More MLB: Scoreboard | Standings | Probable Pitchers | Sortable Stats | Odds
When the Indians begin their four-game set with the Red Sox on Thursday night in Fenway, it will be a clash of two teams presently in playoff position. More notably, though, it will be former Boston skipper Terry Francona's first trip back to Fenway since becoming manager of the Indians.
Francona, of course, helmed the Sox's World Series-winning teams of 2004 and 2007 and guided them to eight winning campaigns in as many seasons. Francona's tenure in Boston came to an unceremonious end following the 2011 chicken-beer-video-games collapse, but the dysfunction of the 2012 team under Bobby Valentine left Sox fans remembering how great Francona really was as their skipper.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe relays Francona's comments in advance of his return to the Fens:
“I’m sure I’ll have a lot of emotions. The one thing I want to remind myself — and I have — is that this game is tough enough to play and I don’t want our guys having extra baggage during that series. I need to be very cognizant of that; that whatever feelings I’m having, I’ll deal with them. It’s hard enough to play this game. ... I’m proud to go back there as an Indian. I don’t want that to ever get lost in the shuffle.’’
No surprise that a pro like Francona is downplaying the significance of the moment and keeping the focus on his new team. While current Red Sox manager John Farrell (Francona's former pitching coach from 2007-10) has done a fine job thus far, I'd expect a warm and rousing reception for Francona from the fans in attendance. To say the least, he deserves it.
