“The biggest misperception is that he doesn’t care.”
That’s what Linda Pizzuti Henry shared with me about her husband, Fenway Sports Group founder and principal owner John Henry. If there is one theme that I kept coming back to about SBJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, it’s his level of engagement and passion in his investments, most notably the Boston Red Sox. For Sports Business Journal, the decision to honor John Henry was simple and straightforward. You’ll read in Bill King’s extensive profile that Henry is one of the most successful sports entrepreneurs and owners of the past 25 years: He’s had a significant impact on two of the most storied franchises in all of sports, he has brought a fresh, sophisticated business intelligence to the industry, and he is incredibly respected within industry circles for his acumen and leadership on critical issues.
But all of this comes with an eclectic, mysterious, distant persona, which has led to the public perception of Henry’s dispassionate attitude toward his teams, a viewpoint shared by much of Red Sox Nation. In my over-50 softball league, my buddy Rick loves the Red Sox, but not Henry: “He spends all that money on other sports besides the Red Sox. He doesn’t care!” We have friendly debates, but I can’t change his mind despite urging him to look at Henry’s body of work. Over 25 years, Henry’s ownership of the Red Sox has largely been seen as a gold standard within the industry, bringing both on- and off-the-field excellence. He has four World Series titles and has made the playoffs in 12 of 24 years of ownership.
But Boston is a demanding, educated market, and recent years — and the past month — have been challenging for Henry and his leadership team. Boston is a tough town, especially when you’re losing, and as a frequent listener to Boston sports talk radio, the criticisms of Henry’s ownership are consistent: distracted by other assets; more interested in Liverpool; doesn’t want to spend on payroll; wants a small-market baseball operation for a top-five market; too dependent on data nerds and analytic quants and runs off his baseball leaders.
Henry’s avoidance of the media fuels the discontent, as his frustration over misquotes or comments taken out of context led him to shut down and avoid speaking publicly. I wish he’d speak more, because people want to hear from him, and he’s better at communication than he gives himself credit for. He can be candid, refreshing and unscripted. You hear a person who thinks about baseball constantly. He also fully understands the power of the game.
Before Henry and his group purchased the Red Sox in 2002, the franchise had a cold sense of entitlement; it didn’t give off Friendly Fenway vibes. That changed under his watch — and yes, a ton of people deserve credit for that change. The franchise quickly became known for its business sophistication, community impact and development of top talent. It was a model organization, the team delivered on the field and going to Fenway Park became a cultural touch point for people throughout the world. But Henry realized a team can’t win on the field every year, and the business and portfolio had to grow, whether it was by investing in other teams, making changes to Fenway and developing around Yawkey Way or creating other lines of business. He wasn’t afraid to take big risks.
As the Red Sox brand became fashionable, the diehard fan base soured on the aggressive focus on marketing, sponsorship and perhaps even “Sweet Caroline,” and that was exacerbated when the Red Sox struggled. That only led to more questions about Henry’s passion and interest in the team, but as he told SBJ just last week, he gets it, saying, “You don’t settle for mediocrity. You have to win.”
In spending some brief time with Henry a few months ago, there is no sense of detachment. He shared color on players and on the team; he is incredibly curious, methodically going down rabbit holes to learn as much as possible about a topic of interest; and his curiosity leads him to frequently ask questions. What also struck me is his focus on listening and fully processing everything.
Henry is certainly one of the more intriguing leaders I’ve come across. His path to success in sports hasn’t been a straight line or perfect. He will fully admit mistakes have been made, but the journey also has included fortuitous timing, smart decisions, random encounters and phone calls leading to unexpected business partners and friendships. There’s a sense of inaccessibility, distance and certainly a quiet soft-spokenness to him. But he’s not a bloodless robocon. Few outside his orbit get to see the real person or appreciate his personality and passion. As one of his longtime partners, Mike Gordon, said, “He cares immensely. Day by day.”
Many, like my friend Rick, have their opinions of John Henry. Perhaps with this honor, and Henry’s acceptance of it in a few weeks, people will have a better understanding of the person, one of the more influential sports executives of the past 25 years.
Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
