INSTANT REACTION to Terry Francona becoming the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds

Future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona will come out of retirement to manage the Cincinnati Reds, with the team announcing Friday that they have agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth season.

Francona's return comes one year after he retired following his 23rd season as an MLB manager.

Francona, 65, takes over a young, talented Reds team a year after leaving the Cleveland Guardians, whom he had managed the previous 11 seasons. Francona won nearly 55% of his games with Cleveland after capturing two World Series while managing the Boston Red Sox, including the 2004 campaign that snapped an 86-year title drought.

Concerns about Francona's health in recent years caused him to miss time and led to questions about whether he wanted to continue managing despite the success. When Francona stepped down from the Guardians on Oct. 3, 2023, he said: "I need to go home and get healthy and see what I miss about the game. I don't foresee managing again." | https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/4...
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