Francona’s New Chapter: Can "Tito" Lead the Cincinnati Reds Back to Glory?
Goodyear, Arizona – In the predawn darkness, before the Arizona sun begins its relentless climb, Terry Francona is already at work. Laps in the hotel pool, a quick drive to his office at Goodyear Ballpark, the ritual of coffee, and meetings with his coaching staff mark the beginning of another day. It’s 6:55 AM, and "Tito," as he’s affectionately known, is brimming with energy as he discusses his latest challenge: managing the Cincinnati Reds.
He makes no promises of immediate success, but his message is clear: he didn’t return to baseball to lose. Francona, a managerial veteran with 23 years of experience under his belt, intends to inject a winning culture into the Reds organization. His goal? To "kick somebody’s (expletive)" every single day.
Francona’s resume speaks for itself: two World Series titles, three pennants, 11 postseason appearances, and 1,950 victories, placing him 13th on the all-time managerial wins list. These accomplishments all but guarantee his eventual enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. But Cooperstown can wait. Francona’s focus is on Cincinnati.
His mission is to guide the Reds to a place they haven’t been in 35 years, harking back to the 1990 season when Lou Piniella arrived, transforming a fifth-place team into World Series champions. Barry Larkin, the Hall of Fame shortstop who played under Piniella, sees parallels between then and now. "Lou Piniella came in, and everything changed," Larkin told USA TODAY Sports. "It’s going to be the same thing here with Tito. The dude is so authentic. From Day 1, he assigned accountability and responsibility. He has created such a great culture here. There’s an expectation, because he’s had success, that he wouldn’t have come back here if he didn’t believe that we can be successful."
Larkin continues, "People in here believe we’re going to do some damage because of this man. He’s just a special, special guy. I would have loved to play for him."
Francona’s return to the dugout was unexpected. After the 2023 season, his 11th with the Cleveland Guardians, he stepped away from the game. Battling constant pain and questioning his passion, he needed to prioritize his health. "I’m trying to tell people and I don’t think they really believed me, but I really didn’t miss it that much," Francona confessed. "I had a good year. When you know you need to step away, you’re probably a little late stepping away. I felt I was short-changing some people over there in Cleveland. And that’s not a good feeling."
Francona used his time off to recuperate, but soon thoughts of the future started to creep in. "So you start taking care of yourself, and you feel good and I still wasn’t thinking about managing. I was starting to think about, OK what do I want to do. How busy do I want to get?"
An intriguing phone call arrived late in the season. An executive inquired about Francona’s interest in managing a club, despite the team already having a manager. The proposition involved firing the incumbent to make room for Francona. His response was resolute. He wouldn’t want to be responsible for someone losing their job. "I would never do that," Francona emphasized. "Never. Ever." This principle applied to the Reds situation as well. Had the team approached him while David Bell was still employed, the answer would have been an immediate no. Francona respected Bell and his family, wishing him nothing but success.
The Reds ultimately parted ways with Bell on September 22nd, after six seasons. They appointed bench coach Freddy Benavides as the interim manager and began compiling a list of potential replacements.
Marty Brennaman, the Hall of Fame broadcaster and Francona’s close friend since his playing days with the Reds in 1987, played a pivotal role in his return. "We started talking and I just said, ‘Hey, would you want to come back?’ Brennaman said. They fired David Bell today. Tito said, ‘Well, I wouldn’t say no to anyone.’"
Brennaman was surprised. Just months earlier, after spending time with Francona in Arizona, he was convinced his friend was done with managing. "We played golf in the day, and my wife cooked at night," Brennaman recalled. "He didn’t have any pots and pans, so we had to do buy them first. We golfed, talked, told stories, laughed. When we left, I told Amanda, ‘There’s no way on God’s green earth he’s going to come back. He’s happy. He’s healthy. And he doesn’t miss it. He’s never coming back.’"
Brennaman quickly contacted Nick Krall, the Reds president of baseball operations, to gauge their interest. Krall, impressed by Francona’s managerial prowess, didn’t hesitate. Within a week, Krall and GM Brad Meador were on a plane to Tucson for a five-and-a-half-hour interview. "It was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had," Krall said. "I mean, I felt we were on the same page with everything we were discussing… at the end of this day, we just felt it was pretty obvious he was the right guy." Francona shared the sentiment: "It was comfortable. And they seemed comfortable. The last thing I ever want to do is get in a situation where I’m not comfortable. I mean, I don’t have to do this, right?"
The only reservation Krall had was Francona’s health. Francona’s medical history is extensive, including multiple joint replacements, surgeries for heart issues and blood clots, and numerous other procedures. However, Francona, who lost 25 pounds during his time off, assured Krall he was ready for the challenge, even offering to do jumping jacks to prove it. Reds owner Bob Castellini quickly joined the conversation, and Francona was hired, agreeing to a three-year contract.
"The announcement that day set the city afire," Brennaman exclaimed. "You can’t believe how excited the city is. And you can’t believe how excited Tito is. It’s like he’s been born again."
Bruce Bochy, manager of the Texas Rangers and a four-time World Series winner, and Bob Melvin, manager of the San Francisco Giants and a three-time Manager of the Year recipient, can relate to Francona’s return. Both took time away from the game before returning to lead their respective teams. Bochy, who took three years off, managed the Rangers to the 2023 World Series championship.
"You get away, no doubt it not only energizes you," Bochy said, "but you know it gives you time to heal up. It’s a grind. There’s no getting around it. It’s what we do. You’re busy. Not just the physical part, but the mental side of it. Getting away I’m sure freshened him up." Melvin echoed this sentiment: "There are baseball guys and then there are baseball guys. And he is one…This job can beat you down a little bit. I know health-wise for him, now he feels better than he has in his career. This is in his blood, so it doesn’t surprise me he’s back, and talking to him, he’s really excited about the season."
The Reds, a franchise steeped in history, haven’t advanced in the postseason for three decades, the longest drought in MLB and other major sports leagues. The team hopes this changes under Francona.
Reds pitcher Emilio Pagan expressed confidence in the team’s potential: "If we stay healthy, we’ll win it. This is a good team. And now we’ve got a Hall of Fame manager."
Francona’s impact is already palpable within the organization. He spoke to every player on the team within 48 hours of being hired and met with them individually at the start of spring training. When he wanted to hire Brad Mills, a longtime friend, he even flew to meet with Benavides to ensure he was still wanted.
"He’s one of the best human beings," Brennaman said. "in the history of mankind."
When Francona addressed the team at the start of spring training, veteran reliever Brent Suter called it the best speech he ever heard. "The cool thing about this speech was not just what he said, but the genuineness with which he spoke," Suter said. "I mean, he was charged up. He had to reload a few times because he’s so passionate, so enthused, so excited."
Francona, raised in a baseball clubhouse, is the first to arrive and last to leave each day. Players gather to listen to his stories of playing for Pete Rose, managing Michael Jordan, and breaking the curse of the Bambino in Boston. Yet, he avoids dwelling on past glory. His focus is firmly on the present and the future of the Cincinnati Reds.
"I’m really looking forward to this," Francona said. "I didn’t need a guarantee. I don’t ask what our payroll is. I just wanted a chance to win. I know people aren’t picking us to win. Whatever. I really don’t give a [bleep]. No one knows. But I love the fact that maybe we can make a difference. All I know is that we’ve got a chance to be pretty good."
