Former Boston Red Sox Executive, World Series Champion Larry Lucchino Dies at 78
Larry Lucchino won three World Series with the Boston Red Sox after previous stints with the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, battling cancer amid it all.
Longtime Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles executive Larry Lucchino has died at the age of 78, his former teams announced Tuesday morning.
Lucchino was the president of the Orioles from 1988 to 1993, then took over as the president and CEO of the Padres from 1995 to 2001. He served as the president and CEO of the Red Sox from 2002 until 2015, when he became the president and CEO emeritus of Fenway Sports Group.
Although widely remembered for being with the Red Sox during their most successful stretch in generations, Lucchino's time in Baltimore and San Diego was far more than a footnote. He was integral in the construction of both teams' stadiums, staving off relocation and giving them new homes that would last for decades – Camden Yards and Petco Park.
Lucchino was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2022, as he was also at the helm when the team won its most recent National League pennant in 1998. The Orioles' last World Series victory came in 1983, during Lucchino's early days in the team's front office.
Of course, once Lucchino did eventually arrive in Boston, he took his legacy to the next level.
The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, snapping the team's infamous 86-year drought. That was only the beginning for the team, which went on to win additional titles in 2007, 2013 and 2018. The architect of those early championship squads, general manager Theo Epstein, previously worked for Lucchino in both Baltimore and San Diego.
Down on the farm, Lucchino was a co-owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox. The Triple-A affiliate eventually moved to Worcester in 2021, at which point Lucchino was the minor league team's chairman.
Lucchino's impact went beyond baseball, as he previously served on the board for the then-Washington Redskins in the 1980s, including when they won the Super Bowl in 1982. He also went to the Final Four as a member of the Princeton men's basketball team in 1965. And as Fenway Sports Group extended its reach overseas, Lucchino became involved with Liverpool FC.
Outside of professional sports, Lucchino was on the board of directors for the Special Olympics. He was also the chairman of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund, as a longtime cancer survivor himself.
Luchhino was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1985, undergoing radiation treatment the following year. He also suffered from localized prostate cancer in the late 1990s, and required surgery to remove a cancerous blockage in his kidney in 2019.
"Larry was a formidable opponent in any arena, and while he battled hard, he always maintained the utmost respect for a worthy adversary and found genuine joy in sparring with people," Red Sox prinical owner John Henry said in a statement. "I was lucky enough to have had him in my corner for 14 years and to have called him a close friend for even longer. He was truly irreplaceable and will be missed by all of us at the Red Sox."
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