Larry Lucchino passes away, WooSox owner was 78
Photo | Thomas Grillo
Worcester Red Sox Chairman Larry Lucchino has passed away at age 78, according to reporting by the Boston Globe.
Larry Lucchino, the former president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox and the person most instrumental in moving the Pawtucket Red Sox to Worcester, has died at age 78.
The Boston Red Sox confirmed Lucchino's passing on their website Tuesday morning. The Boston Globe first reported the news
"Larry Lucchino was one of the most accomplished executives that our industry has ever had," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement posted on the Red Sox website. "He was deeply driven, he understood baseball’s place in our communities, and he had a keen eye for executive talent."
Lucchino was chairman of the Worcester Red Sox and a minority owner of the franchise at the time of his passing. He was the principal owner of the WooSox until a majority stake was sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a New York-based business that owns a number of Minor League Baseball franchises, in a deal that was officially announced in December.
Lucchino, who was a member of WBJ’s Power 50 in 2019, 2021, and 2022, was a key figure in moving the Pawtucket Red Sox to Worcester and the construction of the $160-million Polar Park public baseball stadium in Worcester’s Canal District.
One of Lucchino’s last public appearances on behalf of the franchise was the press conference held to announce the team’s community partnership with the collegiate futures baseball team Worcester Bravehearts.
Lucchino was the president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox for a 14-year period that ended in 2015. During his time with the Red Sox, the team won three championships, with Lucchino being a key figure in the effort to preserve the Fenway Park stadium.
“Larry’s career unfolded like a playbook of triumphs, marked by transformative moments that reshaped ballpark design, enhanced the fan experience, and engineered the ideal conditions for championships wherever his path led him, and especially in Boston,” Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry said in a statement posted to the Red Sox website.
Lucchino, a three-time cancer survivor, was previously the chairman of the Jimmy Fund, the Brookline-based charity raising funds to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
A native of Pittsburgh, Lucchino is survived by his wife Stacey and two children, according to Globe reporting. The family shared a statement about his passing on the Red Sox website.
“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved brother and uncle, Lawrence Lucchino, passed away on April 2 surrounded by his family The Lucchino family wishes to thank his friends and caregivers who, over the past few months, have surrounded him with love, laughter, and happy memories," the Lucchino family said in the statement. “To us, Larry was an exceptional person who combined a Hall of Fame life as a Major League Baseball executive with his passion for helping those people most in need. Taking charge of building Baltimore’s Orioles Park at Camden Yards, San Diego’s Petco Park, and Polar Park for the Worcester Red Sox, as well as his role in the Boston Red Sox’s “reversing the curse” by winning the 2004 World Series, were exemplary accomplishments."
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