Combining a resilience the field and a vision for excellence in the front office, the Boston Red Sox have brought unbridled joy to the ever-growing population of Red Sox Nation in the past five seasons.
In 2004, there was literally dancing in the streets of Boston when the franchise stunned the New York Yankees by rallying from a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series on the way to its first World Series title in 86 years. Three years later, a second generation of champions, led by high-stepping closer Jonathan Papelbon, danced in celebration on the Fenway green.
This year, after the Red Sox disposed of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL Division Series and the crowd had gone home, team owners John Henry and Tom Werner took a celebratory run around the basepaths.
The Red Sox have become winners on the field and in the community, and they've had a measure of fun doing it.
And when USA TODAY Sports Weekly ranked the performance of 30 Major League Baseball franchises in nine categories during the past five years, the Red Sox, who reached Game 7 of the ALCS this year, came out No. 1 overall.
Four postseason appearances in the past five years didn't hurt, but the team also earned high marks in player development, management continuity and attendance.
The Red Sox experienced new levels of success and profitability after Henry teamed with Werner, Larry Lucchino and other investors to buy the team for $700 million from the Jean R. Yawkey estate in 2002. The purchase included the smallest and oldest ballpark in the majors, Fenway Park, and an 80% share of the New England Sports Network (NESN).
Although it was the highest price ever paid for a baseball team, Werner says it has been one heck of an investment.
"In terms of personal satisfaction, it's paid enormous dividends," he says. "Financially, I think we have demonstrated that you can increase revenues, increase the bottom line and win. Part of what makes us successful is that we're still hungry."
Henry says that appetite for success rages top to bottom, throughout the organization.
"The two recent World Series championships fuel our desire for a third," Henry says. "We are fortunate to have bright, talented, committed people who enjoy working together and are never satisfied. If we rate something as a '9,' we ask why it isn't a '10.' If something is a '10,' we ask why can't we improve on that."
Says manager Terry Francona, who has led the team to postseason play in four of his five seasons: "There's no complacency here. … There's a hunger."
On the field
Under general manager Theo Epstein, who assumed the role in 2002, the Red Sox have added key components. His most productive trade brought pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell from the Florida Marlins, even though it cost several prospects, including budding superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
But the hallmark of the Red Sox's recent success has been their ability to draft and develop talented players. Young pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have already pitched no-hitters, Papelbon has become one of the game's best closers, and first baseman Kevin Youkilis, second baseman Dustin Pedroia and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury help form the nucleus of the everyday lineup.
"We can't simply develop major league players," Epstein says. "We challenge our staff to develop major league players who are ready to step into this environment, in Boston, in the middle of a pennant race. That's the only way they can be useful to us."
Epstein and his staff pore over statistical information before making decisions and seek opinions from one another at all levels of player selection and development. While Epstein and assistant GM Jed Hoyer constantly exchange thoughts with vice presidents Ben Cherington (player personnel), Craig Shipley (scouting) and assistant to the GM Allard Baird, they also reap the benefits of sabermetric guru Bill James on staff. James was hired by Henry in 2003.
The Red Sox have developed an instructional manual with guidelines for consistency throughout the organization. It covers everything from how uniforms should be worn to controlling the strike zone from both a hitter's and pitcher's perspective.
The development process continues throughout the offseason with instructional programs, including a two-week finishing school at Fenway for players deemed to be within 18 months of making it to the big leagues.
"It's part of an expanded offseason effort to track and nurture our minor league players," Cherington says. "The two-week program in January is an opportunity for us to work on physical fundamentals and mental goals. It's an opportunity to introduce them to the city, the ballpark and faces around the ballpark they might come into contact with."
Players say it pays off.
"Once you get here, you know what's expected of you," Ellsbury says. "The biggest thing is teaching guys how to win close ballgames. If you have guys who know how to win, that's one thing that's kind of hard to teach. And we've had successful minor league teams."
Papelbon says the attitude in the Red Sox clubhouse fosters a continuation of the maturation process.
"When guys come in here, they realize they're part of something special," he says. "We have a great minor league system, but I think what separates us from any other ballclub is our clubhouse atmosphere, the camaraderie and the way we prepare for games every day."
The Red Sox have been able to find the right mix when it comes to scouting and developing homegrown talent, making trades and signing free agents.
"Given the economics of paying for high-priced free agents, you need to have good scouting," Werner says. "If you're going to talk the talk about scouting and player development, you've got to walk the walk, and we've made the financial commitment. I feel that Theo and his group have been able to spend their money wisely."
That applies to international scouting as well. The Red Sox committed more than $103 million to acquire and pay pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka for six years. In his first two seasons with Boston, Matsuzaka went 33-15.
Brian Cashman, general manager of the archrival New York Yankees, gives the Red Sox's front office high marks. "They have a tremendous farm system, and they have the money to spend," he says. "But they spend it wisely so that they can be successful now and in the future."
Few players have been more responsible for Boston's success on the field than catcher Jason Varitek, now a free agent after 12 seasons with the team.
"I lived through the entire time — finding a way to erase years and years of heartache with such a big fan base," says Varitek, referring to the Red Sox's failure to win a World Series from 1919 to 2003. "I felt the agony of the fans — felt them get their hearts broken once again. That was the way it was here until we actually won it all.
"We worked our way to get here. It didn't happen all of a sudden, in one year when someone loads up a team and wins. It was gradual."
Francona says the biggest difference between the Red Sox of today and the franchise's teams that failed to win a World Series is "probably pitching." Curt Schilling and Beckett have each been 20-game winners in the past five years.
"You can hit your way to a lot of wins during the season," Francona says, "but when you get to the postseason, you'd better have pitching. We've had excellent pitching here.
"We realize we've been given a very good payroll — not limitless, but terrific. That means we get good players. But with that comes an obligation to try to be good every year, which is not easy. I think Theo and those guys have done a great job of trying to keep us competitive every year. You win once and everyone wants to bring everybody back. … They've made some tough decisions."
In the two years after winning the World Series in 2004, the Red Sox parted ways with popular players, including free agents Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Kevin Millar. Unable or unwilling to meet salary demands of every veteran player, the team has compensated with lower-salaried, younger talent from the farm system.
Not every decision has worked out. In particular, the team has faced a revolving door at shortstop since the 2004 decision to trade Nomar Garciaparra. Edgar Renteria and Julio Lugo have been among those signed to large multiyear contracts only to fail in Boston.
One of Epstein's toughest decisions came this season when slugger Manny Ramirez became a deterrent to team unity. The Red Sox worked a three-team deal at the July 31 trade deadline, including a pair of young players to acquire outfielder Jason Bay.
Epstein says Francona has been "the perfect guy" to guide the Red Sox, with their mix of high-profile players such as Ramirez, Schilling and DH David Ortiz and budding performers such as pitcher Justin Masterson and shortstop Jed Lowrie.
"It takes a special person to deal with all of us on one hand and also handle the challenges that are unique to Boston, like the extreme (news) media presence," Epstein says. "Terry is a genuinely good person who deals honestly and amicably with all the different constituencies — fans, media, staff. He's also been very receptive to the integration of young players onto our major league roster. With Terry and his staff, development doesn't necessarily have to stop at Triple-A."
The ballpark
Fenway Park is a relic from a bygone era, transformed by current ownership into a fan-friendly tourist attraction.
"There's something magical about this little bandbox that keeps the energy and the spirit and the electricity inside it," Lucchino says. "The fact that it's always sold out kind of magnifies all of those things."
Few thought saving Fenway, which opened in 1912, would be practical, much less profitable. The park's small footprint, lack of parking and limited seating capacity were major drawbacks. The park itself required considerable work and updating.
"The joke in our early years was we led the league in new bathroom fixtures," Werner says. "We have focused first on making it a better destination for baseball — expanding it, enhancing it, making it a warmer, more comfortable place. We are committed to doing no harm — that is not changing the essential nature, the look and feel of Fenway Park."
Multiple enhancements, including the Green Monster seats atop the left-field wall, have increased seating capacity from less than 34,000 to nearly 40,000. And the fans have responded with the Red Sox selling out 468 consecutive games through 2008, surpassing the Cleveland Indians' record of 455. The club will add 560 seats this offseason.
"We've increased our revenues dramatically over the last five years," Werner says. "We think of Fenway as 'The Little Engine that Could,' and it just keeps chugging along, generating revenues."
More seating and signage have helped fill the till. But it's the new amenities and atmosphere that contribute to making Fenway a tourist destination. At 9 a.m. before a Sunday game in September, about 300 lined up just to tour the ballpark.
"We've turned Yawkey Way (at the main entrance) into a street fair," Lucchino says. "What was the laundry building behind the bleachers, we incorporated into the park (creating a food court). Fenway is a classic urban ballpark, not surrounded by oceans of parking, but that's part of its charm. It's pedestrian-friendly, public-transportation-friendly."
Says Werner: "We're not unmindful of the escalating costs of baseball tickets. We have some $12 seats out in the bleachers, and one of the things we've done is create an abundant and attractive standing-room alternative."
The expansion appears to be about maxed out.
"It will always be a ballpark that will seat under 40,000, and when we finish the work, it will be a park that will have a survivability of 30, 40, 50 years," Werner says.
Marketing the brand
Off the field, the Red Sox have been successful in selling their team, their park and their brand.
"This ownership group markets like no other organization I've ever been involved with," says former Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman, now executive consultant for the team's community affairs. "They do a remarkable job of promoting the ballclub, selling the image of the ballclub, marketing Red Sox Nation. I've never seen an organization promote itself like these people."
Gorman points to the extensive signage on Fenway's walls and the high demand for luxury suites.
"When Dan Duquette replaced me in 1995, our payroll was about $39.4 million," Gorman says. "Today it's more than $140 million, and they're still able to pay the money to be competitive. They think big. They don't think small."
Red Sox fans are spread around the country and around the globe. Their affiliation with and affinity for the team has come under the umbrella of Red Sox Nation. Wherever they play, the Red Sox draw. Transplanted New Englanders remain loyal and spread the gospel. The team again led the major leagues in road attendance this season at 38,367 a game — more than 2,000 a game more than the second-place Chicago Cubs.
"I don't quite understand how we have managed to acquire the breadth and depth of Red Sox Nation around the world," Henry says. "Unless you witness it directly, you cannot be aware of the passion our fans have whether they live in Tokyo or Brookline (Mass.)."
Through Fenway Sports Group, a wholly owned sales and marketing subsidiary, the Red Sox brand extends exponentially.
Through the FSG connection, Sox ownership also owns half-interest in NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing, the Class A Salem (Va.) Avalanche, have a sponsorship agreement with Boston College, offer Red Sox Destination Tours to avid fans and provide consulting services to major corporations.
"We've used the calling card of the Red Sox and the momentum of the Red Sox to expand our business to business relationships, reaching out to new business in most cases unrelated to baseball," FSG President Mike Dee says. "Take Roush Racing. When we first knocked on the door, it wasn't like we were somebody who they hadn't heard of. I think it's paved the way for other relationships."
Destination Tours has taken Sox fans to Japan, as well as closer-to-home venues such as Baltimore, to follow the team.
"It's a niche business that represents only a small percentage of those fans who travel to see the Red Sox," Dee says. "But Sox fans have taken note of the sellout mentality and demand for tickets at Fenway and travel to other ballparks to see the team on the road.
"In many cases, those tickets are easier to get. We've added special elements, like the ability to stay at the team hotel and meet-and-greets with players or personalities like Jerry Remy."
Remy, a former Red Sox second baseman-turned-broadcaster, is a star as a NESN analyst.
"He's assumed Ted Williams-like stature," Dee says. "A lot of folks who don't remember him as a player know him as the de facto leader of Red Sox Nation.
"With NESN, we've dramatically expanded our programming, both pre(game) and postgame. We view NESN as an extension of the brand and an opportunity to tell our story outside the traditional window of game coverage. The advertising demand is there, and NESN has done a better job of getting nearly 100% coverage."
As executive producer of such television shows as Roseanne, The Cosby Show and That '70s Show, Werner knows television.
"When we acquired this franchise, John, Larry and I knew that having the cable network would be important," Werner says. "You can tell your story not just during games with the announcers but with other kinds of shoulder programming."
Continuity and future
Werner says success starts at the top.
"Theo Epstein and our baseball operations people and scouts in the field deserve an enormous amount of credit," he says.
Keeping that group together has been another winning element.
The continuity was interrupted briefly in late 2005 when Epstein rejected a three-year, $4.5 million contract offer and left. But Epstein, who grew up near Fenway, was never really gone.
He stayed in touch and by January 2006 was back, not only as GM but as executive vice president.
His future was further solidified at the end of the 2008 season when he agreed to a contract extension.
"I believe Theo is the best GM in baseball," Henry says. "I believe Larry is the best CEO in sports. I believe Tom is the most effective executive I've ever met.
"We have Fenway Sports Group led by Mike Dee and Sam Kennedy. They are challenging for a NASCAR championship led by Jack Roush. NESN led by Sean McGrail has the highest rating among sports networks. With that management lineup, it is not surprising we have been successful — more than anyone imagined."
Lucchino says it all comes back to winning.
"Where we always start is with baseball performance," he says. "The commitment to winning is the rock on which the franchise is built. We try never to forget that we are in the baseball business and the central motion of what we're doing is to try to find ways to provide winning, entertaining baseball for our fans."
Lucchino says he thinks the Red Sox can continue to prosper, even in a difficult economic climate.
"I don't think we've hit some kind of plateau," he says. "We'll find new avenues, new possibilities. The 100th anniversary of Fenway Park is going to be a very big deal. We have more plans to enhance Fenway."
Henry, however, thinks the down economy will have some impact throughout baseball.
"We go to work every day with the knowledge of how fragile success is in baseball — how difficult it is to be consistently successful," Henry says. "We just broke a great attendance record set by the Cleveland Indians. After selling 43,000 seats per game for years, within two years they were selling 21,000 seats. We don't take any of this for granted. The Indians are extremely well run, but they still haven't gotten back to selling 30,000 seats eight years later.
"We have a payroll that reflects how ardent our fans are. Our revenues come from our fans — ultimately every penny. And we pay … revenue sharing.
"That usurps the vast majority of the profits we would see from the Red Sox. But we bought the Red Sox for two primary purposes: to win world championship rings and to be an integral part of a community that gives great meaning to this franchise and sport."
