{"id":182504,"date":"2025-10-01T12:25:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T12:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/182504\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T12:25:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T12:25:09","slug":"sam-kennedy-runs-the-red-sox-owns-zero-pairs-of-red-socks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/182504\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Kennedy Runs the Red Sox, Owns Zero Pairs of Red Socks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQ&A<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Brookline native talks chocolate chip cookies, high school grudge matches with Theo Epstein, and why\u2014hopefully\u2014Boston fans don\u2019t hate him as much as he sometimes thinks they do.<\/p>\n

\t\t\tGet a compelling long read and must-have lifestyle tips in your inbox every Sunday morning \u2014 great with coffee!\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo by Pat Piasecki<\/p>\n

This interview was originally published in our June 2025 issue. We are recirculating it now, timed to the Red Sox making the playoffs.<\/p>\n

In the rarefied world of Boston sports management\u2014where fan scrutiny is relentless and success is measured exclusively in championships\u2014Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy has mastered the high-wire act. Between orchestrating neighborhood development plans as head of Fenway Sports Group Real Estate, reuniting with his below-the-belt-punching Brookline High teammate Theo Epstein (see below), and serving on boards from Dana-Farber to Camp Harbor View, not to mention reportedly hooking up former Governor Charlie Baker with a job at the NCAA<\/a>, Kennedy still finds time for his ritual of walking an empty Fenway Park before each home game. His most consequential power, though, is controlling the city\u2019s mood, which swings dramatically with each win or loss. His only weakness? The chocolate chip cookies at Fenway\u2014after all, even proven champs need a little comfort food in the late innings.<\/p>\n

Best perk of the job?
Without question, being less than a mile from my parents, who are in their early eighties. My dad only comes to 70 or 75 games a year. [Laughs.] Fenway is where I grew up, and having my family around to share these past two-and-a-half decades, to share in all the highs and lows, is the best. When things are bad, I hear it first from my dad, so the criticism we get on the airwaves or in the Boston Globe is nothing compared to criticism from your own father.<\/p>\n

Do you have a secret place to eat near Fenway?
I\u2019m a huge fan of Honeygrow and Cava. I\u2019m in and out of there quickly most days, but in the ballpark, I eat in the suite most nights.<\/p>\n

Favorite Fenway snack?
It\u2019s 81 nights a year sitting in there, so you\u2019ve gotta be careful about what you eat. It\u2019s tough, though. I can\u2019t say no to the chocolate chip cookies. That\u2019s my weakness during late innings.<\/p>\n

Your three most prominent characteristics as a manager?
The answer would probably be better coming from somebody else, but number one, hopefully, is empathy for the role that people play. Understanding the challenges of their jobs. I grew up in baseball, and I\u2019ve had a lot of different roles, so being empathetic toward people in every different position. Two, I would hope that people would say I bring a passion for the organization, and third would be a sense of urgency. We really cannot waste this golden opportunity. We\u2019ve won four World Series championships in our time, and we\u2019re really hungry for more.<\/p>\n

Expectations for the rest of the season?
Definitely the playoffs. I feel we have a team that\u2019s a much more balanced roster, and I think we have a chance to qualify for post-season. Once you get into October, anything is possible.<\/p>\n

Do you have a game-day habit or routine?
I do, and I\u2019ve been doing it since 1993, whether I was an intern for the Yankees, a mid-level employee at the Padres, or CEO of the Red Sox. I walk around the park, like five hours before the gates open, and just do a snapshot in my mind of an empty park. It\u2019s the coolest visual, and I never, ever take for granted that I get to come to work here each and every day.<\/p>\n

Best fan encounter?
That\u2019s easy. I\u2019m a frequent Dunkin\u2019 visitor, like multiple times a day sometimes, but definitely every day. Most days, people are very kind, a lot nicer than what you might think, given the vibe on talk radio or digital media. One day, there was a young mother and her five- or six-year-old kid. It was after a fan fest where we literally got booed off the stage, and she said, \u201cYou know, Sam, I don\u2019t know you, but you seem like a really nice guy. I just want you to know we don\u2019t hate you as much as you think we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

How about an awful fan encounter?
I don\u2019t have one. If you\u2019re gonna be in baseball, and I can say this with certainty, having been in other markets: The Red Sox matter more to New England than any other franchise. So every time we\u2019re booed, or there\u2019s negativity, I know the anger is rooted in passion, and it will change quickly when we\u2019re winning. I\u2019ve\u00a0participated in four parades, and you go from being an idiot, literally a moron, to \u201cWe love you!\u201d \u201cWill you run for mayor?\u201d Any negativity is rooted in pure love for the team.<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite sports-radio personality or baseball writer?
I have to say I\u2019m a huge fan of Alex Speier<\/a> [of the Globe] because he reminds me a lot of Peter Gammons. I grew up reading Peter Gammons\u2019s baseball notes column.\u00a0Peter hooked a generation of young people, and I think Alex provides a sort of modern-day Gammons approach. When it comes to talk radio, I don\u2019t have a favorite there.<\/p>\n

Anybody that you just wish didn\u2019t have a microphone or a keyboard?
No. I actually worked for WFAN in New York, in the days of Don Imus and Mike and the Mad Dog<\/a>, so I understand the talk-radio game. The media landscape is very crowded, and only certain personalities can really cut through the noise. A lot of that content needs to be in the shock and awe category to get picked up, and there\u2019s a perception that positivity doesn\u2019t sell. I disagree with that, but there\u2019s this feeling that the more negative, the more listeners, or clicks, or follows you\u2019ll have, which equates to dollars.<\/p>\n

At Brookline High, who was the alpha male, you or Theo Epstein?
The funniest thing is we were literally the two slowest kids on the baseball team, and this wouldn\u2019t be allowed in 2025, but we were sort of hazed by our coaches. We\u2019d have to do wind sprints, and the further you fell behind, the longer you had to stay in the race. It always got down to us, and Theo and I would have to race each other. He was faster than me, so he usually beat me, but one time, I actually had a chance to beat him. He literally went to give me a high-five as we passed each other, like, \u201cCome on, we got this. We\u2019re teammates.\u201d And then he punched me right below the belt to make sure I didn\u2019t beat him. [Laughs.] That\u2019s a true story. But if people don\u2019t think Theo Epstein will do anything to win, they\u2019re wrong. He will.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s the player on the roster now with the biggest personality?
Definitely Liam Hendriks. He\u2019s unbelievable. A bright light and a positive force. He supports his teammates. He\u2019s always out there for any community engagement. He genuinely cares about the fans, and he loves being in Boston. He\u2019s an absolute character, constantly joking and playing practical jokes. Just a huge personality.<\/p>\n

Your greatest mentor?
Definitely my dad. It\u2019s a clich\u00e9, but growing up, he was an Episcopal clergyman, and watching him give back and literally live his life in service to other people was something to behold. When I was growing up, he knew probably every homeless person in Copley Square, and he was very involved in civil rights. He took care of countless families who were going through tough times.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the biggest sacrifice you\u2019ve had to make? Like during baseball season, is it impossible for you to do normal summer vacation things?
The one thing I was not able to do that I really wish I had was coach both my son and daughter in Little League and softball. I was able to coach both of them in ice hockey for years, and I got to go to most of their baseball and softball games, but I couldn\u2019t coach them. Dustin Pedroia and I talk a lot about it. He\u2019s gonna be back in baseball whenever he\u2019s ready. Kevin Youkilis, same thing. They\u2019re both in a position now where they\u2019re spending time with their kids, and coaching at the Little League and club levels, and that\u2019s a real gift.<\/p>\n

Ever worn all four of your World Series rings at once?
No. I\u2019m not a jewelry guy. I\u2019m very, very proud of them. I have them sort of hidden away, but I haven\u2019t worn them all together.<\/p>\n

Thoughts on fans taunting and the use of vulgarity at Fenway?
Well, yeah. We were thrown into a national scandal in 2017 when fans used racial slurs toward [Baltimore Oriole] Adam Jones. It was a transformational moment for our franchise, in terms of acknowledging what transpired. I remember talking not only to Adam the day after it happened, but also to our African-American and Hispanic players. It really was the wake-up call for those of us in ownership and management. While we may think we\u2019ve made a lot of progress, we need to call it out, to make sure our fans understand we won\u2019t accept that behavior. Boston has a bad history with respect to race relations, but in terms of the Red Sox being the last team to integrate, hopefully we\u2019ve made major strides in the John Henry ownership era.<\/p>\n

Football in the U.K. is a very different beast than American baseball. What drove the move to acquire Liverpool Football Club for Fenway Sports Group?
We have a massive entrepreneurial spirit within our ownership group and our management team. John Henry, Tom Werner, and Mike Gordon set that tone for Fenway Sports Group to find different opportunities for revenue. We started with NASCAR, our first major acquisition outside of baseball, and that led us to Liverpool, as well as some real estate, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.<\/p>\n

Single largest asset Fenway Sports Group owns?
In terms of value, it\u2019s probably close between the Red Sox and Liverpool. They\u2019re definitely the two biggest, and they\u2019re probably close in value.<\/p>\n

Biggest mistake you ever made in your career?
Probably not buying the Celtics in 2004. We talked about it. We had the opportunity, just like a lot of people, to look at it and understand it. We walked away, and it\u2019s turned out to be an extraordinary outcome for the Celtics partners, which is great for them.<\/p>\n

Most memorable game of your career?
St. Louis, when we finally won the World Series after 86 years. That has to be number one. I remember calling my parents and my wife. We had a newborn son, so they were back home in Boston. I called on my old flip phone while we were celebrating on the field of Busch Stadium. It was just sort of an out-of-body experience.<\/p>\n

Biggest issue facing Major League Baseball right now?
Right now, it\u2019s the media landscape. The commissioner\u2019s office is working on a plan to centralize all the media rights throughout the industry, which we support. We think the league has the right vision. Executing it is difficult, but we\u2019re supportive of trying to get there.<\/p>\n

Biggest problem with the game itself?
From all the surveying we\u2019ve done, the fans want more action, more offense, and that\u2019s something that the commissioner\u2019s office is looking at very seriously, and the second thing is bringing back the importance and prominence of the starting pitcher, which is something that\u2019s really important from the fan perspective and the popularity of the game.<\/p>\n

For a lot of people, fun is going to a baseball game. What is it for you?
Well, for 20 years, I was part of the New England Senior Hockey League, so I played \u201cbeer league hockey,\u201d as they call it. That was my favorite personal indulgence, but COVID ripped our team apart, and we didn\u2019t get back up on the bike after we got knocked off it. I think I\u2019m probably too old and out of shape to re-engage on the ice, but that was my favorite hobby.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019d told your teenage self what you\u2019d be doing now, what would you have said?
I\u2019m the luckiest man in New England.<\/p>\n

Okay, how many actual pairs of red socks do you own?
[Laughs.] That\u2019s a great question. I don\u2019t own a pair that is just all red. I have two pairs that have red in them, and on opening day, I go, \u201cOh, Jesus! I need to wear red socks!\u201d But both pairs have holes in them, so my wife won\u2019t let me wear them. It\u2019s totally embarrassing. I really need to up my fashion game generally, but especially my sock collection.<\/p>\n

By the Numbers<\/p>\n

The Kennedy Administration<\/p>\n

A five-point guide to Boston baseball\u2019s boardroom ace.<\/p>\n

820<\/p>\n

Number of sold-out games in a row at Fenway under Kennedy\u2014an MLB record.<\/p>\n

300 million<\/p>\n

Amount, in British pounds, that Fenway Sports Group paid for Liverpool FC in 2010, a deal in which Kennedy was involved.<\/p>\n

5,000<\/p>\n

Audience capacity at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Lansdowne, owned by Fenway Sports Group Real Estate.<\/p>\n

2.1 million<\/p>\n

Size, in square feet, of Fenway Sports Group Real Estate\u2019s latest mixed-use development projects in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

2024<\/p>\n

Year Kennedy became a director for PGA Tour Enterprises, after a Fenway Sports Group\u2013led consortium invested $1.5 billion in the pro tour\u2019s commercial arm.<\/p>\n

This article was first published in the print edition of the June 2025 issue<\/a> with the headline: \u201cSam the Man.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Q&A The Brookline native talks chocolate chip cookies, high school grudge matches with Theo Epstein, and why\u2014hopefully\u2014Boston fans…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":182505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-182504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}