In a statement to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Red Sox owner John Henry recognized the Boston Celtics ownership group’s intentions to sell the team, but he refrained from commenting further.
Henry began, “Under their leadership, the Celtics have been part of the city’s remarkable golden age of sports marked not only by championship success on the court but also through their exemplary community engagement. We commend Wyc Grousbeck, his family, and their partners for their remarkable stewardship of the Boston Celtics, an organization that means so much to the City of Boston and countless fans across New England and the globe.”
“We have no comments regarding the upcoming bidding process, but we have the utmost respect and admiration for the Celtics organization, players, and amazing fans.”
Boston Celtics fans would find it difficult to accept John Henry, who is despised by Red Sox supporters.
While not all Celtics supporters reside in or are associated with the New England region, a sizable portion do. Thus, the majority are aware of Henry’s contributions to the Red Sox.
And let’s just assume that many Sox fans, who have watched Henry construct formidable lineups and starting rotations in Boston only to dismantle them even faster to avoid paying high taxes, would not approve of Henry’s selection.
Trading Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Henry abandoned a core that appeared destined to win it all in 2011 in August of 2012. However, in September, the team blew a nine-game lead in the AL East and failed to qualify for the postseason altogether. When he dealt David Price and Mookie Betts, the 2018 World Series champions, to the Dodgers in 2020, everything felt familiar.
Henry leading things in Boston won’t sit well with Celtics supporters hoping for an unrestricted spender who won’t hesitate to shell out cash for the team’s pricey core.
