Red Sox, Francona better off for getting together

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BOSTON -- Terry Francona has been around professional baseball his entire life. It is what he knows best. The Boston Red Sox manager is the son of former major-league player, Tito Francona, so Terry has spent his childhood growing up in big-league clubhouses and was taught to respect the game at a young age. His introduction to the game followed him as a player through high school, college and as a professional before he hung up the spikes and decided to stay in the game in other positions. Francona also gained a wealth of knowledge as a minor-league manager, big-league bench coach, scout and manager of the Phillies. Throughout the baseball world, Francona has earned respect from players, front-office personnel and management. All of that culminated with Red Sox two World Series championships, in 2004 and last season. Now the Red Sox are in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons under Francona, and the club is hoping for a repeat performance. Because of the team's success the Red Sox extended Francona's contract through 2011 with club options for 2012 and 2013. "I'm not surprised by what he's done," said Indians executive vice president/general manager Mark Shapiro. "The most truthful qualities of a manager can't be taught; they can only be refined and Tito has those characteristics. He cares about the players, he's intelligent and he prepares diligently. Everything else you do through experience or learning, and certain people want to get better and want to keep improving and are driven to establish new standards of excellence. Tito is one of those guys. He's not satisfied. He always wants to get better. It goes back to his foundation, which is a high level of character, integrity and being an outstanding communicator. He has a love for baseball and the players." Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills and Francona have been close friends for a long time. They were roommates at the University of Arizona, played together in Montreal in the early 1980s and have worked together in Philadelphia and Boston.He feels like Francona has matured as a manager since he's been in Boston. There's a lot that comes with working in this market. The pressure to win, the fans and the media all make managing, coaching and playing in Boston a little more difficult than other places. Francona has learned to handle it all, while keeping his players happy. "I think he's getting there, if he's not there already," said Mills. "There are things that still bug him a little bit, but I think he's grown to understand what his position is and handles it great." Francona doesn't ask too much of his players, only that they play the game hard and play the game the right way. Captain Jason Varitek has played in Boston for Jimy Williams, Grady Little and now Francona. Varitek isn't about to rate the managers, but admitted he's learned a lot from each one. Still, Francona holds a special place in club history because of the success he has had. "He has to," Varitek said. "You don't win for no reason. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for some of those other managers, so it's kind of hard to take anything away from them. But it's also right to give Tito his due. He's been awesome." The common theme with Francona, both on and off the field, has been his ability to communicate and be honest with his players. Those are traits he learned when he was a player and he always thought that if one day he ever became a manager, he would treat his players the way he would want to be treated. "He lets us play and doesn't demand too much from us," said Varitek. "He believes in playing the game hard and playing the game right. Those are the things that are important for playing here, and he has instilled that in all of us since he's been here." There are many stories about Francona staying at the ballpark overnight and not sleeping. Some are true, while others are legend. There's no denying, however, the amount of time Francona and his staff spend on preparation. "He's not trying to reinvent the game or be something special," said Mills. "He's just trying to be real. (The players) respect him because he is so well prepared. He puts the players in a position to be the most successful, and he prepares for that in such a way that the players understand it, and they work so hard for him." It doesn't matter if you're a 10-year veteran or a rookie; if you play the game the way it should be played day in and day out, a player will quickly earn the manager's respect. Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury is a perfect example. Francona, along with GM Theo Epstein, made the decision prior to Game 6 of the ALCS in 2007 that Ellsbury needed to be in the starting lineup since Coco Crisp was struggling. That move sparked the club and the rookie has been an everyday player since. "He's been good," said Ellsbury. "He let's you go out there and play. He really doesn't talk to you too much. We're on the same page because going through the minor-league system we know what is expected out of us when we get here. As long as you play hard, that's the biggest thing with him. You don't feel a lot of pressure, in that sense, and he keeps a relaxed atmosphere. He keeps it simple." (Contact Joe McDonald at jmcdonal@projo.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)