Managing Just Fine: Terry Francona Guiding Boston Red Sox to Another Postseason

Here’s something most of New England wouldn’t have predicted when they plunked down in front of their Honey Nut Cheerios on Sunday morning: The Red Sox's offense would be as prolific as the Patriots offense that afternoon.

That may be more a commentary on the sad state of affairs in Foxboro than an endorsement of the Sox lineup—they were playing Baltimore, of course—but it’s an interesting factoid when you consider only three weeks ago the Red Sox were scrapping for a postseason berth while the Pats were all but penciled in to the Super Bowl by most of the nationwide media.

My how times have changed. By the time the sun set Sunday, the Red Sox were closer to the Yankees than they were the Rangers and may actually enter this weekend’s series in the Bronx with legitimate hopes of winning the division.

It was only a few weeks ago that everyone in Boston was looking over his or her shoulder at the Rangers, wondering when they were going to fade. Admit it, you were starting to think it wasn’t going to happen. I know I was.

Now two solid Daisuke Matsuzaka starts later the Red Sox are in the driver’s seat to not only run away with the Wild Card but also have the invaluable opportunity to line up their pitching rotation for October. It’s a perfect-world scenario.

The Red Sox have returned to the conversation as legitimate World Series contenders, something most talking heads would have laughed at less than a month ago when Paul Byrd was making meaningful starts.

And, if you factor in the ups and downs and wild roller-coaster rides this season has been highlighted by, this may be Terry Francona’s best performance as manager.

He was ripped up and down for playing Jason Varitek too much, for not dropping David Ortiz in the order, for not walking Evan Longoria, for not pinch-hitting for Alex Gonzalez...the list goes on and on.

And yet here we are, poised for a series in New York that might actually determine a division everyone had written off as a lost cause when it was still hot outside.

Think about it: John Smoltz was a bust. Brad Penny was an oversized waste of time. Daisuke was invisible for the first five months of the season. Ortiz has had two remarkable slumps and a major scandal over his head. J.D. Drew’s average dipped below .240 at one point.

Jason Bay spent two months in the middle of the season swinging what looked like a garden hose. Josh Beckett lost his mojo for three starts. Tim Wakefield started moving like an 85-year old. Paul Byrd showed up in the dugout.

This ain’t exactly how it was drawn up.

Add to the fact that Tito had to deal with a musical chairs scenario at the trading deadline that saw Adam LaRoche arrive and depart and saw Victor Martinez and Casey Kotchman show up for the stretch run. Chemistry in the clubhouse may have never been more difficult.

Martinez, of course, has been perhaps the single biggest reason for the turnaround, both in the clubhouse and on the field. His presence in the lineup and ability to catch the Sox staff—ask Clay Buchholz, whose turnaround coincided in part with the arrival of Martinez, whom he credits with boosting his confidence—are irreplaceable.

Theo Epstein, of course, gets—and deserves—the credit for picking up Martinez.

But Tito gets the credit for working his clubhouse magic. A lesser manager would have watched his team fall apart during the turmoil the Sox faced in June and July. A six-game losing streak at division rivals Tampa Bay and New York, a steroid scandal for one of your biggest stars, a lineup floundering for consistency—it would have been easy to pack up and go home.

But Tito’s biggest strength is his ability to think big picture. He’ll make the occasional questionable move on the field, but he never loses his finger on the pulse of the clubhouse, and in baseball more than any other sport that’s the key to success. If you enter postseason play with 25 unified dudes, you’re well on your way.

The point here is simple: As recently as two months ago the Red Sox were floating to nowhere. Now they’re storming toward the playoffs. All the credit certainly doesn’t go to Francona, but a good portion of it must. He’s the guy steering the ship.

And he’s got 25 guys confident in the direction he's taking them. Given the way things went for teams in the region Sunday, that may be another category in which the Red Sox have the Patriots beat.