Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman played a key role in connecting Cincinnati Reds officials with Terry Francona, who is now the team’s new manager.
After the Reds let go of manager David Bell late in the season, the 82-year-old Brennaman reached out to Francona, encouraging his longtime friend to consider the Reds job.
Francona, 65, had recently stepped down as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians after the 2023 season for health reasons, among other factors.
“He and I have a great friendship, and I’ve always respected the fact that he’s truly one of the best managers I’ve ever been around,” Brennaman said. “I just felt like it was important for me as a friend to call him and say, you want to come back?”
Francona expressed that he would be willing to hear what the Reds had to offer. So, team officials went to visit him at his home in Arizona, and it didn’t take long for them to persuade the seasoned manager to return to the field.
“Marty, can you believe I’m standing here?” Francona said with a smile to the well-known broadcaster during his introduction as the new manager.
Francona mentioned that he feels rested, healthy, and ready to handle the demands of a long baseball season again.
“When the Reds reached out, I started looking at the team a little more closely, and they came out to visit, and it just felt right,” he said. “And it felt right from pretty close to the beginning of the meeting.”
Francona, who played as an outfielder for the Reds under manager Pete Rose in 1987, takes over for Bell, who was dismissed after his sixth season with a record of 409-456. Francona has signed a three-year contract that runs through the 2027 season, with an option for 2028.
Known as Tito, Francona comes to Cincinnati as one of the most loved managers in baseball. He has a record of 1,950 wins and 1,672 losses in 23 years as a big-league manager, having led teams like Philadelphia (1997-2000), the Red Sox (2004-2011), and the Guardians (2013-2023). He took Cleveland to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons there and won 921 games.
He faced serious health issues during his last years in Cleveland but didn’t call his exit a retirement.
“I honestly didn’t see myself managing again,” Francona said. “I had a really good year away from the game. I needed to step away. I didn’t step away because I didn’t love the game. I stepped away because I didn’t think I was doing the job up to the caliber I thought was necessary. A lot of it was health, and it was getting in the way.”
Francona felt good again when Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador visited him. By the end of their meeting, Francona was eager to put on his uniform right away.
“I firmly believe players enjoy being coached as long as there’s a solid reason and that you’re also organized, and that we will be,” Francona said.
“My promise to the organization and to the fans is that I’ll spend all my energy ensuring that (players) spend all their energy trying to play the game right and with respect,” he said.
“One of my biggest goals is that our players feel like they’re cared for more than ever before but at the same time asking more of them on the field than has ever been done before.”
The Reds finished the season with a record of 77-85, but they have one of the most exciting players in Elly De La Cruz and a potentially strong pitching rotation led by Hunter Greene. Francona mentioned that he has already reached out to all his players to introduce himself.
“I think he’s great with young players,” Brennaman said. “He’s so self-deprecating that you are automatically drawn to him because he doesn’t take himself overly serious. At the same time, he’s honest.
He’s not going to put up with anything less than what he thinks you are capable of doing. But he delivers that message in such a way that nobody is going to be offended. What you see is what you get.”
