Theo’s back????!!!!

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
42,482
Pioneer Valley
Well, I don't click on Xitter, so I don't know the details. Is this just an investment? Will he and his family continue to live in Chicago? Is he moving back to Boston? So many questions, but it seems like exciting news, IF TRUE.
 

GPO Man

New Member
Apr 1, 2023
571
If Theo is now part owner of the Red Sox, he will want the team to invest in their baseball ops. This is good, if true.
 

AlNipper49

Huge Member
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 3, 2001
45,687
Mtigawi
Well, I don't click on Xitter, so I don't know the details. Is this just an investment? Will he and his family continue to live in Chicago? Is he moving back to Boston? So many questions, but it seems like exciting news, IF TRUE.
Nobody here is going to do your homework for you, click on the link or go somewhere else.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
22,466
If it's not real, then Sportico went all out in its sham. The article has alleged quotes from Theo and Sam Kennedy.
 

chawson

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
4,951
If Theo is now part owner of the Red Sox, he will want the team to invest in their baseball ops. This is good, if true.
There's like a whiff of damage control but I agree, can't be a bad thing.

Though it does say that "Epstein will work on sports initiatives across the business' holdings, which include Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing, TGL's Boston Common Golf, and a recently acquired stake in the PGA Tour, in addition to the Red Sox."
 

GPO Man

New Member
Apr 1, 2023
571
There's like a whiff of damage control but I agree, can't be a bad thing.

Though it does say that "Epstein will work on sports initiatives across the business' holdings, which include Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing, TGL's Boston Common Golf, and a recently acquired stake in the PGA Tour, in addition to the Red Sox."
Hopefully he can convince Henry & Co. that spending more on quality players will make them more.
 

allmanbro

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
377
Portland, Maine
Love having him back with the Sox in any capacity at all, but I did like what he was doing with the MLB rule changes to improve the game. And I still dream that he will be commissioner someday soon.

I really just want him spending his time on making baseball better (in Boston or everywhere), not managing an investment portfolio.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
37,487
Deep inside Muppet Labs
This is the first bit of real hope for the team this offseason. I am desperately hoping he can have a real impact, because ownership seems to be focused on everything but on-field success at the current time.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
28,161
Unreal America
Love having him back with the Sox in any capacity at all, but I did like what he was doing with the MLB rule changes to improve the game. And I still dream that he will be commissioner someday soon.

I really just want him spending his time on making baseball better (in Boston or everywhere), not managing an investment portfolio.
Agree completely with this. Kinda bummed he’s not going to be working for MLB anymore.
 

CR67dream

blue devils forevah!
Dope
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
7,684
I'm going home
Ownership stake in FSG. Not in a baseball capacity.
Not so fast.
--------------------
On the baseball side, Epstein says he’ll act as a sounding board and executive coach, if needed, to the Red Sox baseball operations people. Notably, he hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow while at the Cubs. “I’m a full believer in him and what he and his team are going to mean for the Red Sox,” Epstein said of Breslow, who joined the Red Sox in October. “
-------------------
One of my biggest problems was that Breslow had no one above him that I trusted for him to lean on. That's over now. How this can be seen as anything but a huge positive is beyond me.
 

FlexFlexerson

Member
SoSH Member
It's great to have Theo back in the fold. He's obviously passionate about baseball - and the Sox - in a way that transcends the bottom line of the ledger sheet, and I think you need someone like that in a team ownership group to help stir the drink, so to speak.

That he has at least some sort of advisory nexus to baseball ops is a good thing too. This feels like the type of leadership at the top that the club has needed. Let's roll.
 

YTF

Member
SoSH Member
I'm curious as to what specific conversations might have been made regarding the baseball operations. Theo's a baseball guy, is very much tied to this ownerships early success and it seems logical that he would have questions prior to investing.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
28,161
Unreal America
Not so fast.
--------------------
On the baseball side, Epstein says he’ll act as a sounding board and executive coach, if needed, to the Red Sox baseball operations people. Notably, he hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow while at the Cubs. “I’m a full believer in him and what he and his team are going to mean for the Red Sox,” Epstein said of Breslow, who joined the Red Sox in October. “
-------------------
One of my biggest problems was that Breslow had no one above him that I trusted for him to lean on. That's over now. How this can be seen as anything but a huge positive is beyond me.
That’s fine, it can’t be a bad thing for him to be around the franchise more. And if Breslow wants to bend his ear then all the better.

Just saying that he’s not going to be some phantom GM
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
8,778
Boston, MA
Agree completely with this. Kinda bummed he’s not going to be working for MLB anymore.
I'm with you two. The pitch clock worked better than anyone could have hoped. I was hoping to see if he could do anything with the rules to get more balls in play. Maybe there are some other good people he was working with who can continue the efforts there.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,230
Not so fast.
--------------------
On the baseball side, Epstein says he’ll act as a sounding board and executive coach, if needed, to the Red Sox baseball operations people. Notably, he hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow while at the Cubs. “I’m a full believer in him and what he and his team are going to mean for the Red Sox,” Epstein said of Breslow, who joined the Red Sox in October. “
-------------------
One of my biggest problems was that Breslow had no one above him that I trusted for him to lean on. That's over now. How this can be seen as anything but a huge positive is beyond me.
The thing about this too.

Craig Breslow is not going to be able to get John Henry to spend on someone.

He has to be convinced.

Theo can convince Henry if he feels it’s the right thing to do.

Our prodigal son is now a part owner and our Ops will have direct access? And people are tepid?

This is the best news we’ve had in years.
 

Yo La Tengo

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 21, 2005
1,097
This is the first bit of real hope for the team this offseason. I am desperately hoping he can have a real impact, because ownership seems to be focused on everything but on-field success at the current time.
To say it another way, this is exactly the type of move ownership would NOT make if it wanted to milk Fenway to support their other projects and I cannot imagine Theo would join if the plan was anything other than putting a competitive team on the field.

It would be easy to find a silent investor. Theo is anything but that and I am very encouraged by this move.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 10, 2017
6,445
For non-Red Sox interests, maybe Theo can be the embedded Bostonian who gets like a dozen PGA tour events to the area every year.
 

Archer1979

shazowies
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
8,776
Right Here
This is great news, especially since he hired Breslow in Chicago...

Notably, he hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow while at the Cubs. “I’m a full believer in him and what he and his team are going to mean for the Red Sox,” Epstein said of Breslow, who joined the Red Sox in October. “With the other sports, where I have a lot to learn, hopefully my experience not only with teams but with Major League Baseball and with private equity will come in handy, at least as a supportive resource for the people at FSG.”
What a ride Theo's been on. Went from being perpetually announced as 28 year old GM for Boston to part-owner of the Sox (yeah technically FSG) and probable HOF-Inductee.
 

bosox188

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 11, 2008
3,047
Marlborough, MA
The thing about this too.

Craig Breslow is not going to be able to get John Henry to spend on someone.

He has to be convinced.

Theo can convince Henry if he feels it’s the right thing to do.

Our prodigal son is now a part owner and our Ops will have direct access? And people are tepid?

This is the best news we’ve had in years.
That was my thinking as well. My body is not equipped for this offseason's emotional rollercoaster.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,230
To say it another way, this is exactly the type of move ownership would NOT make if it wanted to milk Fenway to support their other projects and I cannot imagine Theo would join if the plan was anything other than putting a competitive team on the field.

It would be easy to find a silent investor. Theo is anything but that and I am very encouraged by this move.
Yes. Theo Epstein is not providing a capital injection. He is providing expertise.

Given his expertise is MLB, it would be foolish to assume anything other than he will be involved with the Red Sox in a significant way.
 

CR67dream

blue devils forevah!
Dope
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
7,684
I'm going home
Just saying that he’s not going to be some phantom GM
Good. We don't need one. It's more like Theo having Lucchino to bounce baseball stuff off of back in the day. There was absolutely no one with baseball savvy above Breslow until now. I think that's huge. Never mind that the success of the Red Sox will always be a Theo priority, especially with an ownership stake.
 

Big Papi's Mango Salsa

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2022
1,443
This is excellent news. Think of it this way - how would people feel if this exact announcement were made, but instead Theo had the same title, same role and same quotes, but he was part owner of Guggenheim Partners (entity that owns the Dodgers).

I liked the Breslow hiring for many reasons (incredibly intelligent, but also a former player that should be able to balance the complexities of analytics with the nuance of baseball) but the main reason why I liked him specifically was the tie to the Theo tree (why I was also interested in Byrnes, Hazen, etc).

Having him around the organization in any capacity - even if that is literally as nothing more than Breslow being able to call him any time and ask for input on specific players and circumstances because Theo is now back under the FSG umbrella - is an excellent thing.

I think we can also put aside the "are they going to sell any time soon" debate. Clearly, they're not.

This is easily the best news the organization has had since October of 2018.

Also, it's got to be nice for Henry to be able to pass the family business along to his "fourth" child (I believe he has three). I mean that seriously as well. They used to talk about not being the "owners" of the Red Sox but the "stewards" of the organization, this is the kind of move that I think actually lends credence to that. Rather than just sell, you pass the family business along to the most prepared successor - plus, he so much better looks the part than the Steinbrenner kids.
 
Last edited:

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,230
Good. We don't need one. It's more like Theo having Lucchino to bounce baseball stuff off of back in the day. There was absolutely no one with baseball savvy above Breslow until now. I think that's huge. Never mind that the success of the Red Sox will always be a Theo priority, especially with an ownership stake.
Theo and Breslow having an existing relationship only adds fuel to this.

Theo is gonna be involved. He’s a baseball administrator. Maybe the best one ever.

He was just essentially given equity for his brain. His brain knows baseball.
 

Yo La Tengo

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 21, 2005
1,097
Theo and Breslow having an existing relationship only adds fuel to this.

Theo is gonna be involved. He’s a baseball administrator. Maybe the best one ever.

He was just essentially given equity for his brain. His brain knows baseball.
He also understands Boston fans and the local media. I hope/expect that he becomes the public face of ownership, which would be a very good thing.
 

Archer1979

shazowies
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
8,776
Right Here
Good. We don't need one. It's more like Theo having Lucchino to bounce baseball stuff off of back in the day. There was absolutely no one with baseball savvy above Breslow until now. I think that's huge. Never mind that the success of the Red Sox will always be a Theo priority, especially with an ownership stake.
I was thinking exactly this. Hopefully it will be like Lucchino but without the drama. Theo has the advantage of having been on the other side of the fence to not create that sort of dynamic.
 

HfxBob

goes on and on...
Nov 13, 2005
940
The thing about this too.

Craig Breslow is not going to be able to get John Henry to spend on someone.

He has to be convinced.

Theo can convince Henry if he feels it’s the right thing to do.

Our prodigal son is now a part owner and our Ops will have direct access? And people are tepid?

This is the best news we’ve had in years.
Yeah, this definitely qualifies as a much-needed piece of good news.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,230
Just to game this out a little further. When you own a company you only part with equity for one of two reasons. 1) Capital injection needed for growth and/or operations OR professional talent.

Obviously this is the latter of the two. Anyone who doesn’t think Theo is going to be intimately involved in Op decision making doesn’t understand you don’t just part with equity for the hell of it.

Craig just got the best, most influential, advisor maybe in the history of the organization
 

JOBU

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 22, 2021
9,815
This is great news. Kinda surprised though. I thought Theo had a cushy job at MLB HQ, will they allow him to be a part owner and stay in that role?