Terry Francona returning to MLB as Reds manager

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.Sign up for Starting Lineup for the biggest stories.

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Never miss a story.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 season...