Terry Francona is apparently feeling better.
A year after the longtime manager stepped down from his post with the Cleveland Guardians, the Cincinnati Reds hired him as their new manager, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The Reds fired manager David Bell last month after six seasons.
Francona’s exit from Cleveland was presented as a retirement amid health concerns for the 65-year-old. Francona went as far as saying he didn’t see himself managing again, though he also seemed to leave some doors open, via MLB.com:
“I never was real concerned about the word ‘retire’ because I guess when you say ‘retire,’ it’s like you’re going home and not doing anything,” Francona said. “I know I need to go home and get healthy and see what I miss about our game. And then maybe after some time, see the best way to maybe quench that appetite, whatever it is.
“I don’t foresee managing. Again, I don’t have a crystal ball. Nobody does. Because if I was gonna manage, I like doing it here. But I also don’t want to just turn away from the game.”
Now, one year later. Francona is jumping back into MLB, with the other team in Ohio. The Reds will be the fourth team he’s led in a managerial career that goes back to 1997.
