The Red Sox formally yesterday named President & CEO Larry Lucchino President & CEO Emeritus, effective Oct. 16, when Exec VP Sam Kennedy will take over as President. Lucchino will be an active participant in the direction of the franchise and will participate in various issues facing MLB. He will retain an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group (Red Sox). Lucchino said of his new role, "I'll also be the principal owner and control person of our Triple A team in Pawtucket as we seek a new ballpark down there, plus I’m gonna be very active in the leadership of the Jimmy Fund" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/27). The Lucchino announcement was the latest front-office move for the Red Sox, as the Red Sox on Friday hired former Braves GM Frank Wren as Senior VP/Baseball Operations. That came one day after Mike Hazen "was promoted" to GM. The Wren hiring is the "latest change made" by President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, who was hired in August. Dombrowski "mainly sees Wren working on player evaluations in the majors" (AP, 9/25). ESPN BOSTON's Tony Lee noted Wren will be "based out of Atlanta but will spend time with the Red Sox for the remainder of the season, getting to know the staff and players." Dombrowski said that he "sees no issues with Hazen, Wren and any others he adds to the talent evaluation team clogging up the lines of communication" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 9/25). MLB Network’s Brian Kenny said of the Wren hiring, “It seems like this is kind of the best of all worlds. Mike Hazen stays with the baseball ops people, becomes the General Manager, but Frank Wren now becomes a very senior executive in that group.” MLB Network’s Dan O’Dowd said it gives Dombrowski "somebody that he’s comfortable with, that he has a long-term working relationship with." O'Dowd: "It allows him probably to have that confidant to bounce ideas off of, talk to in the moments of frustration a little bit when you’ve got decisions to make." But MLB Network's Eric Byrnes said, “It could be a little bit an issue ... when you have too many cooks in the kitchen" ("MLB Tonight," MLB Network, 9/25).
AWKWARD SOX: In Boston, Michael Silverman writes with outgoing Red Sox broadcaster Don Orsillo "dragged out of NESN’s booth and Larry Lucchino on emeritus duty from here on out," the home finale yesterday at Fenway Park "felt more like a massive layoff than a sendoff for tireless, loyal employees and a Red Sox team doing its level best to avoid another last-place finish in the AL East" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/28).
