“Franconomics”

Terry Francona has won 2 world series in 4 years and is 7 wins away from making it 3 in 5.  He is the most successful manager in Red Sox history and if he pulls off 3 in 5, isn’t he a mandatory Hall of Fame candidate?  Terry has his supporters and his vocal detractors, locally.  But how do you really size this guy up as a manager?  What are the guiding principles of “Franconomics”, and how are they working in practice?

 

Managers never get enough credit for managing the clubhouse and keeping the team on a united path over a very long season.  Huge egos, million dollar salaries.  Fragile psyches.  He is beloved by his players and they play their guts out for him.  You cannot give him enough credit for this.  Particularly in Boston, this is a HUGE part of his job.  And I don’t think anyone can do it better. 

 

There are a couple of principles that lay the foundation of “Franconomics”, but they can really be summed by one phrase.  Tammy Wynette said it first and Terry puts it into practice everyday: “Stand by Your Man”.  These four words tell you everything you need to know about Terry’s philosophy and what he is going to do in almost any given situation.  He’s going to stand by his man.  Whether it is sub .200 batting Pedroia in his first professional month or insulating his players as completely as possible from any kind of controversies with the infamous “We’re dealing with this in-house.”  He covers their butts no matter what.  And he stands by them no matter what. 

 

And it almost always pays off for Terry.  Pedroia, Drew, even Millar for Pete’s sake.  He sticks by the guys without exception and is almost always rewarded in the end.  Does this make Terry brilliant, a great manager?  A fortune teller even?  Or is he just really, really devoted?  Tammy Wynette style devoted.  He always sticks by them, always.  Put “Franconomics” into practice in a relationship and there would never be a reason to leave Brett Myers.  Terry’s team has had one of the highest payrolls and most skillfully run and well funded minor league systems for the entirety of his tenure. 

 

That’s right, he’s got the best players.  Or at the very least, very good players.  Perhaps Terry almost always pulls a face card when he doubles down on 11 because the deck is stacked in his favor.  Maybe standing by his men has been so successful because those men are some of the most gifted and talented in the majors.  Maybe because Terry sticks by everyone under any circumstances, he is not as prophetic as we might think. 

 

This carries over into everything he does.  Leave the starters in too long?  Sure, I believe they can work themselves into form.  Go time after time to dreadful relievers and stick with them a few batters too long?  Absolutely, they’re going to turn it around.  Sacrifice, are you crazy?  My guy’s going to get a hit, I believe, I stand by him.  He’s not gonna hit into a no out inning killing double play with men on 1^st and 2^nd and nobody out in a tie game in the eighth. 

 

Terry is a very effective manager for the Red Sox and perhaps no one could do a better job.  But he could really use a game managing intern.  The Red Sox would not have two World Series and be knocking on the door of a third without Terry.  Managing the clubhouse alone in Boston is that difficult.  But that doesn’t mean he is not making some game blowing gaffes that are not only indefensible, but unfathomable.  Unless, of course, you are just standing by your man, in every possible situation.  Don’t forget, this is the same man who put Pedro Martinez in relief into game 7 in Yankee Stadium in 2004.  The game was a blow out, the crowd were slicing themselves with razor blades A&E special style.  There was nothing that could breathe energy into that building. 

 

Oh wait, sure there was.  Put in Pedro, in relief.  Get the “Who’s your Daddy” chant going, a couple of runs and the stadium is alive again.  There was no conceivable reason under the sun to put Pedro in that game, unless you had Tammy Wynette devotion for him.  If you not only believed that he could do it, but that he deserved a shot at Stadium redemption.  Only devotion could bring about that craziness.

 

And that finally brings us to last night, game 2, 2008 ALCS.  Terry’s star starting pitcher, Josh Beckett, just did not have it.  You could see it in the first inning.  You could see it in the second inning, the third.  You could see it on every pitch he threw.  You were watching Josh Beckett on a night when he would get one swing and miss from the Rays on a fastball.  One, on 93 pitches.  He just didn’t have it.  That’s why you have long relievers.  Either Wakefield or more likely Byrd were there for you, just for this eventuality. 

 

But Terry kept putting him back out there.  Terry didn’t even have someone warming up in the 3^rd when Josh headed into trouble again giving up his 4^th run and 2^nd homerun.  Through four innings, the laboring Beckett had given up 5 runs, 3 homeruns and was getting scored on like (fill in your inappropriate metaphor here).  He clearly didn’t have it.  This wasn’t the best post season pitcher around; this was a guy who has not pitched regularly or well anytime recently.  Inning after inning Beckett kept going out to the mound.  I yelled to Terry. “He doesn’t have it tonight, Terry, get him out of there!”  He didn’t hear me.  Why, why, why would he do this?

 

Because Terry believed that Beckett was going to get it together.  Pitched awful against the Angels.  Has an injury of some sort.  Getting lit up like a Christmas tree by the light hitting Rays.  Showed absolutely zero signs of any effectiveness last night, whatsoever.  There was no reason in the world to keep sending him out there.  Particularly to start the 5^th after the Sox had retaken the lead with 3 solo homeruns in the top of the 5^th.  You’ve got the lead; you survived Beckett’s horrendous start.  Just put your bullpen out there and hope for the best.  Just don’t put Beckett out there to be further pummeled. 

 

But, he did, and here’s why.   He stands by his man.  Always and without exception.  Every single person watching that game last night knew that Beckett did not have it.  Every out he got was fortunate.  All 13 of them.  Again, he threw one fastball that garnered a swing and miss.  If that doesn’t tell you that Josh Beckett ain’t Josh Beckett, then I can’t help you.  But none of this comes into play with Terry.  He just stands by his man, under any and all circumstances.  This has nothing to do with logic or facts or even baseball knowledge.  This has to do with devotion. 

 

He stood by Josh Beckett until he finished with the following stat line.  4.1 IP, 9H, 8 ER.  Who leaves their starter out there into the 5^th when he is getting killed until he has given up 8 runs?  Who sends him back out there for the 5^th after getting back a one run lead?  Who I ask?  Well, I will ask and answer.  Someone that manages not based on logic, strategy or reason.  Someone who manages based on devotion.  Next time you see Terry leaving in some poor sap to get hammered, or has Junior Varsity Varitek swinging away into a double play.  Think of two things.  One, he can’t help it; this is who he is and what he believes.  Two, crank up “Stand By Your Man” on the sound system. It makes it easier to take, it really does.  At least you can understand the thought process that got him there.  He just hums the refrain when he has a decision to make. 

 

And you can bet dollars to donuts that he was humming that same refrain in his head last night when he put in Old Man Timlin.  Timlin has been awful for two years.  Horrendous this year, beyond words horrendous.  Timlin had not only not pitched since September 28, but here’s how his last month shaped up.  7.2 IP, 13 H, 8 ER.  That’s a 9.39 ERA, in case you were wondering.  His opponents’ batting average against him this year was .302 with an OBP of .363.  Enough evidence for you.  Many a Red Sox fan has known it was time to go to bed this year when Old Man Timlin showed up on the mound.  Just like last night and good thing too, because it was getting late. 

 

So, when would be a good time to show your devotion to ol’ Timlin.  How bout the 11^th inning of an 8-8 LCS game?  If that’s not standing by your man, then I don’t know what is?  If you’re not going to use Paul Byrd when Beckett is doing his “Firestarter” impression early on, and you’re not going to use him in the 11^th when you are out of pitchers not name Mike Timlin, why is he on the roster? 

 

“Franconomics”.  Someone should write a book.  Just send me some royalties.

 

NFL picks, HOME TEAMS in CAPS, 26-28-3 on the year. 

 

Bears -3 over FALCONS

SAINTS -7.5 over Raiders

Panthers +1.5 over BUCS

REDSKINS -12.5 over Rams

JETS -10 over Bengals

Lions +14 over VIKINGS        (they have to cover eventually, don’t they?)

Dolphins +3 over TEXANS      (it’ll take more than a year to recover from Sage’s insanity)

Ravens +4 over COLTS           (the new building is jinxed)

BRONCOS -3             over Jags (the Jags are this year’s “Cop Rock”.  Look it up if you missed it.  Whenever there is a new Bochco show, they always mention his former shows, NYPD Blue etc.  They never mention “Cop Rock”.  This bothers me.

 

Cowboys -5.5 over CARDINALS

Eagles -5.5 over 49ERS

Packers even over SEAHAWKS

Patriots +5.5 over Chargers

BROWNS +9 over Giants        It’s now or never Browns, and I’m betting on now.