A “Tell All” From a Former Red Sox PR Dude
Doug Bailey is a writer who spent two decades in journalism before being bought out by the Boston Globe. Soon after, he would take a leap into the sincere world of public relations where he would find himself in a dream job, driving to Fenway Park every morning to advise Boston’s new ownership group of John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Luchino on media strategy. He did so from the winter of 2001 until the end of the 2007 season.
Bailey has since decided to share his personal diary with all of us via Boston Magazine, though after reading it, I’m not so sure you’ll come away with the “tell all” you were seeking, especially since there is nothing in the neighborhood of binge drinking, drugs, hookers or clubhouse brawls.
The most tragic snippet of information in Bailey’s piece was learning of Les Otten, Tom Werner’s original partner in the bidding process to purchase the Red Sox. Otten, who was described as a “ski bum,” became an overshadowed, forgotten piece to the puzzle once John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and the New York Times Company thrust themselves into the bidding process, and was eventually given severance and sent on his merry way a short time after they took over as the team’s new owners. Part of the reason for that stemmed from Otten’s strange behavior like “arriving uninvited for management meetings” and “showing up at spring training in full Red Sox uniform to take grounders from Johnny Pesky.” Based on that information alone, Less Otten is quite possibly the greatest thing to ever happen to the Red Sox organization, so it’s only fitting he was unceremoniously let go.
We also received stunning confirmation that Nomar Garciaparra is somewhat of a Carl Everett disciple. You see, after watching a special on Fox during the 2003 season, the All-Star shortstop came to the conclusion that we never really landed on the moon. It was all a fake. Even better, he presented this idea to two female astronauts from NASA who were at Fenway to throw out the first pitch in honor of those lost in the Columbia space shuttle disaster earlier that year. I like the idea that Nomar was so thoroughly transfixed by a special on Fox that he brought it to employees of NASA for a spirited roundtable discussion. I will be stopped in my tracks with my mouth agape if we later learn that Nomar Garciaparra did not watch Paradise Hotel and is fully aware that Stewie from Family Guy is simply an animated baby with an English accent.
Most baseball fans have known that Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino never really saw eye to eye, but now we can mark a trade with the Colorado Rockies back in 2005, one that never happened, as the source of the heat. This sadly turned out to be Larry Bigbie’s signature moment as a major league player:
My understanding was that it was Epstein himself who’d wanted to back out of the deal, but that he and Lucchino had cooked up a face-saving cover story that involved upper management supposedly overruling the trade. Soon after, I was in Lucchino’s suite overlooking the park during a rare weekday afternoon game, watching Epstein being interviewed on TV about the deal. Epstein put the blame for its collapse squarely on Lucchino’s shoulders, which sent the CEO into red-faced paroxysms. Lucchino apparently wasn’t expecting to be so directly and completely thrown under the bus.
Sounds like Theo was pulling the George Costanza “please fire me” routine, unfortunately stopping short of driving around the parking lot with the 2004 World Series trophy dragging from his bumper. The more I read about Theo, the more I like him.
Other sizzling “leaks” you may or may not care about:
*The beautiful grass at Fenway Park is actually wretched looking grass until it’s sprayed with a liquid that instantaneously transforms it into “healthy-looking green.” It’s top shelf spray paint, allegedly.
*John Henry was concerned about how he was being portrayed in the press following his divorce and subsequent rumbles of him running around town with Playboy bunnies. A billionaire enjoying the company of hot chicks? Now that’s a game-changer.
*John Henry spent a day with Bailey doling out championship rings to the Red Sox minor league affiliate but just a couple weeks later introduced himself to Bailey again, as though the two had never spoken. An aloof billionaire? No. Way.
[Via Boston Magazine; photo via Getty]

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51 Responses to “A “Tell All” From a Former Red Sox PR Dude”
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January 5th, 2012 at 3:49 PM
The John Henry and Playboy bunnies part made me gag
January 5th, 2012 at 3:54 PM
This sounds like the lamest tell all book of all time. I need a Mackenzie Phillips type revelation.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:55 PM
A very interesting character. He is responsible for making some of New England’s best ski resorts the most successful they’ve ever been while simultaneously driving them into the ground.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:55 PM
A tell all that doesn’t tell all. Compelling stuff.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:57 PM
I thought for sure there’d be a piece in the article on Manny. Not a word. I wanted to hear about the meeting where they decided to tell the media about Manny’s run in with the traveling secretary.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:57 PM
It’s actually “tell all” in this case.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:58 PM
It was going around on Twitter like he blew the roof off the joint. Nothing on Manny, Ortiz, Pedro, Damon, etc. Colossally disappointing.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:59 PM
I mean, a ‘tell all’ with a Red Sox PR guy, and nothing was asked about how they planned to smear everyone who leaves the team on the way out the door?
January 5th, 2012 at 3:59 PM
It’s supposed to be “Tell Al”, as told to Weird Al Yankovic, but someone needs a dialing wand.
January 5th, 2012 at 3:59 PM
it’s just the tell all is boring.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:00 PM
i like the part where he’s in full red sox gear taking grounders from Pesky.
he probably wasn’t that far away from installing himself as the starting 3rd baseman after fielding those laser beams from pesky.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:01 PM
What’s this referring to?
January 5th, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Not sure how Henry’s wife doesn’t gag when with him? Money must really do it for some.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:01 PM
It’s supposed to be “Tell Al”, as told to Weird Al Yankovic, but someone needs a dialing wand.
I owned the ‘Bad Hair Day’ TAPE. I played the hell outta that thing.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:03 PM
What’s this referring to?
Remember a few months ago when Mackenzie Phillips was the big news story because in her autobiographical tell all she revealed that she slept with her dad? This kind of revelation is what moves the needle — not some old dudes coming in full uniform taking grounders from another old dude (though that is hilarious)
January 5th, 2012 at 4:03 PM
Holy shit.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:05 PM
I like taco’s.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Jimmy & his mom’d
January 5th, 2012 at 4:07 PM
I watched that show and loved it. It was sooo trashy.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:07 PM
Compelling stuff.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:08 PM
I read that this morning when someone (WWoS?) linked to it. What a waste of time. Not exactly The Bronx Zoo.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:09 PM
He wasn’t really concerned… Lucchino and the PR guys were. He couldn’t understand why anyone cared at all and didn’t want the meeting.
A not-as-interesting-as-hoped piece results and an less-interesting post, Hernia.
/no offense
January 5th, 2012 at 4:10 PM
A meme is born.
/memes must be compelling
//the word compelling is compelling all by itself
/// these things – ‘/’ – are also compelling
January 5th, 2012 at 4:11 PM
Yeah I did, because I saw it from MattHeugel on twitter yesterday and sent it to TBL for Roundup. I then read it, realized it was hardly earth-shattering, but still felt it should be included for Sox fans. I was really hoping for something good in there. At least a “I cleaned up the shot glasses from the 2004 title run”
January 5th, 2012 at 4:12 PM
The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 9 innings on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus on it.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:13 PM
also, I fixed this for you Hernia:
A “tell all” that doesn’t “tell all.” Compelling stuff.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Compelling sentence.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:13 PM
It also has the McTibble special lead-in,
in the first paragraph but then just talks about random shit that doesn’t really matter
/posted this in the wrong thread at first
//punches self in internet face
January 5th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
e amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 9 innings on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus on it.
Compelling quote from a compelling movie
January 5th, 2012 at 4:15 PM
Why did I not wonder before how the only apparently non-dormant grass in New England in April is in Fenway
January 5th, 2012 at 4:15 PM
As did I.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:16 PM
None taken, but the fact that I learned of Les Otten made me a better person than I was yesterday.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:16 PM
I have nothing positive to say about this subject, this post, or the author of this post. As such, I’ll say nothing.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:18 PM
/pours lemon juice on computer screen and holds up to bare light bulb
//sees Clay’s secret message
January 5th, 2012 at 4:19 PM
Cannonball, coming atcha.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:19 PM
you could have at least lost some respect for someone.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:20 PM
Did “I’m not here to make friends” ever make an appearance here? I feel like there is a surprising lack of that going around.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:21 PM
The second greatest heist film of all time, behind ‘The Dark Knight’.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
“I’m not here to make friends” is a close cousin of “I’m just keepin it real”. Either way, I don’t want to associate myself with anybody who would seriously use those phrases.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 9 innings on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus on it.
It’s a little harsh.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Did “I’m not here to make friends” ever make an appearance here?
I’m not your facebook friend is an excellent facebook status update.
But everybody is here to make friends, due to the crippling loneliness. Except IllFormula, who is super busy being outdoorsy and banging multiple chicks at once when he isn’t here.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:23 PM
We also received stunning confirmation that Nomar Garciaparra is somewhat of a Carl Everett disciple.
I don’t think watching a conspiracy show and then asking questions
about said show puts you in Carl Everetts category.
Anyone see Mythbusters take on the weird shadows from some of those photos? They reproduced them as legit.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Not me. I’m here to get noticed.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Ahem, Senator Jersey is here to get laid.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Ahem, Senator Jersey is here to get laid.
I took care of that, and knocked one more minority of of my life list.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:31 PM
January 5th, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Did “I’m not here to make friends” ever make an appearance here? I feel like there is a surprising lack of that going around.
It seemed like we were friends, until you realized I wasn’t black and you could no longer tell people that you had a non-threatening black friend.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Not me. I’m here to get noticed.
God help us if this place ever turns into Deadspin.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:36 PM
I’m here, inconsistently of late, in attempt to make a name for myself
January 5th, 2012 at 4:39 PM
In 3-D on vinyl, the better to enjoy “Polkas on 45.”
January 5th, 2012 at 4:40 PM
I’m with Clay.* Definitely the loneliness.
*not literally or I would not be lonely