Francona - more like Switzer, or more like Belicheck?
Ya know… the way some people around here talk, you’d think that Terry Francona was baseball’s answer to Barry Switzer. Remember when Jimmy Johnson did all the leg work to return the Cowboys to glory, winning a couple Lombardis along the way, before telling Jerry Jones that Texas wasn’t big enough for the both of ‘em? So Switzer comes in, and the Cowboys indeed win a(nother) Super Bowl in spite of him? Some people around here continue to think the Red Sox win the WS in spite of Francona.
It mystifies me.
Is he the best manager in the game? I don’t think so. Is he the only reason they’ve won two WS in four years? Of course not. But… is he the best manager the Red Sox have ever had - considering the added BS that goes into managing this team in this town, in this day and age? Could be.
He’s now 8-0 in WS games… um, 8… and… 0… He’s 22-9 in postseason games, 6-1 in postseason series. He managed the only team to come back from a 3-0 postseason series deficit, and oh btw, he also managed a team back from a 3-1 postseason series deficit. He not only led the first Red Sox WS title in 86 freakin’ years, but it took far less than 86 years to get a second one.
I just don’t know what this guy needs to do to convince the armchair managers in RSN that actually… they couldn’t do a better job than Francona, and indeed, few ML managers could either (considering the team and area where he’s managing).
Do I agree with every move Francona makes? Nope. Do I think he’s perfect? Nope. But I’m glad he’s the Red Sox manager, and he deserves plenty of credit for his team’s success. He has one fewer championship than Bill Belicheck - yet in this area, Belicheck is unquestioned and Francona is always questioned. I understand the different sports - and the different teams - have a lot to do with that… but geez Louise, he’s not Barry Switzer!
He’s not even KC Jones - who won two titles while sitting back to let three HOFers (and a fourth who should be in Springfield…
Terry Francona may not be Bill Belicheck either - fine. But he’s a lot closer to Belicheck than he is to Switzer. I just wonder how many more WS are necessary for the Francona-bashers to finally realize that.
Okay, I’m done now.