Terry Francona

Francona's major league managerial career began in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he worked for four seasons. In 2004, the Red Sox hired Francona to manage their club and he led the team to a 98-64 record in 2004, the second-best record in the American League behind the division-rival Yankees. Under Francona's leadership, the club jelled in the second half and was the hottest team in baseball after the All-Star break.

Currently the manager of the Cleveland Indians, Terry Francona shares with audiences the successful coaching and leadership methods that brought his team, a self-described “bunch of idiots,” all the way to World Series victory in 2004. Using techniques culled from his many years as a player and a major-league coach, Francona shares his game plan for success. Through leadership, persistence, and teamwork, he shows audiences that no obstacle is too difficult to overcome. Francona is experienced at bringing out the best in every individual on his team and working to overcome adversity by keeping all focused and believing in one goal: success.

Francona grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was drafted out of the University of Arizona in the first round of the 1980 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos. At Arizona, he earned the Golden Spikes Award in 1980 as the best player in amateur baseball. In ten seasons, Francona played for the Expos, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and the Milwaukee Brewers.

His first managerial job was with the Chicago White Sox organization, heading their Class-A minor league affiliate, the South Bend White Sox. In 1993, he was promoted to the Double-A affiliate Birmingham Barons and in his first year with the club won the Southern League Crown, earning him Baseball America' s Manager of the Year honors. The following year, the team was swamped by press coverage when NBA star Michael Jordan joined the team in an effort to start a baseball career. That same year, Baseball America named Francona the "top managerial prospect" in the minors. Read Less ^