Terry Francona Reflects On Historic Red Sox Tenure In Return To Fenway Park
For the first time in over two years, Terry Francona is back managing at Fenway Park.
Francona, who guided the Red Sox from 2004 to 2011, now manages the Cincinnati Reds, who are in town for a three-game series. It’s Francona’s first trip to Fenway since April 2023, when he was with the Cleveland Guardians.
The 66-year-old is in his first season with the Reds and 24th as a Major League manager. He briefly retired in 2024 after 11 seasons with the Guardians before returning to the dugout for 2025.
Francona has spent a lot of time at Fenway over the years, much of it in the home dugout. He ranks second in franchise history in both games managed (1,296) and wins (744), behind only Joe Cronin.
Prior to Monday’s series opener, Francona reflected on his successful eight-year run in Boston.
“I had eight really, really good years here,” Francona said. “It doesn’t mean they were easy, but we had some really good players, some really good teams. I know I was fortunate, I know that.”
Francona made history in his first season with the Red Sox, becoming the first manager in 86 years to lead them to a World Series championship. They also became the first team in MLB history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a postseason series with their comeback against the New York Yankees.
Three years later, Francona guided Boston to another title. Both World Series were sweeps, giving him a perfect 8-0 record in Fall Classic games with the Red Sox.
Francona had a winning record in all eight of his seasons with Boston, leading the team to five playoff appearances. He managed some of the greatest players in Red Sox history, including David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez and Dustin Pedroia.
Now, he finds himself managing against one of his former players in Alex Cora, who played for Francona in Boston from 2005 to 2008.
“I’m glad that he’s back on the field,” Cora said during his pregame press conference. “I think the game is better with people like that on the field.”