CINCINNATI — Terry Francona has been hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds, returning to the major leagues a year after he stepped down in Cleveland because of health reasons.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the Reds had not announced the decision.
Francona is replacing David Bell, who was fired by Cincinnati in the final days of his sixth season. Bell had a 409-456 record with the Reds.
Francona, who turns 66 in April, played for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 102 games.
He had kept a low profile since leaving the Guardians. He returned to Cleveland briefly during the summer to help launch a new restaurant in which he has an ownership stake.
Long one of baseball’s most beloved figures, Francona has a 1,950-1,672 record in 23 years as a big league manager with Philadelphia (1997-2000), the Red Sox (2004-2011) and Guardians (2013-2023).
He was slowed by serious medical issues in his final years in Cleveland, but he stayed clear of calling his departure a retirement.
“I never was real concerned about the word retire,” he said last year. “I guess when you say retire, it’s like, well, you’re going home and not doing anything. Don’t feel that way either. We’ll figure something out that makes sense."
He found that something on the other side of Ohio.
With 1,950 wins, he’s 13th on the career list, sandwiched by Casey Stengel (1,905) and Leo Durocher (2,008), two other colorful managers who like Francona endeared themselves to fans and players.
Francona’s rise as one of the game’s best managers was somewhat unexpected.
Things didn’t go particularly well for him in Philadelphia, where he had four straight losing seasons, got constantly booed in a demanding, sports-crazed city and had the tires on his car slashed on fan appreciation day.
He was an unlikely choice for Boston’s job, but immediately claimed legendary status by winning the World Series in his first season.
The Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit in the AL Championship Series and swept St. Louis to end an 86-year championship drought and exorcise the “Curse of the Bambino,” a perceived hex on the team after Babe Ruth was sold to the rival New York Yankees.
When his tenure in Boston ended in 2011 amid some controversy, Francona took a year off and worked in broadcasting before going to Cleveland, where his dad spent six seasons and he himself played 62 games in 1988.
Francona took Cleveland to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons. The Guardians, then known as the Indians, made it to the World Series in 2016 only to lose to the Chicago Cubs in a seven-game series.
Known as Tito, his late father’s name, Francona became a beloved figure in Cleveland with his quick wit and big personality. He could have taken jobs elsewhere but felt a deep connection with the organization after his dad played with Cleveland in the late 1950s and early 60s.
