Francona: The Red Sox Years

Terry Francona · Dan Shaughnessy

Jan 2013 · HarperCollins

About this ebook

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. “Eloquent and dazzling,” the story of the legendary baseball manager’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox (Philadelphia Daily News).

When Terry Francona took over as manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2004, the storied franchise hadn’t won a World Series championship in eighty-six years. Led by Francona, the team won two over the course of four years. During the full eight years of Francona’s tenure, the Red Sox were transformed from “cursed” into one of the most successful and profitable teams in baseball history—only to fall back to last place as soon as Francona was gone.

Francona: The Red SoxYears lets readers in on the inner workings of the Red Sox clubhouse like no book has ever done before. From the highs of the World Series to the lows of the final months of the 2011 season—the most epic collapse of a team in baseball history—this book features the never-before-told stories about Sox fans’ favorite players, moments, wins, and losses.

“A scorched-earth memoir . . . [that] touches fleetingly on steroid use, sabermetrics, and Michael Jordan’s stint in the minor leagues . . . but saves its heaviest artillery for the owners . . . [and] Theo Epstein backs him up.” —The New York Times Book Review

“It’s not often that baseball aficionados and gossip gluttons can plunk down on a shared portion of outfield grass with the same book for an afternoon of readerly delight, but Francona can bridge those kinds of differences.” —The Boston Globe

Ratings and reviews

A great book by certainly the most successful RED SOX skippers of the modern era. True RED SOX fans (I am one) had heard most of the big news but I appreciate Terry's personal anecdotes on key situations. Things were as I guessed them to be w/ certain players.I apologize for the players disrespect. So glad you showed for Fenway 100 - you will always be best part of Fenway & BoSOX!

Dive into some of Red Sox Nation's more poignant chapter’s in ball park drama -Imagine a life spent total living the code of baseball. -Francona’s rise from a tough ball player of Philly to one of the more critical managing liaisons landing a position during the best of Sox moments-the end of cursed Babe Ruth era! Francona ignites the pages of his memoir with gritty, raw emotion- emotion only an insider could capture. A man of caliber, honor and passion- He walks through the drama of competition, ratings, and that magical moment of his team’s leadership landing a club house to the World Series . Francona walks us through the politics of baseball, the nerve wracking blow by blow decisions that make or break a season, or a career. We watch as Red Sox Nation catches the glimmers of the man beyond the number- Funny, humble , loving yet conscientious -One moment a negotiator, the next a loyal team player and family man.

As a lifelong Sox fan reading this was a no brainer for me. But I was pliantly surprised by how wool written it was. As I followed the events surrounding Terry's career in Boston as they unfolded, there wasn't a lot new here. However, it confirmed for me what I always suspected. The ownership in Boston has no love of baseball, just a love of the dollar and creating just enough of an illusion of carrying to keep the turnstiles moving

About the author

Terry "Tito" Francona was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons. In 2004, Francona was hired to manage the Boston Red Sox, and that year he led the team to its first World Series championship since 1918. He won another World Series with Boston in 2007 and continued to manage the team until the end of the 2011 season. He is now a commentator for ESPN, joining in on their Sunday Night Baseball telecast and contributing to ESPN.com. Dan Shaughnessy is an award-winning columnist for the Boston Globe and the author of several sports books, including The Curse of the Bambino, a best-selling classic. Seven times Shaughnessy has been voted one of America’s top ten sports columnists by Associated Press Sports Editors and named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN, Nightline, NPR, Imus in the Morning, ESPN, HBO, and many others. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.