Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports
After Game 6 of the MLB Baseball World Series, Larry Lucchino was seen raising the World Series championship trophy with him.
CNN
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Larry Lucchino, who led the Boston Red Sox to three World Series championships during his time as president and CEO, died Tuesday morning at the age of 78, his family said in a news release issued by the team. It was announced at
The cause of death has not been disclosed. Lucchino has been through cancer three times.
Lucchino helped build a championship team during his tenure from 2002 to 2015, winning the 2004 World Series title, the organization's first in 86 years. The team also won in 2007 and 2013.
Lucchino is also known for his work on MLB stadiums, with his time with the Baltimore Orioles from 1988 to 1993, ushering in an era across baseball in which new facilities took on a more intimate, old-fashioned design. He helped build a new stadium while working in San Diego, and while with the Red Sox he led improvements to Boston's Fenway Park, MLB's oldest stadium.
Red Sox owner John Henry said Tuesday, “Larry's career has been a legacy of reimagining ballpark designs, enhancing the fan experience, and creating ideal conditions for championships everywhere, but especially in Boston.'' It unfolded like a winning script, featuring transformative moments.” . “But perhaps his most lasting legacy lies in the great people he helped assemble into the Red Sox, all of whom are a testament to his training, wisdom and guidance.”
Lucchino was a college basketball player at Princeton University and graduated from Yale Law School. In his early years as a lawyer, he served on the House Judiciary Committee, which was investigating the Watergate scandal. After President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, Lucchino went to work at a law firm, where he served as special counsel to the Washington NFL team. He started working for the Baltimore Orioles in 1979 and left for the Padres in 1994, when he and John Moores bought the team.
“Larry Lucchino was one of the most effective executives in the history of our industry,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “He had a deep passion, an understanding of baseball's place in our community, and a keen eye for executive talent. Larry's vision for Camden Yards was to bring fans together throughout the game. He played an important role in moving the friendly ballpark forward.”
According to the Red Sox, Lucchino has five World Series rings (one in 1983 with the Orioles, three as president of the Red Sox, and another in 2018 while owner of the organization's Class AAA franchise) and a Super Bowl. It is said that he has the unique achievement of acquiring one ring. He recorded a championship (at Washington in 1983) and a Final Four game (at Princeton in 1965).
One of Lucchino's best hires was Theo Epstein, who became Red Sox general manager at age 28 after working with Lucchino in Baltimore and San Diego. Epstein built the team to titles in 2004 and 2007 and joined the Chicago Cubs after the 2011 season.
Epstein, now a partner at Fenway, said, “To me, and to many of my closest friends in baseball, Larry believed in us and made a lasting impact with his work ethic, vision, competitive spirit, and fearlessness.'' He set a great example and got us off to a great start.” sports group. “He had a tremendous impact on the world of baseball, and baseball itself, and will be sorely missed.”
Groop Parkinson, Red Sox executive vice president of partnerships, said Lucchino was very detail-oriented and had strong feelings about what Fenway Park should be. Parkinson said he planned to take Lucchino with him to negotiate for several hours each time a sponsorship deal was proposed in March.
“He was completely obsessed with making the ballpark look 'right.' He also had a tendency to change his mind depending on his mood, so we had him sign all approved mockups in red pen,” Parkinson said. “The night before Opening Day, we were walking through the ballpark and he complained about the look of almost every autograph, saying, 'I'll never approve,' and I brought him all the autographed copies. He showed us what he really has.”
Parkinson said the first few years were painful, but it ended up being her favorite thing to do.
Baseball Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend David Ortiz said he views Lucchino as someone who cares deeply about the product on the field.
“As a player, it was sometimes hard to understand where he was coming from, but he was all about winning and doing well for the organization,” Ortiz said. “Once we got to know each other better, we became really good friends. I loved Larry.”
CNN's Jill Martin contributed to this report.
