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Fennelly Column: Boston's Glory Is Francona's To Savor

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Martin Fennelly/The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2007

DENVER - He gets to the park early and pours himself in to the job. He once coughed up blood on the job. It's late October and the man, never a looker, looks exhausted. But he never tires of backing up his guys. Sunday, they backed him up, beating the Colorado Rockies, 4-3.

The Red Sox won another World Series.

The Red Sox won another World Series.

It sounded strange three years ago and it still sounds strange.

The manager, now as then, directed your attention to his players.

Well, it's time Terry Francona got some himself.

He's not famous like Joe Torre, Tony La Russa or Lou Piniella. The man with no hair rarely gets a break from that great hairy beast, Red Sox Nation. He doesn't film other teams' signals, yet he doesn't walk where Patriots coach Bill Belichick walks in New England, which is to say, on water.

But Tito gets it done.

Always A Player's Manager

Terry Francona is called 'Tito' for his dad Tito, who was a major-leaguer for 15 years. The son loves that he's called Tito. That tells you something.

Red Sox players and coaches tell you the other stuff.

'He lets his players play,' Red Sox pitcher Mike Timlin said. 'He backs us up, he covers us up, he watches over us.'

'Tito's a player's manager,' Red Sox third baseman and Series MVP Mike Lowell said. 'He creates a comfort level, and when you feel comfortable, your talent comes out.'

'It's like people say about Joe Torre,' Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan said. 'His expression never changes.'

He never won in four years managing the Phillies. The Nation wondered if Francona could handle the scrutiny. The day he was hired, he laid it out:

'I've been released by six teams. I've been fired as a manager. I've got no hair. I've got a nose that's three sizes too big for my face.'

What, him worry?

Yes, he inherited a hell of a ball team in 2004, one that had come within a few outs of beating the Yankees for the pennant. But Grady Little was fired for that. Francona was on the firing line his first day on the job. Now management wouldn't dare let him go.

The Nation still dissects his every move as if Francona was a frog on a tray. Several million people live in New England and they're all managers.

This season, they wondered why Francona stuck with rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia when he wasn't hitting or with shortstop Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew during their months-long slumps.

When Boston trailed 3-1 to Cleveland in the ALCS, there were new questions for the manager who managed the Red Sox from 0-3 down to beat the Yankees in 2004 before putting The Curse to bed in the Series. The Nation wondered why Francona didn't start Josh Beckett in Game 4. Of course, when the Sox came back to win the pennant, it was all about the players, which was fine by Francona.

But it's got to be the manager a tiny little bit.

'I think Tito does an unbelievable job managing personalities and keeping the atmosphere relaxed even when a guy is struggling,' Pedroia said.

What would you do if you saw Manny Ramirez shagging fly balls while listening to his iPod?

'I think they're supposed to have our backing,' Francona said. 'It's easy during the good times, but when things aren't going so well, I think that's when it's important to show your faith and your belief in them.'

They believe right back.

He Sets A Positive Tone

This is Magadan's first season as Boston's hitting coach. The Tampa native said he has learned a lot from his boss.

'He trusts his coaches and players,' Magadan said. 'He's not invasive. He has critics, but it rolls off. I don't know if I could carry myself, take things as easy as he does, if he didn't set that tone.'

That tone.

'I don't want them looking over their shoulder,' Francona said.

Magadan recalled spring training. The Sox decided that pitcher Jon Lester, who had beaten cancer, would start the season in the minors and be brought along slowly. After he told Lester, Francona made a phone call.

'He wanted to talk with Jon's parents,' Magadan said.

That's the manager, the one who helped break the Curse, and who broke it all over again Sunday. The Red Sox. Winning pitcher: Jon Lester.

Surely when the Red Sox looked over their shoulders Sunday night, they saw champagne suds. And maybe the man who'd backed them up, the man with no hair and a nose three sizes too big. It was their moment. His, too.

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