Terry Francona: Thanks For The Titles, Tito!

How soon we forget.

A man who can arguably lay claim to the title “best Red Sox manager ever” will likely not be back next year.

As I write this, reports are swirling that Terry Francona will be exiting stage left. Although John Henry and company met with Tito today, they are not making an announcement on whether they’ll pick up his option next year. As for Francona himself? Reports are stating that he’s already told team members that he’s going…going…gone!

Eight years at the helm—and two World Series Championships to his credit.

I think he’s getting a raw deal.

He didn’t swing a bat or throw a pitch in Boston’s horrible September. He wasn’t responsible for the injuries, the errors or the slumps. But…he’s the guy at the top—and even he admitted that his control over the players in the clubhouse was not what it should have been.

Perhaps a fresh face would inspire the players to dig deep. I would think that sheer pride would be sufficient. After all, put another guy in that situation—and ask yourself---what would anyone else have done?

Does it come down to a pep talk during a slump? I don’t think it’s that simple.
If Francona gets the blame for September and also the dreadful 2-10 season start, then he must also get the credit for the part in-between, when the Red Sox had the best record in baseball.

Here’s a TV segment from earlier today on the swirling reports of Francona’s exit:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTBxZGB1kW4

The name most mentioned as Francona’s replacement is one Joe Torre. As Tito-haters salivate over the prospect, it should be noted that Torre is not particularly good at managing conflict (his own admission), a talent that may have been the missing managerial ingredient this year.

I should come clean and admit that I am not a huge Francona fan. It’s been said that a manager will cost his team a few games each year. God knows that Terry filled his quota. Many times, I think he left pitchers in too long---presumably because he didn’t want to “embarrass them” by yanking them mid-inning. While I don’t agree with the logic, there is a human side to it that made his excesses forgivable----because his players loved him and the team was a winner.

He’s forgotten more about baseball than I know, so I won’t second-guess the many decisions he made that I railed against from the comfort of my easy chair.
Keep in mind, however, that only your players can make you look good—or competent—and that baseball is a game of inches.

The manager touted for breaking “the curse” and delivering the Red Sox their first title since 1918 might not have made it past that inaugural season if a certain throw to second in the fourth game of the ALCS had nailed Dave Roberts. The Yankees would have swept the Red Sox in four straight and the “Idiots” would have cemented that nickname in the most deplorable way.

Likewise, had the Red Sox won 2 more games than they did—at ANYTIME in that 162 game season, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands of game situations in 2011 where one fewer out or one more foot of distance would have meant another one in the win column.

Had the Sox won another 2 games—maybe opening 4-8 instead of 2-10, we would be headed to the post-season. It’s likely that with the riddled pitching staff, the Sox would have been unable to hit their way past the first round anyway.

Many have called for Theo Epstein’s head as well. While I likewise disagree here too, at least there is a plausible argument to lay alot of blame on the GM. To quote Bill Parcell’s famous statement about his desire to be coach AND General Manager, “If I’m gonna be making dinner, I want to buy the groceries!”

Yet for every bonehead acquisition Theo paid big bucks for (John Lackey, J.D. Drew, et al), there were some terrific pickups, too.

As in all things, a man should be judged for his body of work, not the snapshot that is one season----or in this case, one MONTH.

I hope the Red Sox have the sense to retain Tito, but I fear that things have already unraveled to the point of no return.

If that’s the case, then we can at least thank Terry Francona for bringing to Boston not one but two World Championships. I think most of the fans are grateful for that—and are also distressed to think he won’t be in the dugout next season.

Thanks, Tito.


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