David Ortiz Says John Henry Remains Engaged and Is Working to Turn Around Struggling Red Sox

Hall of Famer David Ortiz said Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is worried about the direction of his last-place team. Ortiz spoke Monday morning at his celebrity golf tournament, the David Ortiz Soiree of Hearts, in Newton, Massachusetts. He told The Associated Press that he had spoken with Henry recently about the club's struggles.

"I've known John a long time, him and the whole team -- him and (chairman) Tom Werner, the whole group, they're working on figuring things out to get this ride better," Ortiz said. The Red Sox stand at 25-33 and trail the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by 12 games, ESPN reported.

"He knows the direction of this team and he's worried about the team's situation more than what people think he is," Ortiz said.

Henry, 76, bought the Red Sox with partners in 2002. He has given limited interviews in recent years and has not appeared at a team news conference since the 2020 trade of Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ortiz said Henry's reserved public manner makes it difficult for fans to see his level of concern.

"The thing is, that you see John, and John is someone that he manages his emotions really well," Ortiz said. "He's very professional at everything he does. " Ortiz, 50, retired after the 2016 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

He said Henry wants the club to return to the success it enjoyed from 2004 to 2018, when it won four World Series titles. "I sat down to talk to John, and he wants to figure it out. He wants to have the formula to go back to the old days," Ortiz said.

"It's not like he just gives up. " Henry also owns English soccer club Liverpool, which fired manager Arne Slot on Saturday. The Red Sox dismissed manager Alex Cora and five coaches in April. Last month a small plane flew over Fenway Park with a banner urging ownership to sell the team.

Ortiz said Henry worries about the broader picture, including the fans. "When you worry, you worry about everything in general. You worry about the team, you worry about the fans and you worry about how everything is moving around," Ortiz said.

"I tell you, the boss is, he's working, he's working. " The golf tournament supports the David Ortiz Children's Fund, which has provided lifesaving heart surgeries for more than 1,900 children in New England and the Dominican Republic and has helped nearly 19,000 with cardiac care. Hall of Famer and former Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera attended the event.