In November 2002, Lucchino and the Red Sox hired Bill James, one of the founders of baseball’s sabermetrics movement, and appointed 28-year-old Theo Epstein general manager. With his contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2015 season, it was seemingly only a matter of time before the team found a worthy replacement at the CEO position.
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According to Michael Silverman and Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, the plan is for Red Sox executive vice president Sam Kennedy to take over as president with the CEO position going unfilled “for the time being”.
“We all share some responsibility for the frustration, stop-and-start nature of this season”, Lucchino said in a June interview with Shaughnessy about his underperforming team.
– This embed didnt make it to copy for story id = 32828880. Lucchino is expected to step down as president at the end of the year.
Lucchino has been president and CEO of the Red Sox since February 2002, and in 2004, the team won its first World Series since 1918.
While there was some rumbling in spring training about a power struggle between Lucchino and owner Mike Gordon, the reality was that both Gordon – president of the Fenway Sports Group – and Red Sox chairman Tom Werner already resided above Lucchino in the decision making hierarchy due to their ownership stakes.
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“The truth is Sam is an important part of this puzzle”, Lucchino told the Herald. “He’s been working for me for 20 years, right out of college”. “He will have less of an everyday role but he will continue to have an important strategic role not just with the Red Sox but also within Major League Baseball”. At least one sports franchise a year has offered him their presidency but he knew this day would eventually come. Lucchino has helped lead the organization to three World Series championships in his 13-year tenure, and has also worked for the Padres and Orioles at other points in his career. “His accomplishments are many and will have a lasting impact”.
