David Ortiz Says Red Sox Owner John Henry Remains Committed to Improving Struggling Team

Hall of Famer David Ortiz said Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is worried about the direction of the last-place team. Ortiz made the comments Monday morning at his celebrity golf tournament, the David Ortiz Soiree of Hearts, in Newton, Mass. Ortiz said he has spoken with Henry recently about the club's performance.

"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 told The Associated Press. The Red Sox enter June with a 25-33 record and trail the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by 12 games. " Henry, 76, bought the Red Sox with partners in 2002.

He has given few 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, 50, said Henry's reserved public manner can mask 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 said Henry wants the club to return to the level of success it achieved 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 dismissed 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 calling on ownership to sell the team. Ortiz said Henry worries about the broader impact of the team's performance. "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," he said. "I tell you, the boss is, he's working, he's working. " Ortiz retired after the 2016 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

His annual tournament supports the David Ortiz Children's Fund, which has funded lifesaving heart surgeries for more than 1,900 children in New England and the Dominican Republic and provided cardiac care to nearly 19,000 children overall. Former Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera attended the event.