Francona, who was previously a player for the Cincinnati Reds, has been hired by them, making him one of baseball’s most beloved managers. Due to health concerns, he resigned from his role in Cleveland during the previous season.
The news was confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday night by a person with knowledge of the situation, who asked to remain anonymous because the Reds had not yet released an official statement. Later this week, this news might be made.
David Bell, who was fired by the Reds last month during manager sixth season, is being replaced by Francona, who guided the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships. Bell’s record was 409-456 throughout his time with the team.
Francona, who will be 66 in April, was a Cincinnati outfielder in 1987. In 102 games, he drove in 12 runs and hit three home runs with a batting average of.227.
It’s obvious why Francona and the Reds find this situation appealing. Despite having a dismal 77-85 record at the end of the season, the squad boasts one of baseball’s most intriguing players in Elly De La Cruz and a potentially dangerous pitching rotation behind Hunter Greene.
Francona earned the respect of Cincinnati’s youthful club in Cleveland by assisting All-Star third baseman José Ramírez in becoming one of the best all-around players in the game.
Three-time AL Manager of the Year Francona mainly avoided the spotlight after leaving the Guardians, spending time at his Arizona home and occasionally going to basketball games at his former school in Tucson.
He spent a brief summer returning to Cleveland to assist in the opening of a new restaurant that he co-owns.
After 23 years as a big-league manager for the Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000), the Red Sox (2004–2011), and the Guardians (2013–2023), Francona has a career record of 1,950 wins and 1,672 losses.
Despite experiencing significant health issues in his final years in Cleveland, he did not label his departure as retirement.
He declared last year, “I never really real concerned about the word retire.” “I suppose that when you say retire, people assume that you’re just going to go home and do nothing. Don’t feel the same way. We’ll work out a solution that makes sense.
On the other side of Ohio, he discovered that object.
He is currently ranked 13th in the career win total with 1,950, behind only Casey Stengel (1,905) and Leo Durocher (2,008), two players who, like Francona, gained popularity among both fans and fellow players.
It was unexpected to see Francona ascend to become one of baseball’s top managers.
He endured four consecutive losing seasons in Philadelphia, when things did not go well for him. In a competitive sports city, he was often jeered and on fan appreciation day, his car’s tires were even vandalized.
Though he was an unlikely choice for the Boston post, his first-season World Series victory turned him into a legend.
The Red Sox fought back from a 3-0 hole in the AL Championship Series and swept St. Louis to end an 86-year championship drought and lift the “Curse of the Bambino,” a superstition that the franchise was cursed after Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees.
After a year off and working in broadcasting, Francona moved to Cleveland, where his dad, Tito, had spent six seasons and where he had played 62 games in 1988, after his tenure in Boston ended in 2011 amid some controversy.
Throughout his 11 seasons, Francona led Cleveland to seven postseason appearances and 921 victories. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Guardians, who were called the Indians at the time, in a seven-game series to get to the World Series.
Francona, often known as Tito, gained popularity in Cleveland due to his quick wit and amiable demeanor. Every day, he commuted to the ballpark on a scooter from his downtown residence, frequently greeting fans with waves.
Despite having the option to accept employment with other organizations, Francona was drawn to Cleveland’s organization because his father was an Indians player in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In 2020, he had to take two extended leaves of absence due to stomach and cardiac problems.
Fans at Progressive Field received “Thank you Tito” t-shirts for his final game with the Guardians on September 27, last season, and they triumphed 4-3 over the Reds to round off the season.
Francona claimed he wanted a rest after the game.
He remarked, “I just think the timing is right.” I’m just not feeling well physically, therefore it’s difficult for me to accomplish this work the way I want to or correctly. I wish to give no one less than my best. I don’t want to remain here too long.
His hire by the Reds came at the same time the Guardians concluded with the AL’s second-best record under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, who had the arduous chore of having to replace a Cleveland legend.
