The "ripple effect" from the departure of Red Sox President & CEO Larry Lucchino and the poor play of the club this season "is only just beginning," according to Michael Silverman of the BOSTON HERALD. Sources said that one scenario that could come into play is a "restructuring of the Red Sox front office into a model used by many other clubs where a president, or director of baseball operations, would work closely with and oversee" GM Ben Cherington. Another possibility is that the club "could bring in an experienced baseball executive who would offer a fresh perspective and aid Cherington and the team in what appears to be an inevitable restructuring of the operations." Either way, it "seems unlikely that every employee is going to survive the overhaul." Names that are "going to come up in the next few weeks and months" include Tigers President, CEO & GM Dave Dombrowski, Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and A's GM Billy Beane (BOSTON HERALD, 8/4).
WHO'S ON FIRST? In Boston, Alex Speier notes the CEO succession has "yet to be defined -- resulting in uncertainty about the precise reporting structure for members of the baseball operations department, along with curiosity about how Lucchino’s broad role will be filled." The successor "won’t assume the same sort of hands-on role in player evaluation that Lucchino claimed." Sources said that the "formal governance structure that will exist once Lucchino leaves his current position -- and the reporting relationship" between Red Sox Exec VP & COO Sam Kennedy and baseball operations -- also "has not yet been defined." It is possible that Cherington "could work more directly" with Principal Owner John Henry, Chair Tom Werner, and Fenway Sports Group President Michael Gordon "on player acquisition, with no one new brought in from outside the organization atop the baseball operations reporting structure." That may be the "likeliest scenario" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/4). Also in Boston, Nick Cafardo writes it will be "interesting to see whether there will be a president of baseball operations added to the executive mix." Given the "failures of baseball operations in three of the last four years" for the Red Sox, there "at least would have to be internal discussions about adding a baseball man to oversee that department." The Red Sox also "seemed to run better" when Epstein and Cherington were truly under Lucchino "as opposed to the last two years when Cherington had free reign" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/4). Cafardo said, "Once the Red Sox won the World Series a couple years ago, Ben really became empowered. He was really in control of the entire baseball operations. Larry stayed back a little bit, didn’t get involved as much, and I think that was part of the problem" ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 8/3).
LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP: In Providence, Timothy Britton in the first of a three-day series "examining the team-building failures that have led the Red Sox to this point" writes the organization's future "feels more uncertain than it has in a long time." Britton: "Are the Red Sox spending their money in the right way? Or put in the vernacular of the fan: They're paying all that for this?" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 8/4). In Boston, Steve Buckley writes, "Lucchino isn’t stepping down. Instead, it looks like he’s being escorted off the property. And this is happening for one simple reason: It’s time." This season "has not been a good one for Lucchino -- and that isn’t even taking into account where the Red Sox are in the standings." Buckley: "Was Lucchino marginalized? Maybe he marginalized himself. Things happen. Circumstances change. We wouldn’t be having this discussion a few years ago, but, then, a few years ago Lucchino was a regular presence at Fenway Park." That has "not been the case this season." He has "'transitioned' himself right into irrelevance, and that’s kind of sad" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/4). Also in Boston, Christopher Gasper writes, "Love him or hate him, Red Sox fans owe Larry Lucchino a debt of gratitude for preserving and improving Fenway Park" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/4).
SAD PANDAS: The Globe's Cafardo said he has "already gotten swarmed with e-mails from season-ticket holders saying, ‘I’m not renewing my ticket package.’" There are "always about 40,000 people after that who want season tickets, but some of these people -- for a four-pack they spend $43,000 for season tickets, and to see this product on the field, they can’t be too happy” ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 8/3).
