 Edward Grant Barrow ( May 10 , 1868 – December 15 , 1953 ) was an American manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball . He served as the field manager of the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox . He served as business manager ( de facto general manager ) of the New York Yankees from 1921 to 1939 and as team president from 1939 to 1945 , and is credited with building the Yankee dynasty . Barrow was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 . 
