Theo Epstein’s place as one of the greatest executives in baseball history is assured. He’ll forever be remembered as the man in charge of assembling the rosters that ended the two most storied title droughts in baseball history: first in 2004, when his hometown Red Sox won their first title in 86 years, and then in 2016 with a Cubs team that hadn’t won a title in 108 years.
For good measure, the 42-year-old Epstein has another title on his résumé with the Red Sox from 2007. And many in baseball believe the Cubs have an excellent chance to win again in the near future.
There are other general managers and presidents of baseball operations who have built champions in multiple cities. Yet save for Branch Rickey, who led the integration of baseball with the signing of Jackie Robinson, it’s virtually impossible to imagine a baseball operations head whose time in such a role has meant so much to so many.
What are the defining traits of Epstein as a leader? A survey of several people who have worked with him yielded a number of characteristics.
■ Intelligence and curiosity: “He has intellectual gifts that allow him to see through complicated issues more quickly than most but also make adjustments more quickly than most,’’ said former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, now with the Blue Jays.
“Just as important, he’s got an intuitive sense for people and a sense of humor that allows others to see him as human despite those intellectual gifts.
It’s a rare combination.’’
Epstein does not suffer fools, and he will cut colleagues to the quick at times, but he also is willing to laugh at himself, creating a sense of humility and engendering trust and loyalty from those who work with him.
Baseball operations colleagues likewise feel that he deflects credit to his co-workers in a way that builds a team-first ethos, a notion that came across in his comments Wednesday night.
“What makes a great organization is 1,000 small sacrifices when no one is looking,’’ Epstein told MLB Network. “Driving the extra mile to get a last look at a player, showing up early to do work with a minor leaguer to help him work on his weakness, an R&D guy pulling an all-nighter because he’s got an idea and wants to see it through, the coaches working with players, the manager, and the togetherness in the front office.
“I get to see those little sacrifices. That’s what makes a great organization.’’
■ Clarity of vision: Epstein proclaimed that he’d build a scouting and player development machine with the Red Sox, turning a team that for decades had traded much of its best young talent into one focused on building around it. He did that.
With the Cubs, he made clear that there were no shortcuts and that sustained success would come only with a rebuild from the ground up. That long view of the five-year process held true.
■ Boldness and creativity: He is not afraid of altering a status quo that isn’t working. The most dramatic examples came with the four-team deal in the moments before the 2004 trade deadline that saw the Sox part with franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra and the three-team trade that sent Manny Ramirez packing and brought Jason Bay in 2008. Epstein was willing to rock the boat and make moves that would be heavily scrutinized if it meant, in his eyes, a better team.
■ Attention to detail: When Epstein took over the Cubs after the 2011 season, he conducted a series of all-day organizational forums on specific areas — one on pitching, one on offensive philosophy, one on baserunning — that involved front-office members, player development staff, and scouts.
One session included an animated debate about whether players should make their baserunning turns by hitting the bag with their right or left foot. After a discussion that included coaches running the bases to test the theories, the Cubs defined their process: They would be a right-footed organization when turning the bases.
Kris Bryant’s flawless right-footed turns contributed to a pair of key runs in the Cubs’ Game 7 win.
The willingness to oversee a lively debate on such a detail — the significance of which might have been hard to see at the time — is a hallmark of how Epstein operates.
■ Competitiveness: Epstein’s own work ethic and almost maniacal competitiveness — cultivated not just in his passion for the success of his team but also in front-office basketball games and even boxing matches — rubs off on those around him.
“He’s been focused on pursuing this career from the time he was 14, 15 years old,’’ said Red Sox president Sam Kennedy, who grew up with Epstein in Brookline. “He’s always known exactly what he’s wanted to do.
“Even though he’s had so much success, I don’t think he’s ever taken it for granted. He’s one of the most competitive people I know. He works as hard as anybody. He loves it. He’s passionate about it. He’s all-in on the career. It’s not really a career choice. It’s a lifestyle choice for him.’’
■ Empowerment and delegation: Many are the stories of interns recounting the ways in which Epstein engaged them and made them feel like part of the established staff. He encourages brainstorms and creative ideas in others, particularly on trades and potential buy-low opportunities, to create idea factories. That approach drove his employees to work hard in a way that contributed to their professional growth.
He’s also not shy about entrusting significant responsibilities to others. For instance, Epstein revealed in the hours after the Cubs won that he wouldn’t be shy about ceding key responsibilities to GM Jed Hoyer in the coming days.
“Jed’s in charge. I’m going on a bender!’’ Epstein said implishly to MLB Network, referring to Hoyer as “Alexander Haig.’’ “I might come back. I might not!’’
Alex Speier can be reached at Alex.Speier@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @AlexSpeier
