball team

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1342-573: The Norfolk Tides by 2016. In March 2019, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants organization, and he made his MLB debut with the Giants on May 25, 2019. On September 17, as a member of the Giants, in his first game played at Fenway Park , Mike went 2-for-7 with a home run and a double. In the next game of the series on September 18, Carl threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mike. Through

1403-758: The St. Louis Cardinals , losing three times to Bob Gibson . Yastrzemski batted .400 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI in the series. That season, he also won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's " Sportsman of the Year " Award. In an article he co-wrote for the November 1967 issue of SPORT magazine, Yastrzemski credited Boston's remarkable season to manager Dick Williams and an infusion of youth, including Rico Petrocelli and Tony Conigliaro . Of Williams, Yastrzemski wrote: "He got rid of all

1464-515: The Baseball Category with the Class of 1990. Yastrzemski was well known for his batting stance, holding his bat exceptionally high, giving his swing a large, dramatic arc (unexpectedly so for a well-known "fastball hitter"), and more power at the plate. In his later years, he adjusted his stance and held the bat lower. In his autobiography, Yastrzemski revealed that he played his last eight years with

1525-465: The Dow Diamond as the best ballpark of the year. Stadium Journey has consistently given it high ratings. Today MBF is earning revenues from the operation of the Dow Diamond as both a baseball stadium and as a venue for many different private events, such as wedding receptions, concerts, and meetings. MBF donates profits from the Dow Diamond to support such youth organizations as a girls softball league,

1586-825: The Foundation. William Stavropoulos has served on University of Notre Dame ’s College of Science Advisory Council since 1988. In 2016, the Bill and Linda Stavropoulos Family Foundation funded the establishment of The Stavropoulos Center for Interdisciplinary Biophysics at Notre Dame. Stavropoulos married Linda Theofel in 1967. Together they currently maintain residences in Midland, Michigan and Naples, Florida . The couple have two children, Bill and Angela, and six grandchildren, Nina, Samantha, Lily, Kristina, Billy, and Joseph. Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski Sr. ( / j ə ˈ s t r ɛ m s k i / yə- STREM -skee ; born August 22, 1939), nicknamed " Yaz ",

1647-499: The Great Lakes Loons could take the field for their first home game on April 13. Construction of the Dow Diamond cost $ 34 million, more than the average for a minor league stadium. However, the Dow Diamond is fitted out with many attributes and amenities not generally associated with minor league baseball, e.g., a solar panel powered scoreboard, water bottle fill-up stations, a concourse that can be enclosed for events, and free WiFi available everywhere. In 2007 Ballpark Digest recognized

1708-403: The Red Sox (referring to the hit song from the musical Man of La Mancha ), who rebounded from a ninth-place finish a year before to win the American League pennant (their first since 1946 ) on the last day of the season. With the Red Sox battling as part of a four-team pennant race, Yastrzemski hit .513 (23 hits in 44 at-bats) with five home runs and 16 runs batted in over the last two weeks of

1769-455: The Red Sox won, 6–4. Thus the teams went into the final game tied for first place, and Yastrzemski and Killebrew were tied with 44 home runs apiece. In the final game, neither player homered, but Yastrzemski went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI in a 5-3 Red Sox win. In the two games with the pennant on the line, Yastrzemski was 7 for 8 with six RBIs. The Red Sox lost the World Series four games to three to

1830-556: The backing of Dow Chemical he turned to citizens of the town for their support. Ultimately, five additional Midland-based organizations ( Dow Corning Corporation, the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, and the Bill and Linda Stavropoulos Foundation) joined Dow in backing the effort to bring a minor league baseball team to

1891-563: The beginning, there was tremendous pressure on him to perform as he succeeded to the position of the great Red Sox legend Ted Williams . He proved to be a worthy successor at the plate and a far superior defensive player with a strong arm, expert in playing off the Green Monster , Fenway Park 's left-field wall. In 12 years as a left fielder, Yastrzemski won seven Gold Gloves and led the team in assists seven times. While his first two years were viewed as solid but unspectacular, he emerged as

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1952-485: The business aspect of the company. He left the research lab and in 1973 became research manager of Dow's diagnostics products business. In 1977, he was promoted to business manager of Dow's polyolefins division, and over the next decade, he moved up the corporate ranks, assuming increasingly more responsible managerial and executive positions, including serving as president of Dow Latin America (1984-1985), and eventually rose to

2013-450: The campaign to reduce accidents, effluents, emissions, and use of energy and water. In November 2000, Stavropoulos stepped down as Dow's CEO and became company chairman. However, at the end of 2002, he was asked by Dow's Board of Directors to return as CEO, a request he accepted. He then worked with Dow's executive leadership team to devise and implement a sequence of actions that put the company back on strong financial footing. At

2074-417: The catch just in front of the wall, waiting until the last possible moment before wheeling around to play the carom. This would fool baserunners into tagging up for precious extra seconds, preventing them from taking an extra base, and if they tried anyway, his deft handling of the bounce and accurate throwing arm were liable to make them pay the price. Once while running the basepaths himself, Yastrzemski found

2135-416: The community. MBF was formed and Stavropoulos was asked to serve as its CEO and Chairman. In the beginning MBF’s founders expected the new organization to serve as the owner of both a future minor league team and a baseball stadium. They envisioned that MBF would function as a social enterprise – a tax free non-profit that invests its earnings in charitable activities. In 2005 MBF hired Tom Dickson, owner of

2196-434: The company became less dependent on the sale of commodity chemicals, which made it less subject to the cyclicality of the commodity chemical market. As CEO, Stavropoulos led the effort to increase and publicize Dow's commitment to environmental protection and workplace safety. In 1995 the company pledged $ 1 billion to achieving ten-year environmental, health, and safety goals. A company-wide campaign engaged all employees in

2257-400: The company's CEO, effective 1 November, and to lead the global makeover of the firm. As president of Dow USA since 1990, he had already been changing Dow's United States operations, and his performance was a prelude to the changes to the company he would implement worldwide. During Stavropoulos's tenure as CEO, Dow Chemical Company underwent a major transformation, the centerpiece of which was

2318-480: The early 1970s, Yastrzemski suffered hand injuries that drastically reduced his power and productivity until healed. He also suffered a permanent shoulder injury that reduced his power, causing him to change his distinctive batting stance. Although he hit but 61 home runs over the next four years ( 1971 – 1974 ) as the Red Sox finished second twice and third twice, he finished in the top 10 in batting, and top three in on-base percentage and walks in 1973 and 1974, and led

2379-449: The end of 2004, Stavropoulos once again bowed out as head of Dow. He remained Chairman of the company until March 2006. In 2005, Stavropoulos took the lead in bringing minor league baseball to Midland, Michigan, which is where Dow is headquartered. Together with the heads of several Midland foundations and companies, he established the Michigan Baseball Foundation (MBF)—a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. In December 2005, MBF purchased

2440-428: The end of the 1983 season at age 44, though he wrote in his autobiography Yaz that he was planning on playing the 1984 season until he was tired from a long midseason slump. He also said that had he known how good Roger Clemens would be, he would have played in 1984 to have had a chance to play with him. No player has had a longer career with only one team, 23 seasons, a record he shares with Brooks Robinson of

2501-479: The first Little League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame . He attended Notre Dame on a basketball scholarship (his career Long Island high school scoring mark at Bridgehampton broke one previously held by Jim Brown ) briefly before embarking on his baseball career. Yastrzemski signed with the Red Sox organization, which sent him to the minor-league Raleigh Capitals in 1959 , where he led

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2562-477: The individuality, made us into a team, gave us an incentive, and made us want to win." In 1968 Yastrzemski again won the batting championship. Because of the competitive advantages pitchers enjoyed between 1963 and 1968 (before the lowering of the pitcher's mound following the 1968 season), Yastrzemski's .301 mark in "The Year of the Pitcher" is the lowest average of any batting champion in major league history; he

2623-483: The league in runs scored in 1974. In the 1975 All-Star Game , Yastrzemski was called to pinch-hit in the sixth inning, with two men on base and the American League down 3–0. Without wearing a batting helmet, he hit Tom Seaver 's first pitch for a home run to tie the score. The three-run homer was the only scoring the American League did that night as they lost 6–3. Yastrzemski and the Red Sox suffered another World Series loss in 1975 , losing four games to three to

2684-572: The league with a .377 batting average. The organization moved him to the Minneapolis Millers for that post-season and the 1960 season. Yastrzemski, who had studied business at Notre Dame, fulfilled a promise to his parents by finishing his degree at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts , in 1966. Yastrzemski began his major-league career in 1961 and hit his first home run off of former Red Sox pitcher Jerry Casale . From

2745-491: The local 4-H association, and the Midland soccer club. In addition, it provides funding for economic development and community improvement. For example, it is a key supporter of Momentum Midland, a group of projects presently underway that aim to improve Midland’s downtown area. Within the framework of Momentum Midland public recreational facilities are being built along the Tittabawassee River ; pedestrian and bike access

2806-414: The nearby town of Bridgehampton, where his family owned and operated a very popular ice cream parlor and eatery – The Bridgehampton Candy Kitchen. He attended Bridgehampton School, where he excelled both academically and athletically. One of the sixteen students in his high school graduating class was his close boyhood friend Carl Yastrzemski , a future Hall of Fame baseball star. Stavropoulos received

2867-414: The position of president and chief operating office of Dow corporate in 1993. At the start of the 1990s, Dow's executive leadership concluded that the company needed to undergo a radical transformation if it were to take advantage of the opportunities and face the challenges being created by the emergence of an integrated global economy. In 1995 Stavropoulos was tapped by Dow's Board of Directors to become

2928-414: The runner behind him to advance. A record album of the 1967 Red Sox season, aptly titled The Impossible Dream , featured a song by DJ Jess Cain of praise for "The man they call Yaz", which included the line "Although 'Yastrzemski' is a lengthy name / It fits quite nicely in our Hall of Fame." The song can be heard, and the album cover seen, in the apartment of Ben Wrightman (played by Jimmy Fallon ) in

2989-649: The season, and finished a mere one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins . The Red Sox went into the final two games of the season trailing the Twins by one game and leading the Tigers by one-half game. Their final two games were against Minnesota with the pennant and home run title (hence, the triple crown) on the line. In the Saturday game, Yastrzemski went 3 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBI. Killebrew also homered, but

3050-404: The team’s name was changed to the Great Lakes Loons . Meanwhile rapid progress was made in constructing a ballpark in Midland. On April 11, 2006, MBF started construction of the stadium on land in downtown Midland that had been donated by Dow Chemical. Dow also paid for the naming rights to the new ballpark, which became known as the Dow Diamond. Construction ended in early 2007, in time so that

3111-455: Was born in Southampton, New York , to Karol Yastrzemski ( anglicized to Carl) and Hattie Skonieczny. Both his parents were of a Polish background, and young Carl was bilingual from an early age. Raised on his father's potato farm, Carl played on sandlot baseball teams with his father, who, he maintains, was a better athlete than he was. He graduated in 1957 from Bridgehampton School . Yastrzemski also played Little League Baseball , and became

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3172-553: Was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 in his first year of eligibility. In 1967 Yastrzemski achieved a peak in his career, leading the Red Sox to the American League pennant for the first time in over two decades and being voted the 1967 American League MVP . Yastrzemski also won the Triple Crown that year, something not accomplished again in the Major Leagues until Miguel Cabrera did so in 2012. Yastrzemski

3233-768: Was elected to the Hall of Fame. In 1999, Yastrzemski ranked 72nd on The Sporting News ' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. That same season, he was named a finalist to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team . Prior to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1986, Yastrzemski was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame . He was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in

3294-580: Was established to which all employees were given access. As part of its transformation strategy, Dow divested itself of ventures that were no longer competitive or did not fit well with the company's strengths, e.g., its consumer products operation (DowBrands). At the same time, it invested $ 18 billion to acquire businesses. These acquisitions either expanded Dow's base in specialty chemicals and industrial biotech, or they positioned Dow in new geographies. During Stavropoulos's tenure as CEO Dow's productivity improved, its stock price increased significantly, and

3355-521: Was having a career year (25 wins, 3 losses and a 1.74 ERA). It was the only homer the Cy Young Award winner allowed to a left-hander all season. On May 19, 1976 , Yastrzemski hit three home runs against the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium . He then went to Yankee Stadium and hit two more, tying the major league record of five home runs in two consecutive games. In 1978 Yastrzemski, then 39,

3416-481: Was named to the All-Star Game 18 times. Yastrzemski won three American League batting championships in his career. In addition, he trails only Ty Cobb and Derek Jeter in hits collected with a single team, and trails only Cobb, Jeter and Tris Speaker in hits collected playing in the American League. Yastrzemski is also Fenway Park 's all-time leader in hits, doubles, and RBIs. By the time of his retirement, he

3477-452: Was one of the five oldest players in the league. On September 12, 1979, Yastrzemski achieved another milestone, becoming the first American League player with 3,000 career hits and 400 home runs. In 1982 , playing primarily as a designated hitter, an early season hitting streak placed him among the league's leading hitters and saw him featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and played in that year's All-Star game. Yastrzemski retired at

3538-520: Was one of the hardest pitchers for him to hit against. This surprised John, who remembered Yastrzemski hitting him well while he was with the White Sox (1965-71). John concluded that Yastrzemski must be remembering his years with the Yankees beginning in 1979, when John fared better in their matchups. Along with Johnny Pesky , Yastrzemski raised the 2004 World Series championship banner over Fenway Park. He

3599-475: Was the all-time leader in plate appearances, since surpassed by Pete Rose . As one of the top players of his era, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility, with the support of 94% of voters. He is one of the few Hall of Famers to directly succeed another Hall of Famer at the same position. For his entire career with the Red Sox, he wore uniform number 8. The Red Sox retired this number on August 6, 1989, after Yastrzemski

3660-516: Was the last time a major league hitter won the Batting Triple Crown until Miguel Cabrera in the 2012 season (conversely, six different pitchers have since won the pitchers' version). He was voted Most Valuable Player almost unanimously (one voter chose César Tovar of the Twins ). His 12.4 WAR was the highest since Babe Ruth's 1927 season. 1967 was the season of the " Impossible Dream " for

3721-416: Was the only hitter in the American League to hit .300 that season against such formidable pitching, and led the league in on-base percentage and walks. In 1969 , Yastrzemski had the first of two consecutive 40-home run seasons as he led the Red Sox to third-place finishes that year and the next. In the 1970 All-Star Game he got four hits, tying the record, and was named the game MVP in a losing effort. He

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