Editing Terry Francona (section)

====Boston Red Sox (2004–2011)====
[[File:Terry Francona on April 28, 2011.jpg|280px|thumb|Francona as a manager for the [[2011 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox in 2011]]]]
The Red Sox hired Francona to manage their club in 2004, after the team lost the [[2003 American League Championship Series]] and manager [[Grady Little]]'s contract was not renewed.<ref name=":1" />

Francona led the Red Sox to a 98–64 record in 2004, the second-best record in the American League behind their [[Yankees–Red Sox rivalry|biggest rival]], the [[New York Yankees]]. The club gelled in the second half and won more games than any other team in the American League after the [[2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star break]]. As the American League wild card, the Red Sox swept the AL West champion [[Anaheim Angels]], three games to none, in the Division Series. In the [[2004 American League Championship Series]], the Red Sox fell behind the Yankees, three games to none, including a 19–8 loss in Game 3 at home in [[Fenway Park]]. However, the club regained its composure and won the last four games of the series, the first time in Major League Baseball history that a team rallied from an 0–3 deficit to win a playoff series (only the third team to even make it as far as Game 6, and the first team to force a Game 7 after trailing a series three games to zero). The Red Sox then swept the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] 4–0 in the [[2004 World Series]] to win the sixth world title in franchise history, and their first since 1918. The long-awaited victory ended 86 years of frustration for Red Sox fans.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shaughnessy|first=Dan|date=October 28, 2004|title=YES!!! Red Sox complete sweep, win first Series since 1918|work=[[Boston.com]]|url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2004/10/28/yes/?page=full|access-date=June 15, 2021}}</ref>

Francona and the Red Sox posted a 95–67 record in 2005, tied with New York for first in the American League East. However, the Yankees were awarded the division due to their 10–9 record against Boston during the season. Once again the American League Wild Card winner, the Red Sox were swept in the ALDS by the [[Chicago White Sox]], who went on to win the [[2005 World Series]].

The 2006 Red Sox started strong but stumbled in the second half of the season after many key players suffered extensive injuries. The team posted a 23–35 record over the final two months and finished third in the AL East at 86–76, missing the postseason for the first time since 2002. It was also the first time Boston had finished lower than second place since 1997.

Boston rebounded in 2007, winning the AL East for the first time since 1995, finishing two games ahead of the Yankees. Under Francona's leadership, the Sox swept the Angels in the Division Series before dropping three of the first four games to the [[Cleveland Indians]] in the ALCS. The Sox, facing elimination, went on to win their next three games, defeating Cleveland to advance to the [[2007 World Series]], where they swept the [[Colorado Rockies]] in four games.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Browne|first=Ian|date=October 29, 2007|title=Twin peaks: Sox are champs|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20071028&content_id=2285700&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031023751/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20071028&content_id=2285700&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos|archive-date=October 31, 2007|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=[[Boston Red Sox]]}}</ref> Francona is the only manager in Major League history to win his first eight consecutive World Series games and just the second manager to guide two Red Sox clubs to World Series titles, the other being [[Bill Carrigan|Bill "Rough" Carrigan]], who led Boston to back-to-back championships in 1915 and 1916.

On February 24, 2008, the Red Sox announced that they had extended Francona's contract. Instead of expiring at the end of the 2008 season, it would expire after the 2011 season. The team also held club options for 2012 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Browne|first=Ian|date=February 24, 2008|title=Red Sox extend Francona's contract|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080224&content_id=2386948&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos&partnered=rss_bos|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023014322/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080224&content_id=2386948&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos&partnered=rss_bos|archive-date=October 23, 2013|access-date=August 31, 2009|work=[[Boston Red Sox]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Francona was guaranteed a total of $12 million over the first three years of the contract, plus a $750,000 buyout to be received if his 2012 and 2013 options were not exercised.<ref>{{cite news|last=Edes|first=Gordon|author-link=Gordon Edes|date=February 24, 2008|title=Updated info on Tito's deal|newspaper=[[Boston Globe]]|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/02/updated_info_on.html|access-date=August 31, 2009}}</ref>

The Red Sox followed up their second championship of Francona's tenure with a 95-67 record in 2008. Though the Yankees were originally thought to be their top competition for the AL East crown, the surprise [[Tampa Bay Rays]] eventually took the division, relegating Boston to the Wild Card. The Red Sox defeated the Angels once again in the ALDS, this time in four games, meeting the Rays in the ALCS. Boston fell behind three games to one in the series but once again staged a remarkable rally. Trailing 7-0 in the seventh inning of Game 5, the Red Sox stormed back with eight unanswered runs to win, the largest single-game comeback ever by a team facing elimination. They then won Game 6 to force a winner-take-all contest once again. This time Boston was unable to finish the job, however, as the Rays took Game 7 to claim the AL Pennant. 

As of October 1, 2008, Francona's career regular-season managerial record was 755–703 (.518), while his post-season record was 22–9 (.710). Among managers who have managed at least 20 post-season games, he has the highest winning percentage. Francona won his first seven playoff elimination games (not losing until being swept by the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 ALDS) and first nine ALCS elimination games (not losing until Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS at the Tampa Bay Rays).

On June 2, 2009, Francona recorded his 500th win as manager of the Red Sox, making him the third manager in club history to have 500 wins. The only other two to win at least 500 games as manager of the Red Sox are [[Joe Cronin]] (1,071), and [[Pinky Higgins]] (560).<ref>{{cite web|title=Boston Red Sox Managers|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/managers.shtml#manager_register::6|access-date=July 9, 2017|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference LLC]]|location=United States}}</ref> On May 6, 2010, Francona became the fourth person to manage 1,000 games for the Red Sox.

On July 23, 2011, Francona got his 1,000th win as a manager, but his team [[2011 Major League Baseball wild card chase|collapsed historically]] in September, finishing 7–20 and squandering a nine-game lead over the Rays for the AL Wild Card spot. Following the season, the Red Sox declined to exercise Francona's 2012 option.<ref>{{cite web|last=McDonald|first=Joe|date=September 30, 2011|title=Terry Francona, Red Sox split|url=https://www.espn.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7040260/terry-francona-boston-red-sox-part-ways-two-titles|access-date=October 1, 2011|work=[[ESPN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2011/10/01/ignore_the_spin___the_red_sox_fired_terry_francona/|title=Ignore the spin – Red Sox fired Francona|date=October 1, 2011|access-date=April 6, 2013|first=Dan|last=Shaughnessy|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|publisher=Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC|location=[[Boston]]|page=A1|author-link=Dan Shaughnessy}}</ref> He finished his Red Sox career with a 744–552 record in the regular season—second to Cronin in victories, but tops in winning percentage (.574) among those having managed at least 750 games—and 28–17 (.622) in the postseason with those two World Series championships.<ref name="managerial record"/>