The Difference Between Valentine and Francona

About a year ago, Terry Francona was dismissed from his position of manager of the Boston Red Sox. The reasoning was because he lost control of the clubhouse and it resulted in a September collapse that left them out of the playoffs. What that means is the young players that he guided to greatness (Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, etc.) had grown up and no longer looked up to him. They had all made it and were either stars or on the cusp or stardom. Boston management realized this and decided to hire Bobby Valentine to replace him. Valentine is a veteran manager known for managing veteran teams, which Boston became this year. Management wanted Valentine because he commanded respect and was unafraid to speak his mind. He was a leader of men while Francona was a leader of boys.

Last week Valentine was fired. Everyone threw in their two cents on why he got canned. Some were right and some were wrong. Curt Schilling was one of those that was wrong. He said on "Baseball Tonight" that Valentine was doomed from the start and that he was only hired to change the culture in the clubhouse. Change the culture? Oh, you mean clear out the beer and chicken? Any manager could have done that. Heck, Francona could have done that. The real reason Valentine was fired was because he couldn't get the job done. He was brought in to lead an expensive, mostly veteran roster back to the promise land, and he failed miserably. Yes, the team was wrecked by injuries and trades, but the result wouldn't have been much better if there were no changes to the roster. Valentine's outspokenness got him in trouble and a clubhouse that never really wanted him completely turned on him early. This combined with his inability to manage the kids at the end of the season showed management that there was no reason to bring him back. There is a reason he only got a two-year deal. If he couldn't make this roster produce, then they were blowing it up and starting anew, and Bobby V isn't the guy you want overseeing a rebuilding project.

Terry Francona, on the other hand, is the perfect guy to oversee a rebuilding project. Francona is a players manager and a great teacher and guide. Last week the Cleveland Indians began their search for a new manager after firing Manny Acta in late September. The Indians aren't really 'rebuilding,' but they aren't a veteran team either. The job was literally made for Francona. The roster is full of young talent with loads of potential. The front office had two guys in Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonelli that Francona has a great relationship with. To top it all off, Francona's father played his best ball with the Indians many moons ago. The Indians were aware of all of this and that's why they only interviewed two people, Francona and interim manager Sandy Alomar Jr. Alomar couldn't beat what Francona brought to the table, though, even with being a fan favorite from his playing days. Francona essentially won the lotto of baseball jobs. Oh, if you don't believe me when I say he's better with young players, then I'll have him to you himself. During his introductory press conference, he said this, "Dealing with players is fun. Dealing with young players is really fun." Francona has four years to get the Indians to the playoffs. I think: A) there's a good chance the Indians will be in the playoffs next year, and B) Francona will be managing in Cleveland a hell of a lot longer than four years.

As for Bobby Valentine, I think it's obvious that his time in the dugout is over. He took a shot at reviving the Red Sox after a year that shocked all of baseball, but he couldn't do it. Everyone should commend him for that because following Terry Francona in Boston was no easy feat from a fan or player perspective. He is great in the booth as a commentator, and after losing Francona I don't see why ESPN wouldn't give Valentine is old job back. The booth is perfect for Bobby V. He gets to watch tons of baseball and share is abundance of knowledge with the world every Sunday night. He also can critique any player he wants from the broadcast and nobody will turn on him. As a member of the media, no one is going to second guess Bobby Valentine. He may know more about the game than every ESPN baseball analyst put together. With Valentine back in the booth and Francona managing the Indians, one could say the last two baseball seasons were destined to happen. I don't believe in destiny, though. I was just showing you the difference between Valentine and Francona.

Reference

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8478982/new-cleveland-indian-terry-francona-hopes-more-rental-manager