Red Sox Rule By: Michael Holley

This book takes a unique look at the Red Sox championship run.

Rather than focus on the team, or the front office, it looks squarely at the manager Terry Francona. It discusses how he got the managerial job in the first place. It discusses the events in his life that may have influenced his coaching style. It explores the history of the making of a Boston Red Sox manager. The access to Francona for this book is evident, as every detail is there for all to see. This book brings it all together into a seamless story.

This was a great book. It was fascinating to see how past events in Francona’s life affected the way he managed the Red Sox. It was amazing how friends he made, or people he met years ago could still influence him today. It went from the obvious influence of someone like Brad Mills to the less obvious. What did managing Michael Jordan in the minor leagues teach him about handling Pedro Martinez? How did trying to play through so many injuries in his career prepare him to deal with veteran players? Does being a past first round pick help him to deal with the superstars of tomorrow? Time and time again I found that the success of the Red Sox just made sense. It became obvious that Terry Francona was almost created just for the role. Anyone who ever refers to him as “Francoma,” or anyone else for that matter, needs to read this book.

Rating: 4 bases