Not that he isn't an honest guy. He is. But you wonder if his unerring ability to stand up for his players covered up just a few flaws in the Red Sox clubhouse. Heck, you don't wonder, you know. Francona sees no merit in exposing the inner turmoil that inevitably comes to the surface during the course of 162 games.
That's what made the fact that Francona exposed some issues with his players during a postmortem press conference Thursday at Fenway Park surprising. Still, by opening the door and letting us peek in at the mess that was the Red Sox in September, he also displayed one of his other great traits — accountability.
"When things started to go, I wanted desperately for our guys to care about each other on the field," he said during his final goodbye meeting with the media as a manager of the Red Sox Friday night. "I think I've referenced that a few times. I wasn't seeing that as much as I wanted to, and I tried to make that better, the coaches also. Just wasn't ever comfortable … You've heard me, you guys have been around here all the time, about going in one direction and getting through challenges and meeting them together. I just didn't think we were doing that.
"That's my responsibility and it wasn't happening to my satisfaction."
While expressing remorse for not being able to do his job to the level he expected of himself, Francona did provide one tiny nugget — a small indication of what was ailing the clubhouse. Even then, he made sure not to throw anybody under the bus. And, once again, he circled the responsibility back around to himself.
"I think it's more expending your energy on things you can't control. Whether it's a sense of entitlement, I don't know if that's the right word or not, just wanted our guys to all go in one direction," he said when asked what the primary issue was. "We've got some great guys down there, don’t get me wrong. I know that to get where we wanted to go we needed to try to do it a bit more consistently, pay attention to detail. You saw it in our play, we didn’t do a lot of things well. That's my responsibility."
The efforts seemed to have made an impression on those with whom Francona is parting ways.
"It takes a unique individual to look in the mirror. He told me 'I'm taking responsibility for this and I think it’s time to move on,'" general manager Theo Epstein said Friday night. "Surprised me that his feeling was that extreme about it, but I respect it. Maybe, as he said, it is time for a new voice but wherever he goes next, that team, gosh, it's really gonna benefit for that because he has a unique voice and inspires loyalty."
Francona has made it clear that he made efforts to right the wrongs, likely employing many of the same tactics that codified clubhouses with even more dynamic personalities. In that, he offered up the final example of what made the bulk of his eight years in Boston so very successful.
He never, ever wavered from what he said he felt was the right way.
"Well, we tried to be consistent," he added when asked if he changed anything in his approach down the stretch. "That's the biggest thing you can do. Not to the point where you're beating your head against the wall and being stubborn, I think there's a difference. But if I managed like I've managed for eight years, if I do it different for the last month, that's going to send the wrong message to the team. I tried to put them in a position where they could succeed. And be consistent with that. It didn't work. I would rather do that and not be the manager here than try to do things I don’t believe in. I would have a tough time living with myself."
When the book on Francona's time in Boston is written there will be compliments and criticisms, like there will be for the next guy. What there won't be is any uncertainty as to how he went about his business. His final words with the organization said as much.
