Former Red Sox Manager Terry Francona Reportedly Hired By NL Club
Terry Francona already had a Hall of Fame resume locked in as a manager, particularly after leading the Boston Red Sox to World Series championships in 2004 and 2007.
He managed 11 more seasons after his Boston tenure for the Cleveland Guardians before stepping away from baseball after the 2023 season. Apparently, he’s not done managing in Ohio.
The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly hiring the 65-year-old as their next manager, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Francona played for the Reds back in 1987, hitting .227 with three home runs in 102 games in his age-28 season. As for his managing days, Francona won Manager of the Year three times with another American League pennant in 2016 with Cleveland to go along with the two championships with the Red Sox.
Speaking exclusively with NESN.com in June, former Red Sox captain and current game planning coordinator Jason Varitek spoke about Francona’s impact as a manager.
“Terry’s a player’s coach, a player’s manager,” Varitek said. “He let us do our thing. If we had issues, which we didn’t have a whole lot, he allowed a lot of the players and the voices in there to handle them. He was great at letting us play and managing the game the way he needed to. Most importantly, he let us play. Take care of the little things. Be on time. Play the game right. Let your skills play. Terry’s phenomenal.”
Cincinnati marks Francona’s fourth managerial stop in addition to Cleveland, Boston and the Philadelphia Phillies with a career career of 1950-1672.
Francona is set to return to Boston in Nov. 20 when he will be honored with the Baseball Legacy award at “The Tradition” through The Sports Museum at TD Garden.
Speaking exclusively with NESN.com in June, former Red Sox captain and current game planning coordinator Jason Varitek spoke about Francona’s impact as a manager.
