Cherington, Hoyer to share GM job; door remains open for Epstein

09:50 AM EST on Tuesday, December 13, 2005

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Like Motel 6, Larry Lucchino and the Boston Red Sox have left the light on for Theo Epstein.

Even as Lucchino introduced Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer as the new co-general managers of the Red Sox yesterday at Fenway Park, all three were peppered with questions about Epstein, the former boy wonder who walked away from his dream job -- in a gorilla suit, no less -- on Oct. 31.

While Lucchino, Boston's team president, said (nearly) all the expected things yesterday about Cherington and Hoyer, that the franchise "is proud to say we had the people within our organization with the talent, intellect and drive to do this job and do it well," he also implied that Epstein may be coming back to the Red Sox.

"I think that it's fairest to say that we made a big step going forward today and we'll see what happens in the future," Lucchino said when asked if Epstein will be returning to the team, as has been rumored. "Certainly Theo is a good friend of all of us up here and he's worked very closely with these guys in the past so . . . I would say the door has been ajar for some time and until Theo goes to work for another baseball organization, we'll keep a light on in the window with the possibility of him coming back and helping us and working with us."

So what should have been a great day for the 31-year-old Cherington and 32-year-old Hoyer, both New Hampshire natives, became more of a chance for the media to grill the heretofore scarce Lucchino on what might happen with his former protégé -- Epstein.

Cherington and Hoyer, who were part of the "Four Horsemen" group that the Red Sox sent to baseball's winter meetings in Dallas last week (they were joined by Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley), will split the GM duties. Cherington, elevated from his previous position as director of player development, will continue to focus most of his time in that role, as well as scouting. Hoyer was

AP photo

Co-general managers - Ben Cherington, left, and Jed Hoyer, center, - are introduced to the media yesterday by Red Sox team president/ CEO Larry Lucchino at Fenway Park.

assistant to the general manager, and he said his focus will be mainly on major league affairs, transactions and contracts.

Though he is only 31, Cherington has been in Major League Baseball since 1998. After playing four years of baseball at Amherst College and earning a master's degree in sports management from UMass-Amherst in 1997, Cherington joined the Cleveland Indians as a video advance scout the next year. In 1999, he was hired by the Red Sox as a mid-Atlantic area scout, but quickly moved into player development. He was named director of player development three years ago. Since that time, he has overseen Boston's minor league system, which has become one of the strongest in baseball.

Hoyer got his job because of Cherington. The two knew of each other from their college days, when Cherington's Amherst club faced Hoyer's Wesleyan nine. Hoyer heard of an opening with the Red Sox through a mutual friend, and Hoyer called Cherington to discuss it. And called. And called.

Once hired, Hoyer was actively involved in talent evaluation, contract negotiations and data analysis during his two year's as an assistant to Epstein.

Cherington said he and Hoyer "not only complement each other, but we have a good relationship built on trust."

If Hoyer and Cherington are basically doing their jobs as usual, Lucchino was asked, why give them the fancy new title and all the responsibility and scrutiny that goes with it?

"The responsibilities are demanding enough," Lucchino said. "The job, particularly in this city, in this setting, is demanding enough, (and) in our view it made great sense, given their personal compatibility as well as their experience, for them to do it together. Certainly it's possible it could be consolidated at some point, but as this point in time, we think it is better to divide it up this way."

But unlike most here's-our-new-GM press conferences, there was no announcement of the lengths of the contracts signed by the dynamic duo. Lucchino cryptically said more than once that having Cherington and Hoyer share GM duties is the team's "arrangement going forward for 2006."

While few other teams have had co-general managers -- Baltimore tried it last season with Mike Flanagan and Jim Beattie, and it didn't go well -- all three yesterday insisted that given Cherington and Hoyer's history together, they will have no such problems.

"I don't think it's unprecedented (to have co-GMs), I think it's unusual," Lucchino said. "At this point in time for the Red Sox, I think this is a sensible way to go. It's (a decision) we debated internally, and we discussed the merits of outside candidates, we discussed the merits of inside candidates, and we did have healthy debate, for sure. But this is a decision we feel is appropriate for the team right now."

Among those from outside the organization who were considered for the position were Beattie, Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, White Sox director of player development David Wilder and former Dodgers GM Dan Evans.

Both Cherington and Hoyer insisted, and Lucchino confirmed, that they did not campaign for Epstein's old job.

But now that they are in place, the obvious question was raised: What happens if they disagree?

"I'm sure we will at some point, and I think it's incumbent upon us to state our points and our position and see if we can come to an agreement," Hoyer said. "Also, we have other people in the office who have a lot of say, and clearly, (principal owner) John (Henry), (team chairman) Tom (Werner) and Larry will also have a lot of say in things we discuss. So, will we disagree at some point? I'm sure we will, but I think at the same time, I have no questions whatsoever going forward that we have a good relationship, we trust each other, and if we disagree, I'm sure we will work our hardest to come to a resolution."

As for Epstein, there were no gorillas in the room yesterday, but the idea of his return loomed over the press conference like, well, a pink elephant.

"Our job is to make sure we have the strongest possible front office and the strongest possible baseball operations department," Lucchino said. "And Theo's an immensely talented guy who's proved himself over the last several years here, and if he is comfortable and happy and feels he can be productive in this organtization, in this structure, then we welcome him."