First published 2013
Terry Francona opens his playbook on eight seasons managing baseball's most watched franchise. From 2004 to 2011, he guided the Boston Red Sox through packed Fenway crowds where every decision faced microscopic analysis. Francona takes readers inside the clubhouse as he navigated volatile stars like Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez while working alongside statistics-obsessed executives led by general manager Theo Epstein. He balanced data-driven front office demands against the emotions of twenty-five players and the conflicting visions of three different owners. The manager chronicles the franchise's transformation from cursed underdogs to championship winners in 2004 and 2007, breaking an eighty-six year drought. He details the delicate psychology of handling unpredictable personalities and the pressures of meeting sky-high expectations in a sold-out stadium every night. Francona argues the organization eventually lost focus, prioritizing profits over winning, leading to the September collapse that ended his tenure. The book captures both the art of modern baseball management and an unforgettable era when the Red Sox climbed from basement to penthouse and back again.
Genres: biography, memoir, non-fiction, baseball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: leadership, organizational-culture
Setting: Boston, Fenway Park
Period: 2004-2011
360 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt