Lucchino Stepping Down As Red Sox President, CEO After Season

Red Sox President & CEO Larry Lucchino yesterday said that he will be “stepping down at the end of the season, ending a remarkable 14-year run that saw the team win three World Series titles in 10 years.” He said, “Fourteen years in a 24/7 job is a lot. I’ll be 70 in September. That’s sort of why I’m ready to step back.” Lucchino said that his role as club president “will be filled by” Red Sox Exec VP & COO Sam Kennedy, who in ’13 was inducted as a member of the SportsBusiness Journal’s “40 Under 40” HOF. Lucchino: “Kennedy is my choice to be the next president of the Red Sox when I complete my contract at the end of the year.”

Red Sox Chair Tom Werner is “interested in taking over” as the club’s CEO, sources said. He “has been playing a more prominent role” with the franchise (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/2). The Red Sox are “on the verge of an historic shakeup,” which will not see Kennedy’s responsibilities “include a hand in baseball operations" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/2).