 | |
| Author | Michael Holley |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
Publication date | 2008 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 202 |
| ISBN | 978-0-06-145854-5 |
| 796.357'640974461 22 | |
| LC Class | GV875.B62 H65 2008 |
Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston's Rise to Dominance is a book written by Michael Holley that documents the 2007 Boston Red Sox season, a year in which they won the American League pennant and went on to win the World Series.
Although Red Sox Rule is a book that appears to be about the team, it is actually more focused on the team's manager, Terry Francona, rather than the team itself. HarperCollins, the book's publisher describes the book as an "... inside look at how it all happened ... [and] reveals the private sessions and the dugout and front-office strategies that have made the Boston Red Sox a budding dynasty." [1] Francona's selection as the team's manager followed the firing of his predecessor, Grady Little whose decisions during the 2003 American League championship series were widely criticized by the media, the public, and the teams ownership. [1] In his first year as the manager, Francona took the Red Sox to the World Series where the team defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and won its first championship title in 86 years. Subsequently, the team was generally successfully during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but it was not until the 2007 season that the team attained the same level of success as it did in 2004, and once again won the World Series.
The book discusses Francona's childhood and his relationship with his father, Tito Francona, who was also a major league baseball player. Several chapters are then devoted to Francona's early baseball years from high school in New Brighton, Pennsylvania to the University of Arizona, to his 10-year career as a major league player. Following his professional playing career, Francona went on to manage in the minor leagues where he gained national attention as the manager of the Birmingham Barons whose roster included NBA Hall of Fame player Michael Jordan. Francona's efforts in managing Jordan as well as managing the unprecedented level of media coverage won him admirers in both the baseball community and the press. [1]
The book also discusses his battle with health in chapter 10: Life And Death
The book was well received by the public and appeared on both the Nw York Times Best Seller list as well as regional lists. [2] [3] Critics generally provided positive reviews, highlighting the inside information that Holley was able to obtain from spending countless hours with Francona during the season, but also criticising the scarce amount of material in the book regarding the 2004 season [4] [5]
What's there is very good -- there are plenty of interesting details that aren't public knowledge placed here# But the story jumps around a little bit and feels incomplete. For example, there is surprisingly little information on the 2004 season, which of course changed the lives of every Red Sox fan alive. And it's not as if there wasn't room for more material, "Red Sox Rule" checks in at 202 pages of text, and it's easy to breeze through this in a couple of days. [6]
This is a good read for Red Sox fans looking to learn a bit more about Francona, both on and off the field. Like many, he's taken an interesting route to get where he is, and like most, it hasn't been a straight or easy path to the manager's chair. [7]
At least one Boston-based critic stated that Holley's relationship with Francona was much too close and personal for the author to provide an unbiased look. The same reviewer also questioned the author's ability to gain access to Michael Jordan although he did not go as far as to claim that Holley falsified information. [8]
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the team's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, c. 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had been known as the "Boston Red Stockings", including the Boston Braves. The team has won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and has played in 13 World Series. Their most recent World Series appearance and win was in 2018. In addition, they won the 1904 American League pennant, but were not able to defend their 1903 World Series championship when the New York Giants refused to participate in the 1904 World Series.
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Keith Charles Foulke is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. A graduate of Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas, Foulke attended Galveston College and Lewis–Clark State College. Between 1997 and 2008, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. Foulke was an All-Star in 2003 and he earned the save in the final game of the 2004 World Series.
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Michael S. Holley is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Plain Dealer, and Akron Beacon Journal.
William Grady Little is an American former manager in Major League Baseball, currently working in the front office of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007. He was inducted into the Kinston, North Carolina, Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, Charlotte Baseball Hall of Fame 1985 and was inducted into the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame on April 13, 2009.
James Bradley Mills is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an infielder for the Montreal Expos from 1980 to 1983. He managed the Houston Astros from 2010 to 2012, and served as a coach in MLB for the Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians.
Dan Shaughnessy is an American sports writer. He has covered the Boston Red Sox for The Boston Globe since 1981. In 2016, he was given the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Shaughnessy is often referred to by his nickname "Shank," given by the 1980s Boston Celtics team for the often unflattering and critical nature of his articles.
Robert José Watson was an American professional baseball player, coach and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1966 to 1984, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he was a two-time All-Star player. Watson had a .295 batting average over a career that also saw him play for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the Atlanta Braves.
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John Patsy Francona was a Major League Baseball player, an outfielder and first baseman for 9 different teams. As a child, he was nicknamed "Tito" by his father. His son, Terry Francona, is also often referred to as "Tito."
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