Ben Cherington

Ben Cherington is a lecturer in the graduate sports management program at Columbia University.  He served as Executive Vice President/General Manager of the Boston Red Sox from October, 2011 to August, 2015, making him the 11th GM in club history. He has 18 years of experience as a Major League Baseball executive.

In 2013, Cherington’s second year as Red Sox GM, Cherington led one of the biggest turnaround seasons in Major League Baseball history. Through a series of free agent signings and trades that focused on acquiring experienced and winning players that embraced playing in Boston, the Red Sox went on to win the division with an American League-best 97-65 record, and brought home the franchise’s eighth World Series Championship.  As a result of the historic season, Cherington was named Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year by both The Sporting News and the Boston Chapter of the BBWAA.

During his time as GM of the Red Sox, Cherington led the re-organization of the team’s International and Professional scouting departments, expanded the team’s baseball analytics group, oversaw the re-organization and development of Sports Medicine Services, and created and built Behavioral Health Services, a performance driven player support services program.

Prior to being named GM, Cherington served as Boston’s Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager since January of 2009. In that role, he worked closely with Theo Epstein on all major league personnel matters, including evaluation and analysis, player acquisition, and contract negotiation.

Cherington acted as Red Sox co-General Manager, along with Jed Hoyer, from December 12, 2005 through January 19, 2006. In that time, the Red Sox completed a trade that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston from the Florida Marlins, a transaction that would play a key role in the Red Sox 2007 World Series championship.

From 2006 through 2008, Cherington served as Red Sox Vice President/Player Personnel. In that post, he oversaw amateur scouting and player development in addition to consulting on all major league player acquisitions. Under his watch, Boston’s 2006 draft was named the best in the majors by Baseball America.

Cherington began his professional baseball career with the Cleveland Indians as an advance scout in 1998 and joined the Red Sox organization in 1999 as a Mid-Atlantic area scout before becoming a baseball operations assistant that May. He has also served as Boston’s coordinator of international scouting, assistant director of player development, and director of player development.

Cherington graduated with a degree in English from Amherst College in 1996, where he played four years of varsity baseball. He also spent a year as an assistant coach for his alma mater while working towards his master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts’ Sport Management Program.  Cherington also completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.  Cherington and his wife Tyler have two daughters, Adwen and Harper.

Learn more:
http://www.masslive.comredsoxindex.ssf201310red_sox_world_series_game_6_jo_2.html

http://columbiaspectator.comsports20160502world-series-winning-executive-cherington-back-school