LOS ANGELES (WBZ-AM) -- Back, in the early stages of the 2002 season, Boston Red Sox now-President and CEO Sam Kennedy never could have guessed just how much the team would go on to accomplish during his 17-year run. Now, as the team tries for their fourth World Series win in that span, Kennedy discusses what it takes to create a championship-level organization and what makes this year's team special.
Ingredient number one? Nerves of steel. Maybe not so much from the guys in the front office but, certainly, from the players.
“I can tell you that John Henry, Linda Henry, Tom Werner - our leadership group is here,” Kennedy said. “They’re nervous, I’m nervous, but, our players have that quiet confidence. They’ve been that way all season long – we’d have a tough loss and they’d bounce back. They’ve just been remarkable.”
Kennedy credits team coach Alex Cora with keeping his guy’s heads in the right place.
“So much goes into the preparation for each and every game, and you start to look forward to that next game,” Kennedy said. “I think Alex Cora has done a great job keeping everyone in the moment for tonight’s game. The other day, I was asking about a game four starter and he said ‘we’ll figure that out later.’”
It’s also nice to be able to tap into your championship heritage, when you’re a team like the Sox. Many of the team’s most-celebrated vets have been sharing their experiences and insight with current players since February.
“There’s a great relationship between Mookie [Betts] and Xander [Bogaerts] and Jackie [Bradley Jr.] and “Benny” [Andrew Benintendi] and a few of the guys... with David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and guys who have been through it before,” Kennedy said. “So, those relationships develop from spring training. Great relationships with and being around guys that have done it before. Part of our goal and part of our culture is to instill a sense that you can win a championship – it’s achievable. Look, these guys have done it. So, that’s really important.”
But, it’s not just the guys on the field that matter, according to Kennedy. He considers himself lucky to be a part of a team that stresses the importance of every member of the organization.
“John [Henry] and Tom [Werner] brought all of our employees out here from Boston so they’ll be experiencing World Series baseball, which is really, really cool for our staff,” Kennedy said. “It’s a privilege to be a part of an organization that does all that. It’s a testament to the great people in the organization that really have worked hard – the scouting network, out there in the field, and the great group in the front office.”
The Sox are up two games to one, heading into Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) Reports:
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