Red Sox Owner John Henry Thinks You Are Stupid

Alex Cora and five coaches were fired Saturday, hours after a 17-1 victory against Baltimore. The other coaches fired were: hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.

Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek was reassigned to a new role within the organization that was not announced with the press release.

Red Sox Owner John Henry released a statement about Cora:

“Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” said Red Sox principal owner John Henry. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.

“I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude.”

The Red Sox are 10-17 to start the season, and just got swept in a three-game series against the Yankees at Fenway. The series was marked by offensive ineptitude by the Red Sox with the team managing only 3 runs in the 3 games. Audible chants around Fenway of ‘Sell the team’ were heard on the various broadcasts of the games.

Henry has been receiving increasing criticism for his ownership of the team, marked by his various investments around the world in soccer, auto sports and hockey Henry’s company, Fenway Sports Group, recently sold the Pittsburgh Penguins for a close to $800 million dollar profit after only four years of ownership.

The problem with this move is not that Cora is perfect. Cora’s major league teams have been marked by poor defense for 4 years running now, and some of his in-game moves have looked curious. That said, he managed the ’21 Red Sox and ’25 Red Sox to the playoffs with rosters that most people thought were destined for last place.

Billy Beane, beloved general manager of the Oakland A’s during the Moneyball era, famously said, “My sh*t doesn’t work in the playoffs. My job is to get us to the playoffs. What happens after that is f***ing luck”

Using that standard, Cora was a wildly successful manager for the Red Sox, going 620 – 541 and 18 -10 in the playoffs with the dominant 2018 World Series victory. He also oversaw the team as it had bitter contract negotiations with three consecutive homegrown players in Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Fans around the region have been vocal about the loss of all three, with Devers being the one that people seemed the least attached to.

Henry has presided over the most successful era of the Red Sox, with 4 World Series titles. The Red Sox have finished in the top 5 of attendance every year he has been the owner, with never less than 2.7 million before the Covid-era. In the last 4 years (2022-2025), post restrictions, they have bounced back to at least 2.6 million each year.

About 65 million tickets sold since 2003 (the first year of Henry’s primary ownership) at an average of $54.02 a ticket. In tickets sales alone, the team has generated $3.5 billion in revenue. That does not include concessions, advertising, or television rights. The total in player salaries in that time is $3,869,280,121. Which means tickets have almost equaled salaries.

NESN, which the Red Sox own 80% of, has generated at least $100 million a year since 2003. This does not include national agreements, which have risen in the time Henry has been the owner. Current estimates put that number at $90 million per year per team.

In 23 seasons, NESN netted them about $2.3 billion. Revenue sharing puts them at about $1 billion. If we add tickets back in, we have an estimated $6.8 billion in revenue during Henry’s ownership. That doesn’t include we licensing (merchandise), concerts at Fenway, the money generated by the real estate in and around Fenway Park, nor the advertising agreements within the stadium.

Estimating their real revenue is difficult because baseball hides its numbers, but Forbes recently estimated that the Red Sox profit $120 million plus per year. They also estimate that the Red Sox are worth $4.8 Billion which is probably nonsense considering the Padres just sold for a record $3.9 billion, and most sources put the Padres as operating at a loss. Henry bought the Red Sox in 2022 for $660 million. If the $120 million estimate is right (and I think it is absurdly low), then Henry got his money back in 2009, and everything since has been pure profit.

Sports teams’ revenues differ vastly from stock market riches. Henry is bringing in over $100 million per year. That is a lot of cash. Which is exactly what all the accumulated evidence says he values. He still owes Cora about $13.5 million, and they named Chad Tracy (current WooSox manager) to the interim role. I promise you Tracy is not making even remotely the same as Cora. Henry wants you to think this is a reaction to the current situation, but it is totally about the chatter.

In any normal situation, 27 games is too small a sample in baseball. Further, these problems did not suddenly arise overnight. The team is the worst offensive team in baseball across multiple categories. Cora can’t make hitters hit magically. They are consistently poor defensively, and with 5 outfielders being forced into various positions they are not used to, that makes sense.

Being from Worcester, we have watched the Polar Park debacle. One of the big failures has been a poor design that doesn’t allow for large touring concerts to come to the stadium. If an organization was running well, this is a detail that would not have been missed. Although technically the Worcester Red Sox are only an affiliate of the major league team and not ‘owned’ by the big club, there is no way big decisions are not run by the higher-ups. If there is a failure, it is an organizational failure that stems from the priorities of the owner.

John Henry thinks you are stupid, and wants you to think this is a baseball move. Do not fall for it, Red Sox fans.

This is a purely cash driven decision all about the bottom line. He thinks he can maneuver this team into relevancy enough that you will get back on the t-shirt and hat train, and click on the NESN app (one of the worst media apps in existence, just HORRIBLE).

So far, with the team leaking negative things about nearly every player who leaves (see the cases of Schilling, Price, Beckett, Papelbon, Lester, Ramirez, Betts, Bogaerts, Devers and more for examples), and with the team winning enough that you think only of the glory (Remember when we were down 3-0 and came back? There are 17 million documentaries about it if you don’t), he has been proven right.

In the end, sports don’t really mean anything except to the individual. I love baseball and always have. The world has a lot going on that is more important. That said, this team is in this state because John Henry’s wallet wants it this way.

Foreground Image Credit:Webjedi, John W Henry-Fenway (cropped), CC BY-SA 4.0

24 States Ask Judge to Block Trump’s Election Executive Order

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Cambell co-led a group of 23 attorneys general and a governor to file a motion for summary judgement that would permanently block key provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order which restricts mail-in voting and exerts federal control over elections.

The same coalition of states sued the Trump administration to prevent enforcement of the executive order on April 3. The motion for summary judgement filed this week asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to permanently block enforcement of those provisions. The motion argues that the law is clear and that the case can be decided without a trial.

Executive Order no. 14399, in part, declares that mail-in voting is restricted to lists of voters pre-authorized by the federal government. It also orders the USPS to create rules to deliver mail-in ballots only to those on that list.

The lawsuit filed April 3 argues that argued Trump’s executive order is unconstitutional and beyond the authority of the President and other federal officials.

According to Campbell’s office, the motion for summary judgement filed makes three main arguments:

• The order’s attempt to dictate federal voter eligibility lists for each state, and its attempt to coerce states to deny ballots to voters excluded from those lists, unconstitutionally invades the states’ power to determine eligibility and maintain rolls of registered voters.
• The order’s attempt to charge the states and USPS with compiling mail voter eligibility lists, and its prohibition on USPS transmitting mail ballots from voters not on those lists, are unconstitutional and run headlong into states’ authority to regulate elections and Congress’s power to regulate USPS.
• The order threatens serious injury to the coalition states, including harms to the states’ sovereign powers to administer their elections, fiscal injuries from states being forced to administer elections under the federal government’s new procedures, legal jeopardy to states and their elections officials from the Executive Order’s directives to investigate and prosecute those who issue ballots to individuals who do not appear on the federal government’s lists, and harms to states’ reputations and public trust.

“Today, I’m asking the Court to permanently block the President from implementing his illegal Executive Order that attempts to restrict voting rights,” said AG Campbell. “The Constitution gives states – not the White House – the authority to oversee elections, and I will not back down from ensuring that every eligible voter in Massachusetts can cast their ballot and have their vote counted.”

Campbell co-led the coalition of states with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is representing his state in the lawsuit.

The other states included in the coalition are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Seven Arrested in Car Wash Raid File Lawsuit Against ICE

BOSTON – Seven workers arrested at a car wash in Allston have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alleging multiple violations of law in their arrests on Nov. 4, 2025.

According to the complaint, some workers arrested are lawfully present in the United States. Although ICE agents photographed the workers and located them in federal databases, confirming they are legally present, the agents arrested them anyway.

The complaint violations of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and agency standards for enforcement activities. The claims in the complaint include false arrest, false imprisonment, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligent supervision.

The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages for each of the seven claimants.

On Nov. 4, around 20 unmarked vehicles descended on the car wash, according to the complaint. It claims the agents on-site made no meaningful effort to determine the workers’ identities or immigration status before detaining them. Some complainants allege the agents encircled them and asked, “are you legal or illegal.”

The agents informed none of the workers why they were being detained, photographed, or arrested, according to the lawsuit.

After arresting the seven workers, agents took them to a detention center in Burlington. ICE later transferred some to Plymouth and others to Vermont.

All the complainants were released on bond. The last of the seven received their release on Nov. 20.

3 Worcester Orgs Receive Community Investment Tax Credits

BOSTON – The office of Governor Maura Healey and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities announced $12.8 million in Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC) awards to 52 community development corporations (CDCs) and support organizations on Thursday, April 23.

Three prominent Worcester organizations received tax credit awards, including Main South CDC ($100,000), Worcester Community Housing Resources Inc. ($100,000), and Worcester Common Ground ($75,000).

The CITC program provides a 50 percent refundable state tax credit to incentivize contributions to CDCs.

The program, launched in 2012, led to flexible funding sources for community organizations supporting affordable housing development and preservation, community planning, economic development, homeownership assistance, financial education, foreclosure prevention, and workforce development. The 2024 Affordable Homes Act expanded the program and created a permanent funding source.

“We are focused on building more housing and lowering costs across Massachusetts. Communities know best what they need to grow and succeed, and the CITC program gives them the resources they need to deliver,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These investments will help build more housing, support small businesses and strengthen neighborhoods across Massachusetts. We’re proud to partner with all 52 communities receiving awards to create opportunity and make our state more affordable.”

The CITC program design enables residents and stakeholders to work through CDCs to partner with nonprofits to improve economic opportunities for low and moderate-income families.

The full list of awardees announced are:

• African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE): $150,000
• Allston Brighton CDC: $200,000
• Amherst Community Land Trust: $375,000
• Asian CDC: $160,000
• Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust: $180,000
• Chinatown Community Land Trust: $100,000
• Coalition for a Better Acre: $75,000
• Codman Square NDC: $225,000
• Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire: $225,000
• Community Development Partnership: $375,000
• Community Teamwork, Inc.: $375,000
• Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC): $300,000
• Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation: $250,000
• Fenway Forward: $300,000
• Franklin County CDC: $250,000
• Groundwork Lawrence: $225,000
• Harborlight Homes: $375,000
• Hilltown CDC: $300,000
• Homeowner’s Rehab Inc.: $125,000
• Housing Assistance Corporation: $375,000
• Housing Corporation of Arlington: $300,000
• Housing Nantucket: $375,000
• Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA): $300,000
• Island Housing Trust: $375,000
• Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation: $75,000
• Just A Start: $375,000
• Latino Support Network: $100,000
• Lawrence Community Works: $375,000
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation: $300,000
• Madison Park Development Corporation: $200,000
• Main South CDC: $100,000
• Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC): $120,000
• Nectar Community Investments: $375,000
• Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH): $150,000
• NeighborWorks Housing Solutions: $375,000
• NewVue Communities: $375,000
• North Shore CDC: $275,000
• Nuestra Comunidad: $150,000
• OneHolyoke CDC: $150,000
• Somerville Community Corporation: $200,000
• South Boston NDC: $50,000
• South Middlesex Opportunity Council: $375,000
• Southeast Asian Coalition of Massachusetts: $150,000
• The Neighborhood Developers: $375,000
• Urban Edge: $375,000
• Valley Community Development: $200,000
• WATCH CDC: $375,000
• Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE): $100,000
• Way Finders: $250,000
• Wellspring Cooperative: $375,000
• Worcester Common Ground: $75,000
• Worcester Community Housing Resources Inc.: $100,000

Image Credit: Hsin Ju HSU, Massachusetts Statehouse, CC BY-SA 3.0

Worcester Man Charged for Assault of a Federal Confidential Informant

WORCESTER – A local man faces charges for assaulting a federal confidential informant during a planned purchase of a firearm.

Federal prosecutors charged Joshua Guzman, 18, of Worcester, with assault of a person assisting federal officers with a dangerous weapon. Guzman remains in federal custody after his initial court appearance.

Prosecutors say that Guzman and another person used WhatsApp to coordinate the sale of a firearm to the informant and arranged for the transaction to occur in Worcester on Feb. 25.

The U.S. Attorney’s office did not provide the name of the person with Guzman.

Guzman and the other individual entered the informant’s vehicle to conduct the transaction. After conducting the exchange, Guzman allegedly displayed a firearm and pointed it at the informant’s head while demanding “everything.” Guzman also allegedly struck the informant with the firearm before grabbing the cash and the firearm he sold to the informant. Both Guzman and the other individual fled the scene.

Agents in the area for another matter observed Guzman fleeing and apprehended him after a brief pursuit.

A firearm in Guzman’s possession fell to the ground during the pursuit and was recovered by authorities.

Law enforcement located the individual with Guzman during the alleged robbery soon after the incident and arrested him .

Along with the firearm dropped by Guzman, authorities recovered clothing, a cell phone, and around $1,600 in cash.

The charge of assault of a person assisting federal officers with a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on events as described by the U.S. Department of Justice. The claims within are allegations which may be challenged by the accused in court.

Southbridge Woman Arraigned in Death of 10-Year-Old Girl

WEBSTER – A local woman faced arraignment on Tuesday, April 21, on charges related to a motor vehicle crash which led to the death of a 10-year-old pedestrian.

A Dudle District Court judge held the arraignment of Sherry Plitouke, 35, of Southbridge, on charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and speeding in a special regulation zone.

The judge ordered the woman held on $25,000 bail.

Webster Police responded to School Street on Saturday, April 11, in response to a report of a crash involving a pedestrian. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered 10-year-old Marleigh Guevara as the pedestrian. Police provided emergency medical aid until EMS transported Guevara to UMass Memorial Hospital.

Medical personnel pronounced Guevara dead the following day.

Woman Charged for Stealing $100,000 from Social Security

WORCESTER – A local woman faces charges for stealing over $100,000 of Social Security benefits in Federal Court in Worcester.

Federal prosecutors filed charges against Jennifer Valley, 51, of Barre, for one count of theft of government money.

According to federal prosecutors, Valley stole $100,218 in Social Security retirement benefits from the government between October 2022 and August 2025.

The announcement by the office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Leah Foley, did not include other information about the circumstances of the theft.

The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.

Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on events as described by the U.S. Department of Justice. The claims within are allegations which may be challenged by the accused in court.

State Plans Playground, Spray Deck, and More at Lake Park

WORCESTER – The beach at Quinsigamond State Park, or Lake Park, on Lake Avenue in Worcester is being permanently closed and replaced with a lakefront overlook, according to plans presented by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Lake Park beach is being removed due to the lack of accessibility, including uneven staircases, a narrow beach area and a steep ramp descending to the shoreline along Lake Quinsigamond.

The DCR presented the 25 percent design development progress for the Lake Park Site Improvements project on Thursday, April 16.

The park developments will be broken into two phases:

• Phase 1 will include a 5,000 sq. foot spray deck and playground; and
• Phase 2 will be the reimagining of the beach area with an overlook and lawn area, fishing areas and a picnic area, and an improved plaza area in front of the park’s bath house.

The spray deck and playground will be installed where the southern parking lot currently ends, near the bathhouse. The space will include a cooling station, new bike racks, benches, and a shade awning structure. Phase 1 will also include a metal fence around the playground, a new pathway connecting the playground area to the park’s walking loop and a drop-off area in the parking lot outside of the playground.

The playground will include a large seesaw, three bays of swings, slides, and other apparatus.

The Phase 1 construction documents are expected to be ready by this summer, followed by an announcement of accepting bids for the project. Designs for Phase 2 are still in progress and will be presented to the public in the future.

A recording of DCR’s Thursday’s presentation is below. The public can share additional feedback, with a deadline for receipt of comments by DCR of April 30. Comments may be submitted via the DCR public comment portal.

Jury Finds Live Nation/ Ticketmaster Violated Antitrust Laws

BOSTON  – A jury in a New York City federal court delivered a verdict that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster illegally maintained monopoly power in the event ticketing market.

After a five-week trial, the jury found Ticketmaster overcharged concertgoers by $1.72 per ticket at major concert venues, resulting from its anticompetitive behavior. A federal judge will decide the penalty for the company at a later date.

The U.S. Justice Department and several state attorneys general filed the complaint in 2024. The complaint alleged Live Nation engages in anticompetitive conduct which resulted in higher fees and fewer options for venues being coerced by Ticketmaster.

Live Nation says the jury verdict will not be the last word on the matter and that it intends to pursue further legal action.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led a coalition of 39 states in bringing the lawsuit. The federal government reached a settlement agreement with the company just after the trial began. 27 states did not join that settlement, including Massachusetts.

“For too long, Live Nation has abused its power to drive up prices and harm fans, artists and venues,” said AG Campbell. “This verdict forces real accountability – lowering costs and sending a clear message that no company, no matter how powerful, is allowed to rig the market against consumers. This result also underscores something critical about this moment: when the federal government steps back, bad actors will not escape accountability from state attorneys general. This case is a clear example of states using their authority to take on powerful corporations and put people first.”

According to Campbell’s office, Live Nations owns or controls over 265 concert venues in North America, including House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall in Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, and Xfinity Center in Mansfield. Its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, controls roughly 80 percent of major concert venues’ primary ticketing for concerts.

The other states involved in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

13 Charged for Drug Distribution Conspiracy from Puerto Rico to Worcester

BOSTON – Federal prosecutors announced charges against 13 individuals for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization on Wednesday, April 15.

According to the office of U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, the government alleges the defendants operated a drug trafficking organization in both Central Massachusetts and Puerto Rico that distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

The defendants, each charged with a single count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, are:

• Jack Saez Jr., 34, of Dayville, Conn.;
• Christopher Rivera Rodriguez, 32, of Puerto Rico;
• Jan Carlos Martinez Mendez, 23, of Puerto Rico;
• Dayanara Mendez, of Dayville, Conn.;
• Shaquille De Jesus Torres, 32, of Puerto Rico;
• Gerardo Villegas Rodriguez, 28, of the Dominican Republic;
• Sheldon Herring, 48, of Worcester, Mass.;
• Duamel Ocasio, 55, of Worcester, Mass.;
• Anthony Hines, 57, of Worcester, Mass.;
• Stephen Bandilla III, 55, of East Brookfield, Mass.;
• Justin Gilchrest, 34, of Webster, Mass.;
• Alondra Daleishka Cruz Mendoza, 23, of Puerto Rico; and
• Ushuuaniliz Hernandez Rios; 21, of Puerto Rico.

According to prosecutors, Saez led the organization that received packages by mail from Puerto Rico. During the investigation, investigators seized over 10 kilograms of cocaine shipped to Worcester County addresses.

Prosecutors say the organization also distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Raids conducted in both Massachusetts and Puerto Rico led to the seizure of five firearms and what prosecutors described as “distribution quantities of other narcotics.”

The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.