Chairman
Larry Cancro has served as Senior Vice President/Fenway Affairs since 2003. The veteran of 32 years in Major League Baseball, including 25 years with the Red Sox, is responsible for the club’s relationships with the businesses in the Fenway neighborhood, the securing of recording artists for concerts at Fenway, and consultation with the Ballpark Planning and Development Department on Fenway Park improvements. Cancro also works with civic and government groups to ensure open dialogue between the club and the community.
Prior to his promotion, Cancro was Vice President of Sales and Marketing since January 1996. He joined the Red Sox in February of 1985 as Director of Marketing and became Vice President of Marketing in February of 1990.
During Cancro’s tenure in sales and marketing, the Red Sox set six club season attendance records, and attendance increased from the previous season 13 times. He started the Friendly Fenway fan program that expanded fan food options at Fenway and also resulted in fan favorites like “Sweet Caroline” and “Dirty Water”. He was a member of the Red Sox 1999 All-Star Game Task Force and was instrumental in creating the mascot, Wally the Green Monster™.
Cancro is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau and serves as chairman of their sports advisory committee. He was awarded the Bureau’s Spirit of Appreciation Award for his efforts in attracting sports-related conventions and tourism to Boston. He is on the Sports Advisory Council for Franklin Pierce College. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the Boston University Medical School. He, along with his wife Luise, co-chaired the Parent’s Committee at Assumption College. He has served on the Jimmy Fund Long Range Planning Committee and is currently on the steering committee for The Greater Boston Association for Individuals with Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities. He was honored as GBARC “Man of the Year” in November 2004. He is also the President of the New England Chapter of Autism Speaks and served on the National Board of Directors for three years. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Melmark-New England.. In the spring of 2006 he was honored with the “Spirit of Compassion” award by the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc. In 2007, The Pirandello Lyceum of Massachusetts recognized him with the “I Migliori Award.”
Cancro served governors Weld and Cellucci on the Governor’s Sports Advisory Council and currently serves on the Executive Council of the Mass Sports and Entertainment Commission. He was on the Boston Host Committee for World Cup Soccer and the 1996 Olympic Gymnastics Trials Advisory Committee. He was on the Board of Advisors for the Local Organizing Committee for the 1998 NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Final Four. Cancro has served on MLB’s Marketing Advisory Committee and Advertising Advisory Committee. He served as chairman of MLB’s Research Committee and on MLB’s Licensing Committee from 1982-85.
Born in New York City, Cancro graduated from Tuckahoe High School in Eastchester, NY, where he was raised. He graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in psychology. In 1978 he began his career in pro baseball as an assistant general manager for the Eastern League Jersey Indians, Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s. He joined the Atlanta Braves as a sales representative in 1979, and in 1981, was promoted to group sales manager. In 1983 he was named director of merchandise operations and was responsible for creating baseball’s first mail-order catalog of team merchandise.
Larry resides in Andover, MA with his wife, Luise. They have two daughters, Laura Marie and Lisa.