FRANCONA: The Boston Red Sox Years
Terry Francona, who managed the Cleveland Indians to within one game of winning the 2016 World Series, left his mark on Major League Baseball when he led the Boston Red Sox to the championship in 2004, in his first season as manager. The Red Sox broke an 86-year drought and the curse of Babe Ruth, with an improbable comeback in the American League Championship Series. The team rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series with their hated rival, the New York Yankees.
Baseball purist are people that love everything about the game but are not often ones who can or choose to sit down and read a book about a manager and his team. However, “Francona” is a completely different concept. Baseball purist often …show more content…
The book goes in chronological order, beginning with the 2004 season. It continues along through every off-season followed by the regular season and over and over until the end of the 2011 season, including the ugly divorce between he and management. The Red Sox leadership and Theo Epstein was his biggest target. He also likened the Marx Brothers to a bunch of boneheads that are to serious and stiff. It is clear that he, has a lot of animosity towards them, especially after the accusations of him being too lenient and running a loose clubhouse. Despite the nasty break up and discontent with Tito and the ownership the book was not dull and boring with all the facts of what happened that would have made it seem like it would be better to watch paint dry.
The most surprising part missing is the part that most fans probably wanted to know which player would implode first. Was it Pedro Martinez who is known for throwing Don Zimmer to the ground? How about the often controversial and polarizing Manny Ramirez? most about. Was Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon talking heads or were they true leaders as we were all led to …show more content…
The only thing that could be deemed any juicy details or dirt was how selfish Martinez could be. Shockingly or not so shockingly he can be somewhat of a diva and self-absorbed even at the cost of the team by putting himself above the team. However, it is fair to say that Francona was not completely tight-lipped about stuff that went on inside the locker room or off the field between teammate’s and even player’s family. One of the most bizarre and interesting experiences was about a supposed altercation during the 2004 American League Championship Series between outfielder Johnny Damon’s wife Michelle Mangum (fiancé at the time) and Shonda, who is Curt Shilling’s wife. Apparently the two had a disagreement over some lucky scarves. Meanwhile, their fiancé and husband had just lost game three of series, which put them in an 0-3, hole. In 2010 the leadership group was trying to figure out how to increase their crowds and television viewership. The owner John Henry, Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino attended the
Terry Francona, who managed the Cleveland Indians to within one game of winning the 2016 World Series, left his mark on Major League Baseball when he led the Boston Red Sox to the championship in 2004, in his first season as manager. The Red Sox broke an 86-year drought and the curse of Babe Ruth, with an improbable comeback in the American League Championship Series. The team rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series with their hated rival, the New York Yankees.
Baseball purist are people that love everything about the game but are not often ones who can or choose to sit down and read a book about a manager and his team. However, “Francona” is a completely different concept. Baseball purist often …show more content…
The book goes in chronological order, beginning with the 2004 season. It continues along through every off-season followed by the regular season and over and over until the end of the 2011 season, including the ugly divorce between he and management. The Red Sox leadership and Theo Epstein was his biggest target. He also likened the Marx Brothers to a bunch of boneheads that are to serious and stiff. It is clear that he, has a lot of animosity towards them, especially after the accusations of him being too lenient and running a loose clubhouse. Despite the nasty break up and discontent with Tito and the ownership the book was not dull and boring with all the facts of what happened that would have made it seem like it would be better to watch paint dry.
The most surprising part missing is the part that most fans probably wanted to know which player would implode first. Was it Pedro Martinez who is known for throwing Don Zimmer to the ground? How about the often controversial and polarizing Manny Ramirez? most about. Was Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon talking heads or were they true leaders as we were all led to …show more content…
The only thing that could be deemed any juicy details or dirt was how selfish Martinez could be. Shockingly or not so shockingly he can be somewhat of a diva and self-absorbed even at the cost of the team by putting himself above the team. However, it is fair to say that Francona was not completely tight-lipped about stuff that went on inside the locker room or off the field between teammate’s and even player’s family. One of the most bizarre and interesting experiences was about a supposed altercation during the 2004 American League Championship Series between outfielder Johnny Damon’s wife Michelle Mangum (fiancé at the time) and Shonda, who is Curt Shilling’s wife. Apparently the two had a disagreement over some lucky scarves. Meanwhile, their fiancé and husband had just lost game three of series, which put them in an 0-3, hole. In 2010 the leadership group was trying to figure out how to increase their crowds and television viewership. The owner John Henry, Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino attended the