Terry Francona Discovers the Cruel Underground World of the Boston Red Sox

For a manager who led the Boston Red Sox to two championships, Terry Francona sure isn't getting a lot of respect.

Francona made the mistake of telling the truth, saying that it wasn't his choice to leave the Red Sox, and now, suddenly, personal details are beginning to emerge from the depths.

It was only inevitable that Francona's alleged marital problems would rise to the surface; that kind of stuff is fodder for gossip magazines.

But the the fact that his use of pain medication leaked out is all on the Red Sox, from the management down on to the medical staff. That kind of stuff isn't supposed to leak out because it's confidential information between employee and employer, not to mention between doctor and patient.

When the initial report came out delving into Francona's personal life, Francona was justifiably upset.

Said Francona, via ESPN:

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"It makes me angry that people say these things because I've busted my (butt) to be the best manager I can be. I wasn't terribly successful this year, but I worked harder and spent more time at the ballpark this year than I ever did."

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The report noted team sources said Francona, married to his wife Jacque for 30 years, moved out of their home and lived in a hotel this past season. It also quoted team sources as hinting that Francona abused his pain medication.

Said Francona of his use of pain medication, via ESPN:

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"I went and saw the proper people and it was not an issue. It never became an issue, and anybody who knew what was going on knows that.''

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Funny how Francona said "proper people." They aren't appearing so proper anymore.

This is not a one-time thing, folks.

Former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said on SportsCenter on Wednesday:

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"If we want to go down the list...now we're hearing about Terry Francona, before Terry...it was Johnny Damon, before him you had Derek Lowe, you had Pedro Martinez, you had Manny Ramirez, you had myself, then you had Mo Vaughn, then you had Roger Clemens, then you had Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and oh, by the way, one Ted Williams.

"So the list is pretty good, pretty prestigious, but it seems to happen. So there's a pattern. Is it all these guys that are bad, or is there something more here?"

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The only guys who are bad are the guys who leaked this information, and something tells me it wasn't just a few people. All this because Francona hinted that the Red Sox shoved him out the door.

This is becoming like some kind of horror story. "Don't say anything negative in Fenway Park or the Red Sox will get you."

It's absurd, especially given what Francona gave to the Red Sox. The Red Sox can't own up to the truth that they did push Francona out of town, and now, because they're scared of how the public will react, they resort to digging up dirt on a man who spent eight years of his life with the organization.

That's a good way to bring another curse to the franchise.

What manager wants to fight for this organization knowing he's destined to be stabbed in the back?