Terry Francona, Red Sox Manager

Each and every Wednesday at this time throughout the baseball season. Hopefully far into the playoffs we talk with a manager of the Boston Red Sox Terry Francona is presented by Iraqis ace hardware stores rockies' ace hardware. -- projects simplifies good afternoon Terry. -- Right I don't deal thanks it was it was almost perfect opening day where he wants and. You look on any dividends in the -- it is good but. All the other stuff concluded. You know lot of nice stuff that for the transplant organization again for the players and myself staff -- -- -- and there's not a whole ought to could go wrong today -- -- me stop and capital or. And this is gonna sound like -- making fun of this I'm dead series with the question how much time. Did you guys discuss. It the concept of players walking through the stance because it it's. Cool looking. But it could there are some dangerous things and -- potential dangers there. They had run by media and spring training just you don't have what do you think of it. And and -- plan on doing and I know he'll it is to me in the players because we spend no time prepare for that I don't know organizations but a lot of times so it. It'll -- organized and departure -- warmup and become its slate of things like that still want to. Really special thing I think about Fenway. And ups had just over goal is don't we don't have to do a lot of gadgets -- -- up -- around the baton to fall down. And get an -- Our organization is trying to show to fans that we terabyte which is great there's nothing wrong with that well one of the other rules special things about Fenway. It is baseball is good enough and I -- up part of. It where you're nervous about it at all. Golf because I know I do our -- news people the -- developer organized register you know when the when the guys start coming out we wouldn't see Ortiz for a few minutes and also the usual batting order was a little -- out of kilter but not -- -- take care. It looked like you really enjoyed escorting Senator Ted Kennedy out for the ceremonial first pitch. One of the highlights how a lot of anger and got to do some really -- -- and -- -- Literally -- -- it was pretty good at -- I thought you literally. You dole too enthusiastic about it in the people obviously were very excited so what protective don't want. -- on our having a conversation about. What baseball means early in the season on one hand you don't want to overreact to anything positive or negative. On April 7 April 25. Or even may tenth but at what point do you say. I'm asking you to you. What at what point should say. I can't say it's no longer early I'm really thinking this is significant this means something. What picked -- -- significant com. There's no getting around that but I just and we talked about this or opening day the emotional reading we had the everything gets -- old out of proportion early. Mean the swings of Varitek picks on day one. Back to command. You know if you click -- -- or game portable poorly pitched game. You know sky is falling that's not necessary to -- But you have to battle that every team does not how many times every year you're going to hear about one team. That's problematic formula and are going to be good this year. No because they have a good first week and then you look up in August and I'll be -- it's usually detained you -- going to be do that are pretty good. Josh Beckett performed spectacularly for yesterday but I read some comments from you where. It was the preparation for yesterday that made you even happier than how we perform. While I guess my point was it's. He works so hard preparing for this but it's not just showed up -- pitch well obviously there's -- The way he goes about his business on the other four days I think what allows him it's like that mean he he would all like that this spring. A lot of times. It just again would also give a game plan. There's a focus of okay here's what we do our team needs to win you know spring training is still until spring training you're trying to let guys to maybe -- tired. They want post -- as they do when they're not ready to. I even hurting yesterday his breaking ball could command a state when it. You know again that probably paid off dividends down the road in the next couple of things even put her to maddening. Has always -- like that means in -- out of here. I really has -- but obviously grown up -- -- we're -- it right in front of our eyes but now he's he's always been real good about understanding and talking about the process. -- Pedroia and now he's got to let up on your designated hitter he might hurt David Ortiz overnight on deck circle. You know I -- that this morning -- Did he -- he got a pretty good that's okay well we don't have about forty times. I mean it yet yet you have a rookie of the year season you follow it up with -- MVP season. I'm not sure what's left for this -- at a pro but he still seems to want to prove something. Well there's a lot of baseball but he got off on the right foot there's no doubt. You -- with the opening day there comes a certain amount of anxiety. You just can't get around it and that and -- -- to -- really helped. You know again if you if you lose the opener it's not the -- world but it. It'd just it's sort of had that feeling of you work for two months looks look c'mon play clean game let's just try to deal get off on the right what. -- a lot of guys in your bullpen who can -- it to Jonathan Papelbon. Yesterday -- with Okajima and you went with masters and why did you choose those guys out of many options. Well I think part of it was we we -- we want believe we want to go to guys who'd been here. If if we didn't heavily in the Pentagon earlier in the sixth inning river Ramirez -- and poverty to become the floor early. But what we had believed. That we had to hitters we wanted and we have replaced the bailout with Masterson to right he's coming up. It'll they have some bounce in order so that makes you think placed on Oki came in on characters Sweden. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- But we've got guys -- to answer the bell not a night hopefully -- bleed again which you might see a couple different guys. Jason Varitek is a guy who has has undertaken up a big task here in spring training of rebuilding his swing -- a lot of stuff from -- -- and about it some comments from you where you were saying. The guys in the dugout know how hard he works they know how much she puts into it. And that they really respond when he has some success and this was in spring training I can imagine what it was like yesterday. All you and returning -- a couple runs and normally we -- that there's normal excitement in what we score -- -- dribble attacked. Took a couple of those -- the dugout just kind of exploded and I think there's a combination of things feel the captain. Everybody knows how hard it works on on not just his swagger is batting but his his catching so we can win. Think -- never ever lost focus on what is priority. And I'm sure that takes away from -- having good times and if I had to choose one of the other -- take take it away committing every time but. To see him. And I I know there's been a lot made of it -- I think the best way back importers like just think he's trying to simplify things if you can repeat your swing over and over and over different. He took herself -- much better chance to have success consistently and that's basically all want any police trying to do. I was gonna ask you if you could if you could put it simply enough that we could understand but but basically you're saying just take web onto the extra junk to make the swing as simple as you can make it. The more moving parts and it'll have more room for error you know the pitchers trying to take off had he also tracked up down and if you're movement. It just makes it harder now again that's all simplified. But if you can repeat your swing and it'll it'll just keep yourself the chance. To give -- -- -- lined up a couple ties brigade -- which they have to do that over the course a long season and the numbers on W there. I know as primary job is deep sense and help in the pitching staff. Does he have. A little in the bank where there's so to speak where you could say are you could take it down 5% or 10%. You your times that with the pitching staff and devote that the hitting or would you feel uncomfortable. No on never tell matters. You know he understands the priority to meet him running the game meant. And just you know that staff is always going to brief priority and I think any good catchers it'll lose some offense because of that. That's what some of the numbers it's almost -- -- Johnny bench and Yvonne Rodriguez makes -- even better. Just because of the position replying. But don't we we meet I would never tell -- that if if he's going to air on dual too much we want to be run on the game and spent time with a picture. Jacoby Ellsbury hit 280 install fifty basis orient for a rookie season. For most people and most teams that'd be something celebrated around here for some reason I think it it surprise some people because he was so great the playoffs the year before. What kind of improvements would you like to see Ellsbury make this year. -- I think the improvement going to come through maturity you know he's he's he's in no particular point. I guess there's a tough they've format again that the other thing that happened you know because he's also for a but what it'll elder didn't make. Adjustment -- untrue just a little bit of a -- Lay off the ball in the can't handle. Trying to recognize which is he can't it'll it'll work account finally -- -- peek at some base I don't care how he doesn't walk error yet. We're going to be better to. Now obviously with the with a special players in baseball history whether it's Ted Williams Mickey mantle Joe -- any of these guys. They know the strike zone from day wine and roll from there it is your opinion how long does it take. The average to above average player to learn the strike zone and to know what he can and cannot do. Still some guys Michael actually probably never automated. You see got a lot -- the moderately and that's what we value that so much because once you get to the major leagues. It's tough enough to not only survived here it'll put to thrive and all the sudden you're trying to maybe change something or adapt something and get better aren't like. -- commanding the strike those bodies to do so the guys that can do it in the moderately global. We certainly pay attention -- that because at least it gives them a chance to tomato global. I heard Mike -- this morning talking about you know where he's at from a physical point of view he feels that there are no restrictions he had the nice double off the wall yesterday. Is he at the point where you don't think about the hip anymore when you make an outline ups and stuff. No I wouldn't say that I think he's done a great job and get ready. And because the way plays the game you know it it's a little bit easier to ignore maybe the lack of speed just because the weight placed third base something. If you hit it down -- your out of the meeting that that is the only. He just -- how to play third he's never forget not a drop step turn a double play in his instincts are good news still exhibit all the wall. If there's one thing had to settle for right now Mikey is not running almost one thing you never really did we don't whistle that's not a big deal. Wolf certainly check with him like old chuck them tonight are more more we'll check little golf flight in and but I don't think there's going to be a whole lot of problems were pretty hard to give himself a position or he can't play. You know I'm gonna ask you this barring injuries knock on -- barring entry to your team. Are you do you feel like you're locked into Salisbury. As a leadoff guy or is there some flexibility. And where you would put him in the line -- All they're going to always be flexibility. I think if he is able to hit lead off and do it successfully. Taught by far best lineup. Which -- -- last year and were times we couldn't do it. But if he's able to leave office -- -- he runs he had a knack of scoring runs. He just makes he makes everything different result based. You worked in Oakland. When when Billy -- was being featured. As the subject of money ball and we all know about on base percentage in that was a big deal back in 20022003. Jacoby Ellsbury OBD is not that high does that concern you do you think that will I get better as he Garza strikes. I think we ought to we all think better. He still has a knack for score -- if you look at his. Percentage appeal on base to score runs it's actually won the -- in the game. He can still basically built first third and everybody -- beacon score first -- bubble. And again we understood he understands the need to get on base well again whether -- chop them. All the infield and beat it out early in the -- down walk under the double if you bomb -- were completely different game. You've got an instinct pitching matchup tonight to 25 year old lefties who might be as good as there is in the game me a look at both of them. How you approach your line up tonight against Scott Kazmir. The one thing we're gonna we're gonna play rock going right field. -- -- tough on us especially coupled on the lefties. I think it gives us a chance -- -- tomorrow on a little different look -- right you know the rule would want to face a lefty. Maybe communal get mistaken off toward one out of here. In the Tenet he leaves us. And any other thing is just you know again we got our extradite so much consistent -- during the spring and amnesty is -- and I really don't want rock go to several. Where's CF physically Terry. He's got a great job. -- won't want to think he was in four games heroic returning he he really communicated well -- policy goal. Article 1 morning -- what you think you'll just like got. He did a good job of making himself available for the game and not do what somebody extracurricular stuff to make himself or wouldn't be available. And did you get little philosophical here for a second and in just put into perspective from from your -- Starting your sixth season. With the Red Sox in and nobody has done that more than half a century with the rents out. -- boy I don't -- hook somebody yesterday yesterday. Some days it seems like sixers go here actually in some time this seemed like it was awful long time ago a you know I guess outcome didn't understand that anybody is gonna you're gonna understand it. You know it's it's a hard place to work sometimes but I can't imagine. Being in a better place. Outlook around the ballpark just to resort they can be paean to we'd just come from the new ballpark in New York and exposed to be such a -- everything. And us about -- target a couple of players something to deal we have the best all part of the world. It might be -- years old but how can you show up and played a better ball park in this we better science so. You know it's it's -- it's it's pretty neat thing to do it wears on you at times and it's certainly want on me and -- Knoll will this year but it's a pretty good place to work. The park in New York from afar obviously have been there yet looks pretty much like the old ballpark -- I'm a place on its monstrous we talk about you I'm talking about the that's the only saw the Yankees want on the aviator writer -- look identical. I. I'm purely amenities are going to be slightly better. Com. To wanting the city. Parker river -- field world but that place is massive and compared to Shea Stadium which was probably the -- all part of the world and they've they've got to be excited there. It can't be worse than that one up in Montreal well. -- that's spelled my home and that's your first ballpark it'd I didn't care Gilligan keep the team we come up without homes -- I enjoyed order -- But -- on a year a fan of golf on that -- about some golf tournament we have here some little golf pool. They had a masters bull on it -- draw names out of a hat. Most of the names it's gonna -- a couple of name drop or names of the limited the company that -- a guy named Tiger Woods. You may have -- him a Phil Mickelson that he's pretty. Got -- that out and then my my scrubs. Michael ware you know former masters winner. 428083. Masters champ got warnings yeah. Sounds like you feel pretty good about yourself. I do feel good about -- O'Dell earlier he's worked for me now. As I always. Terry congratulations on the win yesterday best of luck the rest of the way and we'll look -- -- -- every week. They don't -- that is that Terry Francona. Manager of the Boston Red Sox presented by rockies' ace hardware stores. Rockies ace hardware or projects simplified and I think multiple supposed to sanitary joins -- on the eighteenth outline. AT&T your world delivered.