Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, a longtime television executive, has apparently hit another home run in the TV world with the reboot of “Roseanne.’’
The debut episode on ABC last week was viewed by a whopping 18.2 million people. The episode dealt with Roseanne Barr’s character being a supporter of President Trump and how she and her costars handle their political differences. It came off as an “All in the Family’’-type sitcom where real-life situations were presented with comedic elements.
Werner, of course, is well known for cocreating “The Cosby Show’’ and the original “Roseanne’’ — which ran from 1988-97 on ABC — among other shows. He’s said he’s done 1,700 pilots in his days as an executive producer, many of which failed. It’s almost like a batter failing in 70 percent of his at-bats and having a great year. That’s been Werner’s career, as it is for many TV executives.
“Some were quite forgettable,’’ Werner said.
But he saw the appeal in reuniting Barr, John Goodman, and the rest of the Conner family.
“You want to honor the original show,’’ Werner said. “What hasn’t been brought out too often is that we have added three new characters who are the grandchildren and they serve as the springboard for a lot of the future shows.’’
Werner, 67, is in the Television Hall of Fame. He was involved in the development of “Mork & Mindy’’ and “Taxi’’ and first discovered the late Robin Williams at a comedy show. Werner also was among the group that started Oprah Winfrey’s TV network.
The Harvard-educated Werner said he first got the idea of a “Roseanne’’ reboot when he saw Goodman and former costar Sara Gilbert doing a skit on the daytime show “The Talk,’’ on which Gilbert is a cohost. Werner called the former cast members of “Roseanne’’ and they all were receptive to a reunion.
“I’m still quite cautious,’’ Werner said of the show’s potential success. “I do feel like most of television is escapist. The idea of revisiting these characters, who are so relatable and living paycheck to paycheck, is a worthwhile endeavor and I think the audience has responded.’’
He acknowledged that if not for Trump being elected president, the show probably wouldn’t have come off. But Trump’s presidency has led to a lot of divisive societal issues, and Werner felt the show could deal with them.
“What’s interesting,’’ Werner said, “in the first episode, the high cost of prescription drugs was one of the story lines that we wanted to tell. That’s not being Democrat or Republican. It’s about being against it.’’
Werner also said future episodes will deal with opioid addiction and other topical matters.
Werner, a former owner of the San Diego Padres, has received numerous awards for his philanthropy. He started the Home Base Program, which helps servicemen and servicewomen readjust to civilian life. The US Army awarded Werner the Outstanding Civilian Service Award in 2014, and the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation awarded him the Dave Winfield Humanitarian Award in 2012.
Werner said juggling his role with the Red Sox and in television hasn’t been that hard. He pointed out that he and principal owner John Henry are talking with Sox executives “on an hourly basis,’’ so he has complete knowledge of everything that’s going on with the team on and off the field.
“I would say my focus is on Fenway Sports Group,’’ said Werner, who is also chairman of the Liverpool Football Club. “It was wonderful this [“Roseanne’’ reboot] happened mainly during the offseason. I’m excited the shows are finished and looking forward to watching the Red Sox as a fan.’’
Werner watched the Red Sox’ Opening Day loss to the Rays on Thursday and felt the frustration of the bullpen blowing a four-run lead in the eighth inning.
“I’m usually not cranky until May sometime, but it’s not even the first of April and I’m frustrated,’’ Werner said. “If there’s a silver lining, I think it’s that we won’t be doing that the rest of the year.’’
BLAZING A TRAIL
Lind went from MLB to agent
There aren’t many women in prominent positions in Major League Baseball. In the agent business, you can probably count them on one hand. This is where Sylvia Lind’s story is unique.
After two decades of working for MLB — she cofounded the popular Futures Game — the resident of Ridgewood, N.J., and mother of two has embarked on a career as a baseball agent. She’s done it from the ground up, taking on young minor league players who didn’t have representation.
Lind, who grew up on Staten Island, received her law degree from Fordham while taking night classes and working for a law firm, and she had her first child in her final semester of law school. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Lind’s firm is called Esquina Caliente LLC.
And while she has attracted Latin players, she also has a diverse stable of clients. On any given day, Lind is all over the country watching college and high school players, talking to their parents, and offering a personal approach to her representation and the promise that the player won’t become an afterthought after a contract is negotiated.
Lind also helped famed sports announcer Howard Cosell write his last book. Cosell wrote a letter of recommendation to Fordham for Lind when she was trying to get into law school.
Lind gave up her job as MLB’s director of baseball initiatives to become an agent. As a kid, she wanted to be general manager of the Mets. She recalculated Tom Seaver’s ERA after every start. She left MLB in 2016 after she settled a gender discrimination case against Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who was her immediate boss as president of baseball development.
“One of the things that gave me such pause when I see the Latin kids who came over that I don’t think people really appreciate is what a difficult language English is to learn,’’ Lind said. “When you look at the exceptions in the English language, practically everything breaks the rules. It’s one thing to be proficient — go to the bank, order at a restaurant — when you’re talking about your career and your future, how can you deal with an agent who doesn’t speak your language? That’s something I wanted to be able to give them as they became more proficient in English.
“My first language was Spanish and my mom took me to nursery school and George Bamberger’s wife was my teacher. My mother told her, ‘She can’t speak English,’ and Mrs. Bamberger said, ‘She’ll figure it out.’ ’’
As tough as it was for Lind being a woman in the MLB offices, “On this side of it, it’s easier being a woman. I go to high school tournaments and everybody thinks I’m a mom. There’s a different comfort level. When I’m talking to families, they understand I have a business interest, but she’s probably going to care about my son. And I’m honest. If he’s a high school kid and I think he could benefit physically or emotionally by going to college, that’s what I tell them. People are shocked by that. I’m very focused on what’s best for player and person.
“Are some men intimidated? Sure, it’s going to happen. But I spent so much time at MLB, I have relationships with clubs and have known them for a long time. I have some street cred in what I’m telling people.’’
Lind has found a way to break down the barriers that so many women have faced in baseball.
Apropos of nothing
1. The Terry Francona managerial tree is growing. His 2004 Red Sox had current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and new Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler. His 2005 Red Sox squad employed current Boston manager Alex Cora. John Farrell (ex-Blue Jays and Sox manager) became his pitching coach in 2007, when the Sox picked up Kevin Cash, now the Rays manager. The Mets hired as manager Francona’s pitching coach with the Indians, Mickey Callaway. Hard to beat that.
2. Chase Anderson (Brewers) and James Shields (White Sox) both threw 97 pitches, more than any other starter Thursday. Last season, four pitchers threw more than 100 pitches on Opening Day, led by the Indians’ Corey Kluber, who threw 109.
3. The Pirates’ payroll on Opening Day was $84.5 million. Shouldn’t payrolls have to start at at least $100 million?
4. Josh Donaldson is raising red flags with his weak throws from third base. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has said he may have to DH Donaldson more, which would keep Kendrys Morales, one of Toronto’s best hitters, out of the lineup. Gibbons thinks Donaldson is dealing with a “dead arm’’ and it’s not serious. But we shall see. Not great timing for Donaldson, who can become a free agent after the season. His all-out play over the years may have caught up to him at age 32.
5. Kapler had bullpen issues in his first game as Phillies manager. Kapler pulled starter Aaron Nola after 68 pitches and 5⅓ innings. Kapler based his decision on the analytics available to him, but if there was a lesson to be learned it was that sometimes you have to go with your instincts and forget the numbers. People who were there tell me Nola was dealing and pulling him was the wrong call.
6. Could the Marlins draw fewer than 1 million fans this season? It’s a possibility. The Red Sox play in Miami on Monday and Tuesday and those could essentially be home games. Tom Werner and John Henry are expected to join the Red Sox in Miami. Henry used to own the Marlins.
7. The Cardinals finally did what everyone thought they should do — sign Greg Holland. It was a one-year deal worth $14 million. Many thought the Cubs might sneak in and obtain him since some scouts wondered whether Brandon Morrow could really be the full-time closer. Morrow was terrific in his setup role with the Dodgers last season, but he has only two saves in the last eight years. Once the Cardinals lost Luke Gregerson to an oblique injury, it became apparent the Cardinals would move on Holland. The Cards lose their second-round pick in the transaction. Holland can go back on the market next offseason as a non-compensation free agent.
8. All eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani Sunday as he makes his MLB pitching debut. Ohtani went 1 for 5 on Opening Day as the Angels’ DH, lining a base hit on the first pitch he saw. Many scouts believe Ohtani’s true value is as a pitcher. The Angels are starting the season with a six-man rotation.
9. White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson is among the many major leaguers who have bought into launch angle. His three home runs against the Royals on Opening Day were proof of that.
10. I’ve heard that Giancarlo Stanton won’t fit in well in New York because of the media scrutiny. There’s something to that, but I’ve never seen a clubhouse where there are more hiding places than Yankee Stadium. You rarely see Jacoby Ellsbury, for example. Stanton should have no problem cherry-picking when he wants to make himself available to the media.
11. Are we getting to crunch time on whether Rhode Island politicians will sign off on a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox? Worcester is still very much in the picture and South Weymouth is a long shot, but in play. Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said that the team would have to sign off on Worcester because it would be in the Red Sox’ territorial area, but he didn’t anticipate any problems if it came to that. It was Kennedy’s understanding that PawSox owner Larry Lucchino really wants Pawtucket to work.
12. Teams will be keeping their eyes on Chris Archer as he could be the next starting pitcher dealt by the Rays. Scouts want to see more consistency out of the Rays ace. He’s up and down from start to start, as he was against Boston on Opening Day when he started slowly, gave up three quick runs, and then settled in and pitched well over six innings. There may not be a big pool of available starters at the trading deadline, so Archer will get a lot of attention. Teams asked about Archer all spring training, but the cost was too steep. However, when need arises at midseason, the Rays may come close to getting their price.
Extra innings
From the Bill Chuck files — “Call it working the pitcher, extending an at-bat, or looking for the right pitch, but last season Corey Dickerson fouled off 266 two-strike pitches, the most in the majors.’’ . . . Also, “Last season, Francisco Lindor led the majors with 71 hits off relief pitchers; Justin Smoak led with 21 homers.’’ . . . Happy birthday, Alex Hassan (30).
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickcafardo. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
