First he was, then he wasn’t, now he is again. The Red Sox have officially parted ways with manager Terry Francona according to a report from the Boston Globe.
General manager Theo Epstein told the media in a statement earlier today that no decision had been made on the fate of Francona and that they would take some time to evaluate the situation. Apparently, all that was needed was a few more hours.
Francona has been the manager of the Sox since the magical 2004 season when he replaced Grady Little. He was on the bench for the franchises first two World Series titles since 1918 and was one of the most successful managers in franchise history.
This season was a difficult one for the man known as “Tito”. He acknowledged that he didn’t have a great season from a player management aspect and often looked stressed and worried in the dugout as the team collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Francona’s final record as manager of the Sox will stand at 774-552. There was no word on when the search would begin for a new manager or how long it would take.