Terry Francona got used to getting out of bed whenever he wanted during his year away from managing a Major League Baseball team, and his biggest decision then was whether to have a second cup of coffee before doing the daily crossword puzzle.
While it was a bit of an adjustment when he had to start getting up again in the predawn hours to head to the Cincinnati Reds’ spring training complex, Francona was quickly back to where he prefers to be every day.
“My mind went right back into baseball, and it kind of feels good,” Francona said soon after starting his first camp with the Reds, who hired him in October. “I enjoy, I love coming to the ballpark. There’s no place on this earth I’m more comfortable. … This is my home and, like, (I) grew up in this place.”
A three-time American League manager of the year and two-time World Series champion, Francona turns 66 in April, and he is rejuvenated and feeling better after what he knows was a much-needed break from the grind of professional baseball. The son of a major leaguer, he was a first-round pick in the 1980 MLB draft out of the University of Arizona and played for five teams in the majors from 1981 to 1990 before going into coaching.
When Francona stepped away after the Cleveland Guardians’ 2023 season, his 11th with that franchise, he needed a shoulder replacement and double hernia surgery. He had missed extended time in 2020 and 2021 due to health complications.