Francona: The Red Sox Years

Let me preface this by saying it took me a little less than a month to finish Terry Francona’s memoir, which was co-authored by Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe. It wasn’t because the book wasn’t interesting or I wasn’t excited to read it (far from it). Basically, I didn’t have my typical reading schedule that I’ve become accustomed to (reading for at least an hour a week at Starbucks while sipping on my Venti, unsweetened, iced green tea or reading for about a half hour before bed). I had been training for my first 5k, which took place on St. Patrick’s Day (second 5k is this weekend), and my body was exhausted. Instead of reading before I went to sleep, I’d fall asleep reading.

But, enough excuses.

I really did enjoy Francona’s book, and not for the reasons that I thought I’d enjoy it. Francona: The Red Sox Years gave the reader more of a behind-the-scenes look than I thought it would give. There seemed to be more about interactions between Francona, Epstein, Henry, Lucchino, and Werner than Francona and his players. Whether this was to stick it to the ownership or not is debatable.

I promise not to go into too much detail and ruin the memoir for any of you who want to read it. I can’t stand it when people do that to me, giving away more of the book than I’d like them to. So, I won’t do that to any of you.

Whether by design or not, Epstein and Francona’s relationship seemed to take center stage throughout the book. Epstein and Francona weathered the Red Sox storm together, and they described their relationship, which bordered the lines between a working relationship and a friendship, in ways that the reader could really identify with. There were serious talks between them, practical jokes, the occasional late night, and a mutual respect between the GM and manager.

Francona’s relationship with ownership was vastly different. In 2004, as Red Sox fans, I’m sure all of us would agree that the Red Sox ownership was the best in the Major League. As the years went on, I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks differently about the ownership. Do I think they’re horrible? No. Do I think there are some issues? Yes. And without giving away too much, that’s basically what Francona was saying throughout his memoir about the ownership.

I’ve read many Red Sox player memoirs over the years, including Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits (Ortiz), Born to Play: My Life in the Game (Pedroia), Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Finding the Champion Within (Lowell), and Idiot: Beating “The Curse” and Enjoying the Game of Life (Damon). Throughout much of those memoirs, the writer’s personal life played a huge part in the book. In Francona’s book, his personal life isn’t the focus; it’s much more about his life as the manager of the Red Sox. Yes, his personal life is talked about (especially the chapter on 2011), but it’s not the focus. I think that’s important to mention, as no one really talked about Fancona’s personal life until after the 2011 season.

Overall, if you’re a Red Sox fan, I think you need to read this book. Terry Francona is arguably the best manager to ever manage the Red Sox. He’s a respected leader and well liked by many (players, GMs, other managers, public, media, etc.). While I’ll always want the Red Sox to beat the Indians (just like I’d want them to beat any other team), I do want Terry Francona to find success as the manager of the Cleveland Indians. He deserves it.