Larry Lucchino, the former Red Sox executive who helped lead the club to three World Series championships during his tenure, died Tuesday morning, according to multiple reports. He was 78.
Lucchino served as Red Sox president and CEO from 2002 to 2015, a period that coincided with one of the greatest stretches in franchise history. In addition to the club’s historic championships in 2004, 2007 and 2013, Lucchino also played an integral role in the modernization of Fenway Park and in his later years served as principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox.
Prior to his time in Boston, Lucchino served as President of the Baltimore Orioles (1988-93) and President/CEO of the San Diego Padres (1995-2001). He was deeply involved in the creation of Camden Yards, the Orioles’ game-changing new ballpark that opened in 1993, and laid the groundwork for the eventual creation of the Padres new ballpark, Petco Park, which opened in 2004. He later helped bring together future Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner. The group purchased the franchise ahead of the 2002 season.
Once in Boston, Lucchino created the Red Sox Foundation and served as Chairman of the Jimmy Fund, both of which have raised millions of dollars to support local charitable efforts and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
In 2015 Lucchino assembled a group that purchased the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston’s longtime Triple-A affiliate, and several years later moved the team to Worcester after attempts to build a new ballpark in Rhode Island fell short. The club’s new Polar Park debuted in 2021 and the WooSox began their fourth season in Worcester this past week.
Lucchino sold the WooSox to Diamond Baseball Holdings this past offseason for a reported $70 million. Lucchino remained with the club as chairman, and the team’s existing front office staff remained in place as well.
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