Cincinnati Reds Manager Terry Francona Reveals Key to Maximizing Talent of Young Roster

Opening Day is on March 27.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona speaks with pitchers before training, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI -- Reds manager Terry Francona is just 10 days away from managing his first regular season game with the oldest team in professional baseball.

Opening Day in Cincinnati hits different, and it could feel different even for someone as accomplished and experienced as Francona. But Francona's plethora of experience is hopefully going to heavily benefit the Reds over the upcoming 162-game season.

"I hope our greatest strength [this season] is everywhere," Francona said in a recent interview with Thom Brennaman. "Over 162 games, if you have a deficit somewhere, it's going to show itself, so you try to be consistent in all areas.

"I do think our ability to force the issue offensively is going to help our offense. I really believe that. I tried to explain to [guys] like when we steal a base it's not because it's in your repertoire, it's in your bag. It's got to be to help us win the game. Everything's got a purpose, and that purpose is to help us win the game."

In 23 seasons as a manager, Francona has led his teams to the playoffs 11 times. He was named the American League Manager of the Year three times in his 11 seasons as manager of the Cleveland Guardians.

Francona's 2004 Boston Red Sox, who won the franchise's first World Series in 86 years that season, was famously nicknamed "The Idiots." That Red Sox team had a ton of personalities and characters including Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz among others.

That Red Sox team was also very talented, and Francona pushed all the right buttons in the Red Sox comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees and sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

This Reds team has a lot of talent and personalities, and the hope is Francona can make it mesh into the team's first Postseason berth in a 162-game season since 2013.

Watch the clip of Brennaman's interview with Francona below:

"Over 162 games, if you have a deficit somewhere, it's going to show itself."#Reds manager Terry Francona pic.twitter.com/Ii57rmZCBP

— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) March 16, 2025

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