Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy heard the fans who expressed their displeasure at ownership Friday night at the team’s Winter Weekend event in Springfield.
He says the boos didn’t bother him, and in fact, he was happy to see fans display their passion.
In an interview Saturday with Ken & Curtis, Kennedy said he expected the rough reception.
“Last night was awesome. It’s what you expect when you have a last-place finish,” he said. “The worst thing you could have is apathy. Having been around a long time, you see the reaction to your on-field performance, and it’s usually a bit of a delayed take, because we don’t get together in November or December. They let us know the nation is restless. There’s one way to sort of change the tide, and it’s pretty simple. We’ve gotta win baseball games.”
Red Sox fans booed chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom Friday, as well as principle owner John Henry when he defended the team’s high ticket prices.
The Red Sox have finished last in two of the last three years, with an ALCS appearance sandwiched in between.
Though they re-signed Rafael Devers to a 10-year, $315 million contract, fans are still upset over Xander Bogaerts, who signed with the Padres in free agency.
The Red Sox haven’t made many big money signings since Bloom was hired in early 2020. The largest contract they’ve given to a free agent since is Trevor Story’s six-year, $140 million deal.
Kennedy says ownership knows it’s important to be accountable.
“We have to welcome it, and we have to be accountable when things don’t go well,” he said. “We’re up there getting crazy applause, and everyone is patting you on the back when you win and you do well. When you don’t do well, you need to own it, and you need to acknowledge there is one way to turn the tide, and that is making the right decisions that’s going to lead you back to playing baseball in October, and hopefully get on track for another World Series championship.”
Kennedy, a Brookline native, added that his mother was probably the only person upset by the crowd’s response Friday.
“When you don’t deliver on what your promises are, you’re going to hear it,” he said. “It’s up to us to deliver. We need to stand up, take the criticism when it comes, and take the glory if and when it comes.”
