Francona Not Going Anywhere

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com on Twitter a few days ago, the Boston Red Sox organization plans on picking up manager Terry Francona’s 2-year $9 million option after this season is over. Although this was news to Francona when the story broke, no one is surprised that the Sox want to keep their 2-time World Series winning manager around for the foreseeable future. His level-headed approach to the game has been a perfect fit for the high-pressure environment in Boston. Tito’s knowledge of the game shines through with every decision he makes. Even though he will always have doubters and critics, most of those voices have been in hiding over the last several years. Tito broke the 86-year drought in his 1st year at the helm, and for that, fans are indebted to him for years to come.

Tito has the rare balance of being liked by players, management and the media. He makes the tough decisions when necessary, but always has an eye for keeping his team happy and healthy as best he can. He tends to be over-cautious with injuries and tries not to overwork his pitchers, because he knows all about the grind of a 162-game season. Most importantly, he is respected by those around him. In order to be an effective manager in the major leagues, you must be respected, or the ship sinks very quickly. Now entering his 8th season with the Sox, Francona’s impressive reputation is known throughout baseball and beyond.

This week, given the contract extension talks, Tito spoke about his relationship with GM Theo Epstein and what that has meant to his success. His comments are a perfect representative of who he is as a person and a manager. He doesn’t shy away from the negative moments, but values his personal relationships highly.

"The way you can judge it is we’re going on our eighth year now in a really crazy place. If you didn’t have an extremely strong relationship, you’d have no chance in this market. There’s a lot of trust…We have our moments, which I think you’re supposed to. I don’t think he would want somebody to be the manager of his team and not have a strong opinion. And I value his opinion a lot; he knows that… I’ve learned to respect that a little bit more. I also know when the chips are down in the really tough times, I know where I can turn, and he knows that. – Terry Francona on his relationship with Theo Epstein"

On top of everything else, it was announced this week that Francona will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in this year’s class. He was an excellent college athlete, playing outfield for the University of Arizona from 1978-1980, winning National Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award his final season. It is great to see such a nice guy get awarded for his accomplishments, even if it is 30 years later.