Why Red Sox Culture Shaped Terry Francona’s Boston Experience

BOSTON — Terry Francona had one of the most successful managerial tenures in Red Sox history as a two-time World Champion manager.

Francona’s teams from 2004 to 2011 ruled the city as the Red Sox ushered in a new era for the franchise. The now-Cincinnati Reds manager never lost sight of how special that tenure was, both for his career and the history of the ballclub.

“These were eight years, we won two World Series, we had some really good teams,” Francona said before “The Tradition” on Nov. 20 at TD Garden. “You make a lot of really close relationships. It’s a good time to remember a lot of the good.”

Francona admittedly tries not to look back on his career very often. The greatest area he did reflect on regarding his Red Sox years focused on the baseball energy of the city and its fans.

“They’re so passionate,” Francona recalled. “My eight years here, there was not a game that wasn’t sold out. That speaks volumes. I know that’s not always the case now. That’s pretty special. When a player would get called up to the major leagues, people already knew who he was. That’s not like that in every city.”

“The Tradition” airs Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. ET on NESN.