Yawkey's tenure as the owner of the Tigers spanned from 1903 until his untimely death in 1919. During these years, he largely delegated the day-to-day operations of the team to Frank Navin, choosing to focus on his ventures in the lumber and mining sectors. In 1908, Yawkey sold a significant portion of the club's stock to Navin, making him a full partner and solidifying Navin's control over the team's operations.
Bill Yawkey's death on March 5, 1919, in Augusta, Georgia, attributed to the Spanish flu, marked the end of his direct involvement with the Detroit Tigers. He was buried in a family lot in Brattleboro, Vermont. Following his passing, Navin acquired additional stock from Yawkey's estate, eventually owning 50 percent of the Tigers and becoming the principal owner until his own death in 1935.
Yawkey's legacy extended beyond his death through his $40 million estate, which he bequeathed to his nephew and adoptive son, Tom Yawkey. Tom would go on to make his mark in baseball history as the owner of the Boston Red Sox. Additionally, Bill Yawkey's contributions to his community and his passion for sports and recreation were memorialized through the construction of a boathouse in 1917 in Hazelhurst, Wisconsin, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Bill Yawkey's life and career intertwined the worlds of business and baseball, leaving a lasting impact on both industries. His stewardship of the Detroit Tigers set the stage for future developments in the franchise, while his estate's legacy continued to influence Major League Baseball through his nephew's ownership of the Boston Red Sox.
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