| Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston's Rise to Dominance |  | Author: Michael Holley
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $10.85
You Save: $5.10 (32%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 2376958
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0061458554
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9780061458552
ASIN: 0061458554
Publication Date: April 1, 2009 (In 172 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet published
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Product Description
Michael Holley, bestselling author of Patriot Reign, provides an inside look at how it all happened. With the exclusive cooperation of Terry Francona and stories from the clubhouse and the conference room, Holley reveals the private sessions and the dugout and front-office strategies that have made the Boston Red Sox a budding dynasty. When Grady Little's job prospects were dimming during game seven of the Red Sox-Yankees playoffs in 2003, Oakland A's bench coach Terry Francona was puttering around his house, unaware of his fate. General manager Theo Epstein and owner John Henry sat in their Fenway box, praying that Little would pull Pedro Martinez. And fans throughout New England howled when Martinez remained in the game and the Sox lost the series. They wanted Little's head, and they got it. In Epstein and Henry's search for a manager, they wanted someone from the new school, someone who could manage wealthy and/or sensitive players and rely not only on gut and instinct but also on the cold science of statistics. Francona, the son of a professional baseball player and a major leaguer himself until devastating knee injuries ended his career prematurely, was a dark horse candidate. After all, he'd been a mediocre manager while with the Phillies. But he had a great head for the game, and as the manager for the minor league Birmingham Barons, he had managed none other than Michael Jordan without a glitch. After Francona's job interview with Epstein, which included a written test and a game simulation, the Red Sox felt they'd found their man. And now, after two championships in four seasons, they have their proof. With a team of disparate personalities, from the inscrutable Manny Ramirez to the affable David Ortiz, Francona and the Red Sox have overtaken their hated archnemesis, the New York Yankees, as the American League's elite team. Insightful, fascinating, and surprising, Red Sox Rule is the story of the changing face of baseball and the inner workings of its finest organization.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Interesting but... August 24, 2008
First off I love Michael Holley's work. He is one of the best sports journalists in Boston. I was really hoping that this was going to be like Patriot Reign but unfortunately its not. Red Sox Rule is a rich profile of what makes Terry Francona tick. I never knew that Francona managed Michael Jordan or how good of a player he was before he got hurt. I was disappointed that it is all about Francona and there are few if any insights about the people around him. There are occasional antidotes about Papelbon and Pedroia but I would have been really interested to know more about these guys or players before them (i.e., Kevin Millar). Aside from this and the minimal discussion about Manny which is understandable given that he still works with most of these guys the part that stood out most for me was the lack of any discussion about 2004. Red Sox Rule is a good light read about Terry Francona but don't expect any deep insights about the Sox.
 For Insights and Brilliance, Holley Rules July 9, 2008
I've read countless books on baseball, covering everything from the 1919 Black Sox scandal to right this minute - and this book makes my top five. I found myself canceling plans to read it - and I put it away in two days and was sad to be done.
Baseball makes great fodder for writers because the sport is so inherently nuanced - and yet too often writers try too hard and overdo it, lapsing into cliche and clumsily zapping all the magic.
Not Holley. His writing is brilliantly, poetically restrained, letting the rich and riveting facts and analysis shine through. What results is a truly shaded portrayal of a truly compelling man. A digestible read that is not forgotten once the final page is turned. A book that is eminently informative - but also subtly moving.
I learned things I never knew about my favorite team, about Terry Francona, and about managing in baseball generally. But this provocative work also left me thinking about life, love, the passage of time. Just like the sport itself.
Kudos to Michael Holley, whose work I have long admired, for this satisfying addition to the canon of great sports writing.
Red Sox dynasty building May 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A team almost never repeats as World Series Champions. But if the Red Sox should repeat this year, this book is as good an insight into the reasons why. Terry Francona has seen his share of ill fortune, but his approach to his players and to the Red Sox brass illustrate why he got, and deserved better fortune in Boston than he had in Philadelphia. A good man, and a good story well told.
Not as Insightful as I had hoped.... May 13, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased Red Sox rule because I am a huge Red Sox fan and a huge fan of Michael Holley's work. The book definately contains the Holley trademark style, but was far less insightful then I had hoped. The book gives quite a bit of background on Terry Francona's career, but not a whole lot of insight into the Red Sox organization, or Francona's true relationship with the players, or his philosophy of management. The book does move around a lot with a chapter or two on Francona (not in chronological order, which can be a bit confusing) and then a chapter about a particular incident during the 2007 season, it might be a particular Yankees series during the season, the Gagne trade, etc.. But for the most part its a book about Terry Francona's life. Its not a bad book, I found it interesting, but its not what I expected. If you are looking for insight into the rise of the team and the organization "Feeding the Monster" is a better option. If you want to learn more about Terry Francona's life in baseball this is the book for you.
 Red Sox Rule April 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston's Rise to Dominance
Red Sox Rule is a well written, entertaining book about the Boston Red Sox and their rising gain of respect in baseball, culminating in two World Series victories in four years. In the forefront is the Manager, Terry Francona, and the book tells the Red Sox story through Francona's life story.
This is a baseball book that will appeal to more than baseball fans, as it is a very appealing story of a family whose business happens to be baseball.
Michael Holley is a skilled story teller, and knows how to tell a lot in succinct style. His chapter on Birdie Francona's battle with cancer will ring true for anyone who has had the illness strike his family.
For parents of children who love baseball, the book's positive storyis worthwhile, and with a minimum of strong language.
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