Yet one of Fracona's finest accomplishments may be taking place amid an otherwise lackluster start for the Red Sox, who are in danger of having their first losing April since 1996.
While always a lightning rod in this town when things don't go well, Francona deserves a degree of credit for allowing things to just be OK this year. Until the last two days, his starting pitching — one aspect of the team with which he figured to have few issues — had been a mess. Two-thirds of his brand new outfield has been sidelined for weeks, and the other third is hitting .181. The defensive wizards imported by the front office have looked indecisive and stone-handed at times.
And the elephant in the room involves two of the old guards, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell, both upset with time on the pine and seemingly embarrassed at what their roles have become. Francona has handled the situation surrounding the ice-cold Ortiz and the quiet yet clearly not pleased Lowell in a careful, calculated way that should be applauded.
Ortiz and Lowell are just two of several veterans whose playing time has been compromised, either out of necessity or due to Francona's ability to bite the bullet and act against their wishes. The best example of that was Tuesday night in Toronto, when the skipper pinch-hit for Ortiz with the bases loaded in a tie game.
But it's not only injuries and ineffectiveness which have forced Francona to alter his ultra-patient, player-first approach this season. The out-of-town scoreboard rarely reveals a positive result for the Sox, who are looking up at the world champion Yankees and a downright dominant Tampa Bay Rays team which may be better than it was in 2008, when it topped Francona’s bunch in a dramatic ALCS.
Essentially, there's no time to wait for Ortiz to get going. No time to massage egos. No time to stick with the same lineup if it will help the team jell. And no time to think of a different answer when the media asks him why this move or why that move?
"We're trying to use our players the best we can," Francona said after the Ortiz move in Toronto. "It seems like every night there’s a tough decision."
It's a line he has used several times already.
Remember when the Red Sox were in Kansas City earlier this month? Francona had put out the same lineup for the first four games of the season, and was beginning to field questions during that series as to when he would use guys like Lowell, Jason Varitek, Jeremy Hermida and Bill Hall.
Well, since that series ended with Jacoby Ellsbury going down with rib injuries, there has been just one set of back-to-back games in which Francona has been able to put out the same lineup. It's a daily grind to find the best matchups and the most advantageous spots for a constantly rotating group.
Indeed, tough decisions every night mean a tough month for the man charged with ensuring that many movable parts remain effective, prepared and not overly upset at limited roles.
It is no small task, yet Francona has succeeded in a big way.
