Sox: Cherington Out, Dombrowski in

The Boston Red Sox have hired Dave Dombrowski as President of Baseball Operations. Dombrowski will assume responsibility for all baseball operations matters effective immediately, and will report directly to Red Sox Principal Owner, John Henry, and to Red Sox Chairman, Tom Werner. General Manager, Ben Cherington, declined the opportunity to continue as General Manager, but has agreed to assist Dombrowski during the transition.  

Principal Owner John Henry applauded  Dombrowski's decision to join the Red Sox: "I have known Dave very well for a long time. Tom and I have no doubts that Dave is the right person to strengthen our baseball operations group going forward. He is one of the most highly regarded executives in all of baseball, and had options to go with other Clubs. We feel very fortunate that he wanted to come to Boston, and wanted to further his career-now with the Red Sox-as one of the great architects of winning baseball clubs."
 
Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner added: "Although we have achieved tremendous success over the last fourteen seasons, we had reached a clear internal consensus that we needed to enhance our baseball operation. In nearly four decades in the game, Dave is a proven winner and he can restore winning ways to Yawkey Way and help to fulfill the Red Sox goal, every year, to be playing meaningful games into October."
 
Dombrowski expressed his gratitude: "I want to thank John and Tom for this opportunity. Although I did have other potential options within baseball, there was no option that stood out as clearly as the chance to come to Boston and win with the Red Sox. Boston is a baseball city like no other and its history and traditions are unique in our game. I expressed to John and Tom that Boston would be my absolute top choice and am honored to have the chance to serve Red Sox Nation."
 
Dombrowski further expressed his desire to get going in his new position: "One of the advantages of joining the Club now is that I get the opportunity to get a head start on the important job of roster construction for 2016. The Red Sox baseball operations group and Ben Cherington deserve extraordinary credit for the young, talented players that have broken through at the major league level, and I see outstanding potential in the talent still developing in our minor leagues."
 
Dombrowski concluded: "I am anxious to get to Boston and to focus on playing an important role in helping this great franchise continue its recent history of World Championships."
 
Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry and Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner then commented on Ben Cherington.

Henry noted that "Ben Cherington is one of the finest individuals I have ever worked with, possessing a maturity and integrity second to none. Over seventeen years with the Red Sox and in the four years as our General Manager, he always put the best interests of our organization first and foremost, winning a World Series Championship in 2013."
 
Werner added: "Ben put together a team that led the American League wire to wire in 2013, that scored more runs than any Club in baseball, and that had the best run differential in the game. More importantly, he built a team that was embraced by the City of Boston in the midst of tragedy in a way that no City and championship Club had ever had bonded together before. Ben's steady hand was at the tiller of that remarkable journey. We appreciate his many years of service, his substantial contributions to our organization over many years, and his willingness to assist Dave with the transition."
 
Dombrowski's Distinguished and Experienced Career As A Baseball Executive
 
Dombrowski brings a long and distinguished history within the game of baseball to the Red Sox. Starting in baseball in the White Sox front office in 1978, Mr. Dombrowski was only 32 years old when he became the General Manager of the Montreal Expos in 1988, after having served as Farm Director. In 1992, he became General Manager of the Florida Marlins and during his tenure in that position through 2001, he was responsible for the team construction of the Marlins' World Series Championship in 1997. Most recently, from 2001 until earlier this month, Mr. Dombrowski served as President and General Manager of the Detroit Tigers, with World Series appearances in 2006 and 2012, an additional ALCS appearance in 2013 (as the Tigers fell to the Red Sox during the Red Sox' 2013 World Series Championship run), and having secured four consecutive AL Central Division titles for the Tigers between 2011-2014.
 
Dombrowski's Close Historical Working Relationship with John Henry
 
The hiring reunites Dombrowski with Henry. The two shared a close working relationship during Mr. Henry's ownership of the Marlins in the late 90s, until Henry and Werner formed a group that ultimately succeeded in purchasing the Boston Red Sox in early 2002. Although both Messrs. Henry and Dombrowski had left the Marlins by 2003, the Marlins' franchise went on to win another World Series in that year with many of players carrying over from the years in which Henry and  Dombrowski were responsible for the Club.